Ever since I got a pet, I’ve had to put into place a few lifestyle changes. For one, I now have something to care for other than myself, so I’ve had to make a lot of allowances for time, and freezer space for his food LOL!
One more thing I did some research into, was floor cleaner, because he’s running around the house all the time, and is always picking things off the floor. Just like a baby!
Before I got Sherlock, I’d already shifted away from using very strong floor cleaner. I have laminated wood flooring laid throughout my home, so the floor cleaners I use must be suitable for those type of flooring.
I also wanted something fairly ‘safe’, which meant that it had to be gentle on skin (my hands and feet are sensitive to detergent) and safer for me to breathe in.
I was using one of it for a while, but since getting a pet and having to clean the floor more regularly since, I had to opt for something a little more cost-effective. In the process, I found better options for pet-safe and pet-friendly floor cleaners, easily available locally here in Malaysia :D
If you too own pets, or have children, these 3 pet-friendly and child-friendly floor cleaners might be something you could look into :)
One note before I begin, I notice that while brands make claims that their household cleaners are baby-safe, few (rather, none) mention that it is pet-safe or pet-friendly. It would be nice to be able to pick up a cleaning product and know if it might be gentle enough or safe for pets – after all, they live in our homes and run around the floors too, and are members of the family as well.
That said, it’s not unsurprising, for companies rarely take pets into consideration when formulating products.
Method Squirt + Mop Wood Floor Cleaner – RM18.80 | US$4.99 for 739ml
I am personally a big fan of Method home cleaning products, and I swear by the Method All Purpose Cleaners for my kitchen and surfaces. It made sense therefore that when I was looking for a floor cleaner that was safe on wood floors, I look to the brand too.
The Method Squirt + Mop comes in different variants but only 1 is made for wood floors, which is the brown one, the Method Squirt + Mop Wood Floor Cleaner with an Almond scent.
All you have to do is, as the name suggests, squirt it on the floor, and go over with a damp mop.
I’d been using it for a long time, and the truth is, I hated it :P
Yup, I do not personally recommend the Method Squirt + Mop Wood Floor Cleaner at all, for a few reasons.
First, I find that it leaves the floor looking streaky after you clean. I can see exactly where I’ve squirted the liquid, and it doesn’t quite wipe out, no matter how many times I go over with a mop. To get around this, I eventually diluted the mixture directly in the pail of water, and that solves the problem of the streaky floors, but dilutes the efficacy.
Then, you run into the second problem – stickiness. Immediately after mopping, the floor feels lovely and clean. But once it dries, I find that it feels sticky, and as the days go by, you can see marks where you walk. It’s terribly irritating, because all you want to do is to keep cleaning up after you, and it’s frustrating.
I came across many reviews that attested to the sticky feeling as well, and no matter how much or how little product I used, the effect was the same.
Third, the fragrance. It is quite strong, and almond isn’t my favourite scent in the world. This one’s a personal dislike, so I don’t expect others to feel the same about it.
The only reason it’s here in this list is because it is a fairly ‘safe’ product with fewer harsh chemicals, and is widely regarded internationally as being pet-safe or pet-friendly.
I am finishing it up as best I can, as you can see, but I recently got another 2 floor cleaners, which I prefer using so I don’t know when I’ll ever finish this bottle of Method :P Instead, I’d recommend you look at the other two below.
ecoMINIM Eco friendly Concentrated Floor Cleaner – RM16.90 for 1 litre
ecoMINIM is a Malaysian-made eco-friendly brand owned by a friend, and I have shared my thoughts on their cleaning products in the past.
RELATED READING: What I think are the best products worth trying from ecoMINIM eco-friendly cleaning products READ HERE
Recently, when I was in the market for a pet-friendly floor cleaner, I remembered that I enjoyed using their floor cleaner, when I was offered to try it. They were running a sale online, so I picked up 2 bottles.
I’m reminded why I liked using the ecoMINIM Eco friendly Concentrated Floor Cleaner, because it works well at cleaning the floor, is gentle on my wood laminate flooring, and smells pleasant (not too strong).
You don’t have to use very much, as it is a concentrated formula. Just dilute half a capful in a pail of water, and it cleans up the house nicely. No streaks, no residue, no stickiness. A lovely change after using the Method Squirt + Mop!
