The Best Pet & Baby Safe Floor Cleaner
Get your floors sparkling clean with pet-safe and baby-safe non-toxic floor cleaner. Clean your floors with natural, non-toxic floor cleaner so your pets and babies can spend time on the floor without being exposed to harmful chemicals.
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Both pets and babies have two things in common – they’re naturally curious and they’re closer to ground level than the rest of us. We just got a new puppy, and there’s a lot of licking the floor, lying on it and putting his nose right to the ground to sniff. The same was true when my kids were babies – they were crawling all around on the floor, putting their little faces close to the flooring, and even licking the floor – gross!
With our most precious little ones (furry or not) so close to the ground, it’s important to not expose them to harsh chemicals from floor cleaners. Your floor cleaner shouldn’t leave behind a harmful chemical residue. It also shouldn’t release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), an off-gassing of fumes produced by cleaning products. Your floor cleaner should be non-toxic to babies and pets.
A 2020 Canadian study found that chronic low-level exposure to cleaning products triggered asthma symptoms and caused chronic inflammation. With this in mind, there are ingredients in conventional floor cleaners that you’ll want to skip. Review the list below of ingredients to avoid:
Ingredients To Avoid In Floor Cleaner
- Chlorine Bleach: a common household cleaner that can irritate the skin, nose, eyes, throat and lungs. Long-term bleach exposure can lead to asthma. Bleach is also highly reactive and can form other dangerous gases when it comes in contact with ammonia or acids such as vinegar.
- Ammonia: Ammonia is caustic and very dangerous in concentrated form. Ammonia is a respiratory and skin irritant, and the fumes can also cause severe damage to your nose, throat, and lungs.
- Phenol: Phenols are volatile chemicals that appear in most cleaning products that contain the suffix -sol. Concentrated phenols are are corrosive, so they can damage skin and mucous membranes, and they’re also toxic if ingested.
- Glycol Ethers– Acute exposure to glycol ethers can cause liver or kidney damage, and it can also cause fluid to accumulate in the lungs. Glycol ethers, such as 2-Butoxyethanol, are dangerous to ingest or inhale in significant quantities.
- Phthalates: Phthalates are used to give cleaning products a long-lasting fresh scent. Exposure to phthalates may disrupt the normal functioning of the endocrine system.
- Quaternary Ammonium Compounds or “Quats”: Quats are known asthma triggers.
- Sulfates: at concentrations greater than 2%, sulfates have been linked to skin irritation in humans and animals. Sulfate exposure, including Sodium Laureth Sulfate, can also cause eye and respiratory irritation. Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES).
- Antibacterials: Triclosan may still be found in cleaners. These banned substances have been linked to endocrine disruption and antibiotic resistance.
Beyond cleaning your floor with a cleaner that doesn’t contain harmful chemicals, clean your bathroom with non-toxic cleaner and use non-toxic all-purpose cleaner for a healthier home. The following floor cleaners have minimal ingredients that get your floor sparkly clean without exposing babies and pets to harmful chemicals.
The Best Pet & Kid Safe Floor Cleaners
Aunt Fannie’s Vinegar Floor Cleaner
Cost: $13.99 for 32 oz ($0.44 per ounce)
From Aunt Fannie’s website: Aunt Fannie’s Vinegar Floor Cleaner is pet-friendly, kid-friendly and leaping Bunny certified. Contains only vinegar, fresh essential oils & plant-based ingredients for floors clean enough to eat off. Aunt Fannie’s Floor Cleaner gives new life to tile, linoleum, sealed hardwood, sealed stone, concrete and more. EWG A-rated for your safety. THis floor cleaner grabs even tough dirt and grime, and is dermatologist tested and hypoallergenic.
Scents: Bright Lemon, Eucalyptus, Lavender.
Note: This is a concentrate. Add approximately ½ cup to 2 gallons of warm water. Use with buckets, floor cleaning machines or spray bottles.
Aunt Fannie’s Hardwood Floor Cleaner
Cost: $11.99 for 32 oz ($0.37 per ounce)
From the Aunt Fannie’s website: Safely clean hardwood floors with Aunt Fannie’s Hardwood Floor Cleaner, a concentrated, vinegar-free, plant-based floor cleaner that breaks down dirt, food, grease and grime. No residue is left behind, and no rinsing is required. Formulated for hardwood floors and safe around kids and pets, as well as dermatologist tested and hypoallergenic. Intended for use on all types of hardwood floors including solid, engineered, bamboo, manufactured and laminated floors.
Note: This is a concentrate. Add approximately ½ cup to 2 gallons of warm water. Use with buckets, floor cleaning machines or spray bottles.
