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The Side Effects of Commercial Cleaners on Pet Stains

Side Effects of Commercial Cleaners, Rarely anything brings love, joy, and meaning to our lives as our furry friends do. Life is way more delightful and relaxing when we have a loving pet by our side. So there’s no wonder 85 million American families have at least one furry member. But living with a pet means you will deal with some challenges at home and pet stains and odor on area rugs is one of the worst.

When most people notice a stain on their area rug, they usually go to their local supermarket and grab a commercial cleaner they see that promises to have no mercy on stains. But as a responsible pet parent, you should be careful cleaning your area rugs with commercial cleaners, as they could be harmful.

In this blog, I’ll tell you what the symptoms of poisoning in pets are. Then I’ll give you a list of some harmful commercial cleaning products and then some pet-friendly, green alternatives.

What Are The Signs That You Or Your Pets Have Been Poisoned?

As a pet parent, it’s essential to look out for signs of poisoning in your furry loved one. There are many ways chemical toxins find their way into your pet’s body, such as direct ingestion, inhalation, and absorption from the skin. The effect of poisoning varies for each pet, but usually, cats are more vulnerable to poisoning by chemicals and they’re often less likely to recover. Different animals have different digestive systems. In cats, the digestion is far slower, so if they’ve ingested poison, the poison will remain much longer in their bodies. The airborne chemicals in some cleaners used on pet stains will settle on your pet’s skin and irritate them that way. That gets even worse when your puppy or kitty is curious about sniffing the surfaces. Side Effects of Commercial Cleaners. That way, they’ll directly inhale a lot of toxic chemicals. When dealing with pet stains, ensure you choose safe and effective methods like rug pet stain removal to protect your pets from harmful toxins.

In the following, I’ve listed a number of common symptoms of poisoning in pets that you as a pet parent should be aware of:

  • Salivation:

Be cautious when saliva keeps coming out of your dog or cats. When it’s unusual and out of control, it could be a sign that a series of biological reactions to the poison is taking place in their body

  • Vomiting:

Side Effects of Commercial Cleaners, This is a strong sign that the pet’s body is reacting to digesting the chemicals and wants to get rid of them.

  • Diarrhea:

This one is a strong sign that your dog or cat’s digestive system is not properly working. 

  • Twitching:

This could be a sign that your pet feels pain in its stomach.

  • Breathing Difficulties:

If the cat or dog is unusually breathing heavily, it could be a sign of inhaling airborne chemicals in the pet stain removers.

Shock or Collapse: when the reaction is severe, it could cause collapsing in the pet.

  • Inflammation or swelling of the skin:

Side Effects of Commercial Cleaners, It may happen when an airborne toxin has landed on the pet’s skin and gets absorbed into their body.         

Depression: Unusual and sudden depression in your pet could be a sign that your furry family member is in pain.

  • Sudden changes in drinking, urinating, and appetite:

Any unusual change in their habits could be a symptom of poisoning. For example, when your dog shows no interest in their favorite treat.

  • Shivering and fever:

The defensive system of the pet increases their body temperature to kill the invader poisons.

Harmful Substances in Commercial Cleaners For Pet Stains?

Ammonia

Ammonia is the main ingredient of many popular commercial cleaners, including oven cleaners, multi-surface cleaners, and floor cleaners.

Although they would clean the pet stains effectively off the hardwood floor, it’s toxic to your pets and your area rugs.

Ammonia triggers irritation in your pet’s eyes and skin. Side Effects of Commercial Cleaners. It also has severe sense of burning in the throat and nose. It also disturbs the pH balance in the area rug that results in burnt fibers and color run.

So make sure you keep anything containing ammonia away from your pets and area rugs.

Bleach

Bleach usually gives a satisfying sense to the people who love to keep their homes shiny and clean. But if you share your home with a pet, you should be cautious about using bleach.

