Are Natural Products Safer?
It’s easy to assume that homemade, natural, or organic cleansers are safer than other cleaning supplies, but the jury is still out. Hansen says there is no evidence that homemade solutions or green products are any safer for pets than traditional products. “It is not that I am ‘anti-natural,’” he says. “I am just trying to be realistic.” If you prefer natural products, be careful of the concentrations used. In high doses, even the common vinegar-and-baking-soda combination can be toxic to pets, Hansen says. Also, like traditional cleansers, natural products may contain ingredients that can irritate or sicken pets. For example, aromatherapy oils, which are used in many green cleaning products, may be too harsh for the sensitive olfactory systems of animals, says Susan Wynn, DVM, of Bells Ferry Veterinary Hospital, an AAHA-accredited practice in Acworth, Ga. “Tea tree oil has killed cats,” she says. And aromatherapy oils, just like industrial chemicals, are hazardous in high concentratio
