My Multi-Pet House Cleaning Kit (The Stuff I Actually Use) 🧽

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Dogs and a cat under one roof? Then you already know. 😂

Fur. Paw prints. Slobber on the bowls. And that sneaky little "dog smell" that tries to move into your laundry.

So here's my real cleaning kit. Nothing fancy. Nothing I don't use every single week. 💅

1. Plain old baking soda 🧂

I'm a BIG fan of just generic baking soda.

I put it in my laundry so my laundry doesn't smell like dogs. In a multi-pet house? Game changer. It's good for cleaning too.

Generic is totally fine, babe. You do NOT need a fancy box. Buy the big bag and stop overthinking it. Hahaha.

My pick: ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda, 7 lb bag

How I use it: Arm & Hammer says to add ½ cup to the washer with your detergent, then another ½ cup in the rinse cycle. Easy.

2. Scrub Daddy (the ONLY sponge) 😁

Scrub Daddy is my favorite sponge on the planet. I don't even buy other sponges. I don't even LOOK at them.

I use it on their bowls, my dishes, the floors, and pretty much every mess in this house.

It's firm in cold water for tough scrubbing and soft in warm water for lighter stuff. And it's scratch-free, so it won't wreck your bowls. (Speaking of bowls, here are the slow feeder bowls we use.)

My pick: Scrub Daddy Color Sponges, 3 Count

Bowl tip: soap and hot water after every meal. That's straight from the FDA. More on that below. 👇

3. Pine-Sol, the PINK one 🌸

The pink one is my favorite. It's Cherry Blossom, and yes, I was right. 😂 It makes the whole house smell like spring.

My pick: Pine-Sol Multi-Surface Cleaner, Cherry Blossom, 24 oz

Can't find the pink? I like the Original too: Pine-Sol Multi-Surface Cleaner, Original Pine, 80 oz 🌲

Same pet-safe rules for both, because I love my floors but I love my babies more:

• Dilute it. Pine-Sol says ⅛ cup per gallon of water for everyday cleaning. Don't freestyle it.
• Pets out until it's dry. Keep them out of the room while you mop, especially with an open bucket. Let the floors dry all the way before paws come back.
• Cats are extra sensitive to a lot of cleaning products, and they lick their paws. Kitty stays out until it's DRY. 🐱
• Store it up and away from pets.
• Never mix it with other cleaners.
• Not for their bowls. Pine-Sol says it's not for dishes. Bowls get soap, water, and Scrub Daddy.

4. Good generic cleaning wipes 🧻

I love a good generic multi-surface wipe. Counters, doorknobs, light switches, the remote somebody drooled on. Done.

My pick: Amazon Basics Disinfecting Wipes, 340 Count

Great value, a giant pile of happy reviews, and it's the store brand. You know how I feel about paying for a name. 😂

The pet rules for wipes:

• Let surfaces dry before pets walk on them or lick them.
• Cats especially. Keep kitty off freshly wiped surfaces until they're dry.
• Toss used wipes in a covered trash can. Dogs WILL dig them out. Ask me how I know. 🙄
• Never use cleaning wipes on your pets. Ever.

The honest part

• Baking soda is safe to have around, but a big bag is a lot of baking soda. Eating a large amount can make a pet sick. Store it closed and up high.
• Scrub Daddy isn't forever. Swap it out when it gets gross. You know when. 😂
• The pink Pine-Sol is a cleaner, not a disinfectant. Pine-Sol says only Original Pine disinfects (follow the label for that). Disinfecting or not, the same pet rules apply to both.
• Wipes and cleaners are for surfaces, not for pets. Read every label.

And the rest of my cleanup crew? My Shark Stratos handles the fur, and my broom and dustpan is my third arm. 💪

Real facts, no fluff

• Arm & Hammer says baking soda helps neutralize odors in laundry. Their tip is ½ cup in the wash and ½ cup in the rinse. (Arm & Hammer)
• A veterinary poison reference lists large amounts of baking soda (about 10 to 20 grams per kilogram of body weight) as toxic to pets, and vomiting is usually the first sign. (VetMeds poison list)
• The FDA says to wash pet food bowls and scoops with soap and hot water after each use. (FDA)
• Pine-Sol's directions say ⅛ cup per gallon of water, don't use it on dishes, don't mix it with other cleaners, and keep cleaning products out of reach of children and pets. Original Pine is the only Pine-Sol formula that disinfects when used as directed. The scented ones, like Cherry Blossom, clean and deodorize but don't disinfect. (Pine-Sol FAQ)
• Pet Poison Helpline says to keep pets out of the room while you clean, especially with an open mop bucket, and to throw out cleaner-soaked paper towels and wipes in a covered trash can. It also says cats are especially sensitive to the quaternary ammonium compounds found in some disinfecting wipes and sprays. (Pet Poison Helpline)
• International Cat Care says not to let cats walk on or reach a treated area until it's dry, to store products out of reach, and never to use cleaning wipes on your cat. (iCatCare)
• PetMD says cats are particularly sensitive to many cleaning products and often get exposed by walking on wet surfaces and then grooming their paws. (PetMD)

Vet note: I'm not a vet, and this isn't vet advice. If your pet gets into a cleaning product, or starts drooling, vomiting, or acting off after you clean, call your vet or Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661 right away.