Let's face it - our pets often get the short end of the stick when it comes to choices. Whether it's food, treats, and frankly, who to live with, poor little Rover doesn't have a say in any of it. So why not give Rover a break and give him a toxic free place to rest his (and especially your own) cute little head in. Below are some awesome tips we were inspired by from a recent issue of ModernDog magazine.
1) Read your labels - shop for pet food without artificial preservatives or chemicals.
2) Clean cleaner - ditch toxins in your cleaning products. Ingredients with six syllables or more are usually man-made synthetics.
3) Go phthalate free - choose 100% organic products when shopping for shampoos and soaps.
4) Switch to HEPA filters - using a vacuum with a HEPA filter will eliminate a majority of airborne particles, including dust, dander, and other allergens, while you clean.
5) Keep air conditioners, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers clean - regularly replace air-conditioning and furnace filters and check their manuals for cleaning instructions.
6) Natural is nicer - choose natural textiles and opt for feather, cotton, wool, or recycled fill.
7) Avoid that "new paint" smell - choose low-VOC (volatile organic compound) or VOC-free paint rather than regular paints which release low-level toxic emissions into the air.
8) Avoid insecticides - be wary of fertilizers and herbicides that when ingested by pets can cause severe damage to the nervous system.
9) Literally, go green - plants help clean the air by absorbing pollutants and producing oxygen. Just be sure it's not a species that's toxic to animals.
10) Open the windows - open those windows to let fresh air in and circulate. You and your pets will breathe a lot easier.
