Cats vs. Household Cleaners

Hey all,
One of CJ's favorite places is my bathroom. I have had him for about 2 months and I hate cleaning the bathroom (even though I am kinda anal about a clean bathroom). I have put off cleaning it for about 2 weeks because I am scared he will ingest something. So I guess the question for all the fellow cat lovers (and those who clean their bathrooms ) is what products do you deem least harmful to your cat that you can clean with? I keep all my cleaning products behind childproof doors of course, but if I can have cleaners that are a little safer than bleach, comet, or draino, I would feel better. I mean everyone has/ knows of cats that like to drink out of the sink/faucet. How long should I ban him from drinking out of the sink/faucet until it is safe and the cleaner residue is gone?

Originally Posted by Roxy_loves_CJ

Hey all,
One of CJ's favorite places is my bathroom. I have had him for about 2 months and I hate cleaning the bathroom (even though I am kinda anal about a clean bathroom). I have put off cleaning it for about 2 weeks because I am scared he will ingest something. So I guess the question for all the fellow cat lovers (and those who clean their bathrooms

) is what products do you deem least harmful to your cat that you can clean with? I keep all my cleaning products behind childproof doors of course, but if I can have cleaners that are a little safer than bleach, comet, or draino, I would feel better. I mean everyone has/ knows of cats that like to drink out of the sink/faucet. How long should I ban him from drinking out of the sink/faucet until it is safe and the cleaner residue is gone?

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Simple Green is good and fairly safe or my favs vinger and ammonia

Vinegar and ammonia will key your kitty to pee on the floor. Simple green or Citrus Plus is another one that is completely safe for kitties.

Originally Posted by hissy

Vinegar and ammonia will key your kitty to pee on the floor. Simple green or Citrus Plus is another one that is completely safe for kitties.

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Never heard that... well I guess my two are weird...lamo...

I use a steam cleaner on everything, so I don't have to worry about chemical residues.

Originally Posted by jcat

I use a steam cleaner on everything, so I don't have to worry about chemical residues.

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That is what the lady who cleans for us uses... it works well .. but those machines are expensive

I'm so glad you asked this question because I was just thinking about this last night. My question is can you use these to clean the bath tub as well?? Also, because Jordan might have asthma (i've posted about this) could they irritate his lungs?

Originally Posted by sharky

That is what the lady who cleans for us uses... it works well .. but those machines are expensive

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They're coming down in price. I paid about $250 for mine, which is large, was new on the market, and came with a steam iron and lots of attachments, but now I see ones the same size for under $100, and little ones for $15 to $20. The thing is - I think I've saved at least that much, i.e., the price I paid, on cleansers, etc., since I got it over 5 years ago, and I know it has cut my cleaning/ironing time almost in half (we have lots of "hard" floors).

I think I need to look into getting my own then ///

Besides a steam cleaner, I'd love to hear of the cleaners to absolutely avoid and the ones that are safe to use...

I have a cleaning woman and would provide her with supplies that are safer for Cosmo, but I can't expect her to steam clean my house (at least not for the current price I pay her) -- plus I'm not sure how to steam clean a toilet or dust off my wooden furniture

Originally Posted by Amy-DHH

Besides a steam cleaner, I'd love to hear of the cleaners to absolutely avoid and the ones that are safe to use...

I have a cleaning woman and would provide her with supplies that are safer for Cosmo, but I can't expect her to steam clean my house (at least not for the current price I pay her) -- plus I'm not sure how to steam clean a toilet or dust off my wooden furniture

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I don't use the steam cleaner to dust - just a regular old cloth, with no polish, but I use it to clean bathroom fixtures, including toilets, floors, windows, kitchen counters, ranges, the fridge and freezers, rug (1 in the living room), wall tiles, radiators, and the kitchen sink!
I don't think it wise to start a "negative list" here - nobody wants to invite lawsuits. I had trouble with one very popular product (with a bald guy in the ads) - one pet had sneezing fits after I cleaned, and another developed pustules on the pads of his feet, although I used a very dilute solution. I then resorted to using a disinfectant deemed safe to clean small animals' cages, until I discovered the steam cleaner.
I used to have real problems with contact dermatitis on my hands, and that disappeared once I stopped using the usual commercial cleaning agents. Perhaps such a criterion could be used by those with sensitive skin?