Above all that, it states on the bottle that it is baby-safe and gentle on sensitive skin. By my reckoning, anything safe for baby is safe for my fur-baby, so I’m happy about it.
It is non-toxic, eco-friendly, made of plant-based ingredients and contains no paraben, SLS/SLES, phosphate, EDTA, Betaine, Phthalate and formaldehyde.
I don’t feel bad about Sherlock lying around on freshly washed floors and exposing his delicate puppy belly skin to harmful chemicals and detergents. He’s a beagle and therefore has a terribly sensitive nose to scent, but he isn’t bothered by the scent, as it’s fairly light. That is another plus point for me.
Compared to commercial detergents that you find in supermarkets, it is more expensive, but compared with other floor cleaners in its eco-friendly niche, it’s competitively priced (especially if you manage to get it on sale, like now – Look on Shopee). The biggest downside is that it’s easiest to purchase it online as it isn’t sold in most supermarkets.
It isn’t a major issue, now that most of us are shopping online and staying home and away from crowded areas, but it does deter people from trying, especially those who prefer to have a look and feel of a product before buying.
Bio-Home Floor Cleaner – RM11.95 for 1.5 litres
When looking up affordable gentle, baby-safe floor cleaners for my pet, I came across Bio-Home in the supermarket. It is a fairly large bottle at 1.5 litres, and retails at an attractive price.
I hadn’t tried Bio-Home before, and I was attracted by the large sticker that said it was a “Baby-safe formula” so I was curious and decided to have a go.
Well, I’m very happy I tried it, because it is a pretty good floor cleaner! I use it on my laminate wood flooring, and it is gentle on the wood, while also pretty tough at removing oil or grease, especially in the kitchen. I also use it on tile floors, and it makes the floor feels smooth and clean and a delight to walk on.
The Bio-Home Floor Cleaner is also a plant-based formula, and gentle on sensitive skin and kind to the environment. It is manufactured by Singaporean brand Lam Soon (which most of us may recognize as the company behind many brands of cooking oil and other chemical cleaners).
I purchased the Bio-Home Floor Cleaner in the lemongrass and green tea scent, which is light and pleasant. It doesn’t linger, and it clearly doesn’t bother my pup, which is excellent.
You don’t have to use very much each time. I use half a capful in a pail of water, and it is enough to clean the whole house. It isn’t streaky, it doesn’t leave a residue, and it doesn’t become sticky quickly.
I’m happy to find this, because it is more easily available in the more premium supermarkets e.g. Jaya Grocer, BIG, Village Grocer etc and I don’t have to depend on ordering it online when I run out. It is also competitively priced for a large bottle, that will last a while.
As I mop my floors every other day to keep it clean of paw prints and doggy and human mess, it is important for me to use something gentle and effective and safe.
My favourite pet-safe floor cleaner
My pick would be the both the ecoMINIM Concentrated Floor Cleaner and the Bio-Home Floor Cleaner. Forget using the Method one, it sucks by comparison :P
Bio-Home is a little more cost-effective, but with ecoMINIM, I’m helping a friend and a small Malaysian business grow, and I think that is as important too. So, I’d rotate between the two products for now.
If you have children or pets, be it cats or dogs that you allow in the house, and you’re in the market for a baby-safe, pet-safe floor cleaner, I have no qualms recommending either of the two, because that’s what I’m using for Sherlock too! :)
Do you have a pet-safe floor or household cleaner to recommend?
If you haven’t thought about it, now would be a good time to consider if you’re using a cleaner that’s safe for your pet. After all, I’m sure you want the best for them too! :) Let me know if there’s a pet-safe floor cleaner I’m not aware of!
Paris B
I have the exact same Bio Home cleaner after seeing a cat shelter using it :)
We use Bio Home too but only once or twice a week. Since my baby sometimes lick / eat the floor, we still do one final round of fresh water floor rinse just in case. Another brand we use is Green Kulture, the Sg version of EcoMinim perhaps.
I’m thankful I came across your article. I have wooden floor and an old cat so having gentle mop cleaner is a must, and have been using pure castile liquid soap all this while. It costs RM60 including shipping from shopee for 1 litre. -.-
Definitely switching!!