Eco-Me Floor Cleaner
Cost: $9.99 for 32 oz ($0.31 per ounce)
From the Eco-Me website: Eco-Me Floor Cleaner is safe for your family and your pets. Get your floors sparkling clean with this naturally powerful, multi-surface plant-based concentrated floor cleaner. It breaks down dirt, food, grease and grime with its plant-based formula. It contains natural plant extracts and essential botanicals that leave floors feeling clean and residue free. Eco-Me Floor Cleaner is perfect for tile, stone, sealed wood, vinyl, linoleum,laminate and other sealed surfaces. It deep cleans, shines and protects with no harsh chemicals or toxins left behind and no synthetic fragrance.
Note: This is a concentrate. Add approximately ¼ cup to 1 gallon of warm water.
Koala Eco Natural Floor Cleaner
Cost: $13.99 for 24 oz ($0.58 per ounce)
From the Koala Eco website: Koala Eco Natural Floor Cleaner combines nature’s most aromatic ingredients in one powerful, non-toxic formula. The biodegradable and eco-friendly plant-based formula effortlessly cuts through grime without the use of harsh chemicals and is safe for use on any surface, especially wood. Natural & non-toxic, effective & powerful, biodegradable & greywater safe, no synthetic fragrance, plant-based, eco-friendly.
Note: This is a concentrate. Add approximately 1-2 capfuls to warm water for a standard size bucket. Can also be used directly on a wet cloth to clean floors (including wood floors) or other surfaces. Allow the energizing zest of mandarin and peppermint to bring freshness to your floors and surfaces.
Truly Free Floor Cleaner
Cost: $16.95 for 32 oz ($0.53 per ounce)
From the Truly Free website: Truly Free Floor Cleaner uses a natural but powerful plant-based formula to naturally break down dirt, food, grease and grime buildup for sparkling, streak-free floors without toxic chemicals! With this 100% non-toxic floor cleaner, you won’t have to constantly look over your shoulder when cleaning the floors to make sure your babies (both furry and not furry) aren’t licking toxic chemicals!
Note: This is a concentrate. Fill a spray bottle with warm water and add a Truly Free Floor Cleaner packet. Top off with water and shake gently.
Healthybaby Cleaning Concentrate
Cost: $30 for 16 oz ($1.88 per ounce) Basically this works out to $1.88 per bottle for 16 bottles, since this is a concentrated formula and 1 oz concentrate is combined with 15 ounces of water.
From the Healthybaby website: A gentle yet effective solution for your family that’s microbiome friendly, sustainable, and safe for baby’s developing body and brain. Reduce, refill and reuse with this 100% plant, mineral, water-based cleaning concentrate and stainless steel bottles. One bottle of multi-purpose cleaning concentrate makes 16 surface sprays, hands soaps, or baby bottle soaps. EWG Verified and Made Safe Certified (a comprehensive human health and ecosystem-focused certification for nontoxic products).
Force of Nature
Cost: $80 for starter kit- The Force of Nature Starter Kit contains: Electrolyzer with power cord (compatible with any household electrical outlet), Spray Bottle (12 oz), 5 Activator Capsules (each makes enough multi-purpose cleaner, disinfectant & deodorizer to last 2 weeks). Just add your own water right from the tap.
From the Force of Nature website: This is a spray disinfectant, designed to disinfect & sanitize with no toxic chemicals. It’s kid and pet friendly. Force of Nature is a broad-spectrum disinfectant and sanitizer that’s EPA registered for use in hospitals, ICUs, daycares, schools, veterinary clinics, gyms, restaurants & more. It kills 99.9% of germs: Staph, MRSA, Norovirus, Influenza A, Salmonella, COVID-19, Monkeypox and Listeria. How does it work? Salt, water and vinegar are converted to electrolyzed water when an electrical current changes the chemical composition of the solution into two new ingredients.
Scent: Fragrance Free
Shop: Force of Nature
Floor Cleaning Extras
Full Circle Microfiber Mop
Cost: $49 (includes an extra mop head)
From the Full Circle website: The Full Circle Microfiber Mop works as a floor duster or mop and swivels around 360° to clean corners. It features earth friendly materials like bamboo and recycled plastic. This mop comes with a replacement mop head, and the mop head can be washed in the washing machine.
Bissell Cordless Spin Mop
Cost: $154
From the Bissell website: Restore your floor’s natural shine with rotating mop pads that do the work for you. The Bissell Cordless Spin Mop features an 18V lithium-ion battery that provides up to 20 minutes of cordless runtime, and has powerful spinning pads. Safe On Sealed Hard Floors. Powers through tough, sticky messes on wood, tile, linoleum, and other sealed hard floors.
Full Circle Bamboo Broom
Cost: $36
From the Full Circle website: The Full Circle Bamboo Broom has specially designed bristles that pick up more dirt and grime, and it fits into tight corners thanks to an angled head. It features earth friendly materials like bamboo and recycled plastic.
