Cat Safe floor cleaner?

What kind of flooring do you have?  I use a steam cleaner with plain water on my tile.  I think it would not work well on wood floors, though.

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Originally Posted by GoldyCat 

I use a steam cleaner with plain water on my tile.

Ah, but note the clever marketing, they say that it can "sanitize" a floor with steam in seconds.   Oh cool, so it kills the bacteria right?  NOPE! 

Sanitizing legally means only that it can help pull up dirt and a little bit of bacteria, just like any mop and bucket.   Unlike a mop and bucket, a steam cleaner is much more convenient as you get a very even coat of water on the surface that is warm so it evaporates very quickly, the mop cleans itself for the most part since its subjected to constant steam, and there is no bucket to haul around or mop to squeegee out.  Very convenient, but NOT doing anything to germs and bacteria but moving them around.  This is why even the best dishwashers that use powerful water streams, high temperature steam, and high temp driers still have to use chemicals to kill the bacteria on the plates and make them safe to use.

Reading the instruction manual for mine (my mom recommended my steam cleaner to me assuming it was working and never actually READ the manual, lol), it states you have to hold the mops tiny surface area on a surface for at least six seconds for it to even be considered "sanitized" though, and so I checked online manuals and found this was the case with four other competitors.    To hold the mop for at least six seconds on a surface before moving it would take all day to mop a decent sized floor.  So yes, it does "sanitize in seconds", but divide the surface area of your floor by the surface area of the mop and multiply it by 6-15 seconds, and you'll see how many hours it would take.  So misleading! 

BUT, even that is unlikely killing most of the bacteria.   An autoclave uses much higher temperatures and pressures than a floor steam cleaner is capable of even on lower settings.  However, even at those higher steam temperatures and pressures it takes 20-30 MINUTES, not seconds, to consider the equipment sterilized.   Note that is "sterile" (bacteria is destroyed), and not "sanitized" (which still takes hours and leaves plenty of bacteria behind). 

So if you really want to kill the bacteria on the floor, and not just mop up loose dirt, you have to spray your cloth with an antibacterial cleaner, or use a swiffer with such a cleaner in advance of steam cleaning.    As long as the cats are locked in a room and not allowed out until the floor is completely dry, I don't think it matters what you use.   I use a generic bleach cleaner, as it is safe when dry, economical, and proven effective.  My cats do love the smell of bleach, but have not tinkled anywhere, and my house is almost all textured non-sealed ceramic tile. 

Oh and cliffs notes, I do highly recommend a steam cleaner over a mop and bucket, as its just so much more convenient.   That is why I did not return mine. 

And really unless you have someone immune compromised living with you, you don't NEED a sanitized yet alone sterilized floor, and so getting up loose dirt is enough.    But if you have spilled things here and there over time and really want it sanitized, use chemicals, there is no way around it as the steam does nothing (and if it were hot enough to do anything at all, it would certainly damage vinyl, wood floors, and even some ceramics that would crack from a rapid temperature change). 

Just putting my 2c worth in -- if you wish to use a cleaner in addition to steam, I've always relied on Murphy Oil Soap, which is a mild vegetable-based cleaner recommended for hardwood but also works on tile and lamiinate.  It's widely available in the US, at least, at supermarkets, for a reasonable price.  Use a little and mix with hot water; mop and you're done.  

I use vinegar and baking soda. does the work for me.

The carpet is harder. Not many products that are pet safe even if they say so on the bottle.

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Originally Posted by MeuzettesMom 

The carpet is harder. Not many products that are pet safe even if they say so on the bottle.

Most are pet safe once dried and vacuumed.   Febreze is basically just a starch (its safe don't believe the online rumors), so you can lock the room, spray the carpet liberally, allow it to dry, and then use a HEPA vacuum and that does a great job.

If you have organic food spills or vomit or urine and the like, then theres usually a great selection of enzyme cleaners at most pet stores.   Get up as much as you can by blotting, super duper saturate the affected area, let it work for a few hours, then blot it back up and vacuum.   Voila.   
 

The real trick with just about any cleaner to make it safe is just don't let them roll around in it while wet, gotta put those kitties on LOCK DOWN!  

I use regular Pinesol as I believe it cleans floors better. Luckily my cat stays away from the floors while they are drying. You could put your cat in a carrier until the floors are dry.

Vinegar disinfects without any harsh fumes. Baking soda fizzes everything and the tile is clean with a rinse.

I use to shampoo the carpets with a Bissel shampooer before it died.. I was worried about the cats So I was glad it died.

I have a steam cleaner that heats up to 200+ degrees (which is what is necessary to kill bacteria and such). I use that, without any cleaning solution, for my bathroom and kitchen.

AC

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Originally Posted by Auntie Crazy 

I have a steam cleaner that heats up to 200+ degrees (which is what is necessary to kill bacteria and such).

Do you recall the make/model?  I can look up the e-manual online, as mine is rated for 220oF but doesn't do anything if you don't hold it on a particular spot for an extended period per the manual. 

The reason is that the boiler temp doesn't translate into the temp transferred to the floor instantaneously.  You need a really big boiler with a lot of steam output to reach that quicker, but those are usually $1000-2000 and quite bulky.    As an example from a popular Eureka steam cleaner: