Cleaning and maintaining a hygienically-sound carpet is a must when you live in Singapore. That’s because the state of your carpet influences both your health and that of your pet, specifically your dog.
You see, pets spend a fair amount of their time on the carpet, so whether they are relaxing or taking an afternoon nap, they will always stay on the carpet, and this increases chances of them coming into direct contact with chemicals that are used when cleaning the carpet.
So, Is Chemical Carpet Cleaning Safe For My Dog?
There’s no straightforward yes or no answer to this question due to the fact that cleaning with chemicals depends on a number of factors. So for instance, when you clean with poisonous chemicals, you will definitely affect your pet. On the other hand, when you clean with chemicals that contain poisonous-free elements, then your pet won’t be at risk.
Other things that affect your pet where chemical carpet cleaning is concerned involves the way the chemical solution is used, method used for cleaning, amounts applied and so forth. These are all variations that must be considered before making judgment of whether a chemical is safe or not safe.
What Carpet Cleaning Companies Use
Most carpet cleaning chemicals can be used safely in the house as long as directions are followed. And because of this, many companies are coming up with safe options for cleaning, i.e. Eco-friendly cleaning or chemical-free cleaning.
Safe Cleaning Practices Where Pets or Your Baby Is Concerned
Not only do pets spend most of their time on the carpet, but even babies crawl a lot on them. What this means is that even if the chemical being used has some risk element tied to it, safety is not 100% guaranteed. It should be applied in a cautious manner so that it doesn’t affect your young one or even your pet (who apparently spend most of their time on the carpet).
During cleaning, companies will insist on keeping the area pet-free to avoid any harsh chemical coming into contact with your pet. But in the event that the chemical comes into contact with their skin (that of your pet), then it is advisable that you wash with clean water – even if the chemical was deemed safe to pets.
Again, sensitivity among pets differs from one pet to the other. So for instance, one dog will be affected when exposed to a chemical, while the other one will be completely fine when exposed to the same chemical.
That’s the reason why you’re being advised that you discuss this issue with your vet before having carpets cleaned when you have a dog or any other pet in the house.
After the carpets have been cleaned, it’s important that you monitor your pet especially if they are old or debilitated.
Product Label
When doing quick spot cleaning, there are numerous deodorizers which are pet-safe and effective in removing stains. This also means that if you’re going to hire a carpet cleaning company to get your carpets cleaned, you will need to confirm with them if what they are using is safe to pets.
On the other hand, if you just want to clean on your own – i.e. when you only want to wipe a small stain, then it’s important that you read the product label for instructions and warnings.
Even when these products are exclusively created to clean pet odors, they can still be dangerous if not used correctly.
Again, when dealing with chemical cleaners for carpets –where pets are involved, it’s important that you buy these items specifically from pet stores, since they always sell pet-safe products. Sometimes they will be marked as pet stain or odor removers; though they can still be used to eliminate coffee spills, or day-to-day odors. This way, you end up with something very safe for you and your pet, without necessarily investing in a collection of carpet cleaning chemicals.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are lots of factors that come into play where carpet cleaning with chemicals is concerned. There’s also the use of wet Vacuum machines, where cool water is used to clean the carpet after the chemical is applied. Lastly, you also need to watch out for chemicals with chlorine and ammonia. Chlorine tends to settle on the carpet, thus irritating the eyes and skin of your pet. On the other hand, ammonia can cause sneezing and watery eyes on cats and dogs as well.