Natural Bamboo Brush & Dustpan
Cost: $36
From the Home & Style website: This Natural Bamboo Brush & Dustpan features 100% durable bristles and a wood handle. A string provides assisted storage. Eco friendly, sustainable, and multi-functional. This Brush and Dustpan set is multi functional and has the capability to be part of your home cleaning tool kit. Can be used in Kitchen, Bedroom, Living Room Areas, and Bathroom.
Oxo Mop Bucket
Cost: $19.99
From the Oxo website: This Oxo Mop Bucket features Gallon and liter measurement markings that are easy to read from above. It has built-in cleaner measurement markings in the bottom of the bucket. The mop Holder on the handle securely holds a mop upright for easy carrying or storage. 4-gallon capacity (14-quarts).
Dyson V12 Slim Cordless Stick Vacuum
Cost: $537
From the Dyson website: The Dyson V12 Slim Cordless Stick Vacuum is Dyson’s lightest intelligent cordless vacuum that features laser illumination.This cordless vacuum cleaner comes in a lightweight, compact format and is engineered for whole-home, deep cleans. It has up to 60 minutes of run time, and is powered on with the press of a button for continuous cleaning. A Piezo sensor automatically senses debris level and adapts suction for the right balance of power and run time when you need it. The Dyson V12 Slim Cordless Stick Vacuum features an LCD screen that displays a run time countdown and power mode. It also has two advanced cleaner heads that deep clean carpets and hard floors.
How To Mop With A Microfiber Mop
- Start with a floor that’s well swept or vacuumed. For sweeping, I like the Full Circle Bamboo Broom – the less plastic parts a broom has, the better. This year, we bought on a Dyson V12 Slim Cordless Stick Vacuum, and it was one of the best purchases we’ve made in a long time. A vacuum without a cord is seriously the best, and this vacuum doesn’t take up much space and works extremely well. It also goes from hardwood to carpet with no problem – I highly recommend it.
- My favorite mop has a bamboo handle, the Full Circle Microfiber Mop. To use the mop, simply wet the microfiber pad and wring it out (you’re aiming for damp). Attach the damp microfiber pad to the mop head.
- Using a spray bottle, spray a small section of the floor with natural cleaning solution with one of the non-toxic floor cleaners I recommended above. Follow the instructions on the back for adding to a spray bottle. Mop over the floor section you just sprayed. When the pad starts leaving behind traces of dirt, rinse it out in the sink, then wring any excess water out. Mop in an overlapping pattern back and forth. Just mop, rinse the pad and repeat. When you’re finished mopping, you can toss the microfiber mop head into the washing machine and dry at low heat.
DIY Buff & Shine
To buff and shine your floors after cleaning, use a one-to-one ratio of vegetable oil and vinegar in a Glass Spray Bottle With Silicone Sleeve. Rub the formula into the floorboards with a soft rag. I love The Rag Co. Microfiber Rags.
Clean Versus Disinfect – What’s The Difference?
Cleaning and disinfecting are two very different things.
- Cleaning removes contaminants from a surface (like dirt on the floor), so sweeping the dirt off the floor is a form of cleaning.
- Disinfecting kills pathogens. Pathogens are what can make you sick, like flu-virus particles and raw chicken juice.
- Force of Nature– Force of Nature is on EPA’s List of Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19. Force of Nature is a broad-spectrum disinfectant and sanitizer that’s EPA registered for use in hospitals, ICUs, daycares, schools, veterinary clinics, gyms, restaurants & more. It kills 99.9% of germs: Staph, MRSA, Norovirus, Influenza A, Salmonella, and Listeria. It disinfects & sanitizes with no toxic chemicals and is kid and pet friendly. How does it work? Salt, chemical composition of the solution into two new ingredients. The Force of Nature Starter Kit contains: Electrolyzer with power cord (compatible with any household electrical outlet), Spray Bottle (12 oz), 5 Activator Capsules (each makes enough multi-purpose cleaner, disinfectant & deodorizer to last 2 weeks). Just add your own water right from the tap.
How To Use A Bissell Steam Mop
If you want to kill germs and sanitize, a steam mop is a good option for eliminating 99.9% of germs and bacteria. Sweep or vacuum the floor first. Follow these steps to deep steam clean the floor with your Bissell Cordless Spin Mop:
- Fill The Bissell Cordless Spin Mop removable water tank with hot water. The Bissell comes with fragrance disks, and I would not personally use these (they may contain phthalates). The hot water is what cleans and kills germs.
- Place the water tank into position and select the steam control.
- Push the cleaner forward, releasing the steam.
- Pull back the cleaner back so the cleaning pad wipes away dirt and grime.
- Start at one corner, working from one side of the floor to the other, continuing the process until the entire floor is clean.
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