Keeping a clean home isn’t just beneficial for us, it also helps make sure our pets are comfortable, too. But using the right cleaning products as a pet owner is important, particularly when it comes to floor cleaners, which can be potentially toxic for them.
“Pets are much closer to the floor than we are, and they don’t just walk on it, they lick their paws, groom themselves, and sometimes lie directly on freshly cleaned surfaces,” says Robin Murphy, chief cleaning officer at home cleaning company Maid Brigade. “So anything left behind on the floor has a direct path into their system.”
With this in mind, I spoke with Murphy and multiple experts, including veterinarians, to find the best pet-safe
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The best pet-safe floor cleaners
All of the floor cleaning products below are either direct recommendations from our experts, options NBC Select staff members use themselves and/or have at least a four-star average rating from 500 reviews or more on Amazon.
Dr. Bronner’s castile soap is made from plant-based ingredients, particularly olive, coconut, and jojoba oils, making it free of harsh chemicals including bleach and ammonia. It has many different uses, and while some use it as body wash or for laundry, it’s also suitable for cleaning and mopping hard surfaces, including hardwood and tile floors. You only have to use a half ounce of the soap for every 2 gallons of water when cleaning, according to the brand, so a bottle could last you a while.
Branch Basics’ multipurpose cleaner concentrate is a great pet-safe floor cleaner because it’s made from plant-based ingredients and is free of bleach, ammonia, parabens and phthalates, according to the brand. Since you only have to use one part of the concentrate for every 11 parts of water, the formula will last for months. The brand also has directions on how to dilute the concentrate for different types of cleaning tasks.
This cleaning solution from Aunt Fannie’s is made with a distilled vinegar base and without bleach, ammonia and other ingredients with strong smells that can irritate your dog or cat’s respiratory system. You only have to use around a half cup for every 2 gallons of water (or one quarter cup for 1 gallon) to mop and clean your floors.
This spray mop from O-Cedar comes with a water bottle that attaches to the handle. You only have to add two teaspoons of a pet-safe cleaning solution and fill the rest with water. It also comes with a reusable and machine-washable microfiber pad that flips back and forth so you use all of the pad instead of just one side. If you enjoy a spin mop, we’re also fans of O-Cedar’s spin mop.
This cleaning solution from Biokleen is a pet safe and effective way of getting rid of odors and stains, according to the brand (and reviewers). It’s enzyme-based, meaning it’s made from plant material as opposed to ammonia, bleach, chlorine and artificial fragrances. While it’s safe on sealed hardwood floors, Biokleen says it’s best used for cleaning pet stains on carpet and upholstery. It’s also best for spot cleaning, not for cleaning an entire carpet.
Dr. Aly Cohen, a veterinarian and clinical instructor at Cornell University’s Veterinary School of Medicine, recommends this cleaning solution from Rescue, because it has Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide. According to the brand this key ingredient is more effective at cleaning compared to regular hydrogen peroxide because it disinfects faster and less is required to do the same job.
It kills bacteria around your home (such as when a person or pet is ill) similar to other chemicals but isn’t as harsh or toxic, according to Cohen. This cleaner is also available in the form of a wipe.
How I picked the best pet-safe floor cleaners
Below are some of the important factors that our cleaning experts and veterinarians recommend I keep in mind when making the list of pet-safe floor cleaners above.
- Ingredients: When it comes to ingredients for pet-safe floor cleaners, “simple is always best,” says Murphy. Floor cleaning products that are free of well-known toxic and potentially dangerous ingredients are the best options. “Many common cleaning agents, such as bleach, ammonia, phenols, and quaternary ammonium compounds (“quats”), can act as irritants or corrosives,” says Cohen. “Exposure can cause drooling, vomiting, skin irritation, or with higher exposure can cause oral burns or respiratory irritation.” All of the products above are free of bleach, ammonia, phenols and other ingredients that are toxic to pets. For disinfecting, Cohen recommends using an Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide (hydrogen peroxide mixed with surfactants to make it more effective), which is commonly used in veterinary offices. Additionally, some of the cleaners above are made with plant-based ingredients ad are great for cleaning pet messes, such as urine, according to Cohen.