It contains chloride, which is toxic to dogs and cats. Side Effects of Commercial Cleaners. Chloride has an annoying smell to dogs, as well as potentially causing vomiting and diarrhea.

Bleach also ruins the rug fibers and dyes. That makes the bleach a no-no for pet parents that are also rug owners.

Benzalkonium Chloride

Yeah, the name sounds a little strange, but Benzalkonium chloride is found in many disinfectants and antibacterial products. It causes irritation in your dog’s nose and eyes as well inflammation on their paws.

So check the label of disinfectants to make sure they do not contain this toxic substance. Especially now that disinfectant has a permanent place in our shopping carts during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Pet-Safe Alternatives For Toxic Cleaners Pet Stains

Vinegar and water:

Mix equal parts of water and vinegar and fill a spray bottle with it to stay armored against pet stains & odor on a rug. This simple in-home rug cleaning solution can outperform harsh chemical cleaners.

You should note that it is very difficult to fully extract the moisture from your area rugs entirely at home. The residual moisture might be a disaster and attract bugs, mold, and mildew.

Lemon Juice and Water:

You could use this solution to deodorize the rug after removing the pet stains to give it a delightful aroma. It also works perfectly for cleaning the windows.

Please be cautious about using this solution on your area rugs. Side Effects of Commercial Cleaners. You must neutralize the acid in the lemon juice with baking soda and extract the moisture completely from your rug. Otherwise, the acid and moisture could cause color bleeding and burn the fibers.

Lemon Essential Oil:

 This option is also good for removing pee smell from rugs. Some essential oils such as tea tree oil and cinnamon oil trigger vomiting and allergic reactions in cats. So don’t just pick up any essential oil that smells good. 

Organic soap:

Organic soaps are also a good idea for cleaning dog pee from rug. But please make sure the soap is really made of organic and non-toxic substances and doesn’t just carry the label of “organic.”

You should consult with a rug expert before using organic soaps. That’s because they might not be suitable for your rug due to its age, weave, and condition.

What You Should Know Before Using White Vinegar As A Pet Stain Cleaner

As I’ve already mentioned in my previous blogs on cleaning dog urine on the rug and removing cat pee smell from rugs, vinegar can be a lifesaver for your rugs.

But you should know the vinegar itself has strong acids that are not good for your pets and rug fibers. So you have to neutralize it by sprinkling baking soda over the pet stains on the rug. That also absorbs residual moisture and odor from the rug.

Note: You can’t use baking soda to prevent the consequences of the chemical cleaners that I just mentioned in this blog. That is because the pH level is not the only issue with them. After all, they contain so many petroleum-based chemicals that baking soda can’t get rid of.

The Only %100 Pet-Friendly Rug Cleaning in Washington DC

As I’ve already told you in my previous blog, you’d better ask a rug expert to clean long-stuck dog pee out of a rug. Khazai rug.

My Rug Cleaning team and I are proud to offer the only patented %100 organic solution for Rug Cleaning in Louisville, KY that is totally safe for your pets and kids.

We work in a family business that is backed up by five generations of expertise with rugs. Side Effects of Commercial Cleaners. That has blessed us with a rich knowledge of rugs, helping us develop customized rug cleaning solutions for each area rug after thoroughly inspecting it.

We also aim to deliver the top-grade Pet Stain Removal and  Area Rug Cleaning Drop off in Washington DC by offering contactless Free Pickup & Delivery.

So if your adorable pet has had an accident on your area rugs, grab the phone and give us a call.

My team and I will be at your door in no time, pick up the stained area rug, and deliver it all clean and healthy to you in less than 72 hours!

Do you have any experience with chemical cleaners wiping a pet stains on your area rug? Let us know in the comments!

Author: David Khazai
Author: David Khazai

David Khazai is a 5th-generation rug proficient and certified rug appraiser. As an omniscient author, he explores components and symbolism, making him an exceptional expert in the rug cleaning & repair industry

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