We love our pets, but they sure can make a mess! Dogs track mud and dirt into the house, topple their food and water bowls; while cats fuss around their food, drop and drag around the bowl and then there are ‘accidents’ — and you need to clean those right away with the right kind of clean-up product.

It is important however to dilute the store-bought cleaner to clean a mess because the residue it leaves could be dangerous for your four-legged friend. Unless it has completely dried out, make sure your pet stays away from the spot you have cleaned up and it is even better to wipe it again with water to remove any traces of poisonous substances.

You may think that the more product you use the better it will clean up but in that case, it will also leave behind a lot of chemical residue; so again dilution is a must.

Like everything else, Mother Nature has some safer alternatives.

With pets in the house, cleaning products must be animal friendly

You can make all-natural solutions at home which can do the job that’s safer for your family and pets. Just use simple ingredients from your pantry, like baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice.

Place your bets on baking soda

Known for its odor-absorbing and mild abrasive qualities, plain-old baking soda is a must-have all-natural cleaning product for your home. When used dry, it safely absorbs all kinds of pet odors. Sprinkle some on you carpet, let it sit for half an hour and vacuum it up. When mixed with equal amounts of warm water and salt, it becomes a thick paste that will gently scrub pet dishes, crusty countertops and stained sinks. And it is very affordable.

To keep your pet’s stainless steel, ceramic or plastic food and water bowls clean, use this simple mixture to scrub away stuck-on food and grime. Combine equal parts of baking soda, warm water and salt to create a thick paste. Apply some to a sponge or washrag and scrub the inside and outside of the dish or bowl using a circular motion. Rinse well with warm water. It can be used to clean up other surfaces as well, such as cutting boards, dirty spots on laminated floors and crusty countertops.

Baking soda is an easy and all-natural deodoriser that can be used in the home and on the pet. To freshen up carpets or rugs, lightly sprinkle them with baking soda, let it settle in for 15 to 30 minutes and vacuum up.

Victory and vinegar

To clean your pet’s plastic or rubber toys, combs, brushes, clippers and other non-porous surfaces that may need a little freshening up; combine 1/4 cup of white vinegar and 1.5 litres of water and pour into a clean spray bottle. This inexpensive and easy-to-make solution cuts through grease and grime and can be stored between uses. It can be used for surfaces as well.

If the smell of vinegar is too potent for your taste, try this easy-to-make all-purpose cleaner that uses lemon juice instead. The baking soda cuts through grime like a knife; the lemon juice contains natural enzymes that break down organic matter. You can use this on most household surfaces; unlike some commercial cleaners, you can safely use it around animals.

Add 2tbsp each of baking soda and lemon juice to three cups of very hot water in a bucket. Mix well and use it to clean soil surfaces with a clean, damp cloth. Since it is an eco-friendly mix, you can pour it down the drain when you’re done cleaning.

Light carpet stains can be cleaned with 2tbsp salt in half a cup of vinegar. Soak a washrag with the mixture and use it to rub out the stain. Let it solution dry, then vacuum. For heavier stains, you can add 2tbsp of borax to the mix.

For tough, ground in stains, mix up a paste of 1tbsp each of vinegar and cornstarch. You will have to leave the paste on the stain for a couple of days before you clean it off. Lemon juice or vinegar should not be used on marble tabletops, counters or floors, as the acid may damage the surface.

There you go! Now the next time your pets leave a little present for you, you know what to do!

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, June 8th, 2014