- Fragrance-free: While it’s in extension of a product’s ingredients, fragrance (and the absence of it) in floor cleaners is important in making sure your pet, whether cat or dog, is safe. “Dogs and cats also experience the world nose first, so fumes that linger at floor level can cause respiratory irritation too,” says Dr. Kate Elden, a veterinarian and chief medical officer at veterinary care services company Dutch. Since dogs’ and cats’ senses of smell are so much stronger than ours, their reaction to strong smelling floor cleaner is also stronger, according to Elden. Because of this, I made sure to include products that are either labeled as “fragrance free,” and not just “unscented,” which isn’t always the same thing, according to Murphy, or have mild scents from plant-based ingredients.
- Floor type: Most of the pet-safe floor cleaners above are made for hard surfaces such as sealed hardwood and tile, but some of them are suitable for cleaning both hard surfaces and carpets. Some of them, such as the Biokleen Bac-Out Pet Stain Remover, are great for cleaning up messes left by pets, as opposed to cleaning the whole carpet. With this in mind, I made sure to include products suitable for all floor types.
How to shop for the best pet-safe floor cleaners
The next time you need a floor cleaner and you want to stick with something safe for your fur baby, consider the following:
What ingredients are best for pet-safe floor cleaners?
You should look for plant-based ingredients, such as oils, that are also free of bleach, ammonia and phenols (which is common in pine-scented floor cleaners), and are ideally fragrance free or have fragrance made from plant-based ingredients, according to Elden. It’s also important to use as little of the cleaning solution as possible and dilute it, which prevents residue from being left on floors, according to Murphy.
What appliances are best for pet-safe floor cleaners?
Most types of mops that use pure water and a pet-safe floor cleaning solution are fine, but it’s also important to make sure that, whatever you use, that you don’t use too much water or the solution, according to experts I talked with in the past. Using too much water damages floors over time and using too much of the solution makes your pet more exposed to residue when you’re done cleaning.
Does the species of pet matter when it comes to pet-safe floor cleaners?
Yes, the species matters when it comes to pet-safe floor cleaners. All of the picks above are suitable for both cat and dog owners, but cats are particularly vulnerable to strong floor cleaners, according to both Cohen and Elden. Compared to dogs, cats are more susceptible to irritation because “their bodies are less able to metabolize certain compounds like phenols and some essential oils, and because they groom so meticulously, residue on the paws or fur quickly becomes something they ingest,” says Elden.
Dogs however are more likely to accidentally lick a bucket with cleaning products or chew on a bottle, so it’s important to make sure they aren’t able to reach them.
Frequently asked questions
The safest floor cleaners are often ones with the least amount of ingredients that are also plant based, according to the experts I talked to. Cleaners made from vegetable-based oils, or ingredients like vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, such as the ones I recommend above, are also great options, as are ones that don’t have fragrances that are harsh to cats and dogs with strong senses of smell.
Compared to dogs, cats are more vulnerable to becoming ill from floor cleaners because they groom themselves frequently and their digestive systems aren’t as strong as dogs’, according to our experts. It’s best to use one of the ingredients mentioned above (vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or mild, fragrance-free, plant-based soaps).
Meet our veterinary experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Robin Murphy is the chief cleaning officer at home cleaning company Maid Brigade.
- Dr. Aly Cohen is a veterinarian and clinical instructor at Cornell University’s Veterinary School of Medicine.
- Dr. Kate Elden is a veterinarian and chief medical officer at veterinary care services company Dutch.
Why trust NBC Select?
I’m a commerce editor at NBC Select, where I write about deals and sales daily. I also write product roundups about home and kitchen appliances, cleaning products and more. I’ve written many guides on how to clean a dishwasher, air fryer, pillows, windows and more. I also write about sales at Home Depot, Lowe’s, Wayfair and more.
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