# Household Cleaning Products and Rat Toxicity



## catty-ratty (Feb 21, 2016)

I've looked on this forum and haven't seen any stickies addressing this sort of thing. So here goes.........

Are there any household cleaning products that even though they are not used to clean the ratty cage can still cause problems for rats? I was thinking about this today when I realized I need more Mr. Clean. At certain times of the year, my allergies make me hyper sensitive to certain things like the scent of lavender. And then I wondered if some cleaners would be irritating to my ratties that are prone to URIs. Obviously bleach would be irritating, but what else might be out there that I need to careful with?? 

Any and all advise would be great! I have to go into town tomorrow for more cleaning stuff, and healthier rat food.


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## mimsy (Jun 8, 2014)

I have birds who are probably even more sensitive to chemicals than the rats. I use vinegar and water in spray bottles for most cleaning. Bleach is only used where the fumes don't reach the animals. I keep a bottle of kitchen cleaner for really gross greasy stuff..and that also is only used where the fumes don't reach the animals.

I use unscented laundry soap, no softeners. If I want it to smell nice I'll add some essential oils to the dryer cycle.

I also keep a bottle of water and peroxide. If something is germy-like a chopping board, I'll spray peroxide and then vinegar on it and then wipe down. that combo kills more than bleach does and if there is a little residue left it's perfectly safe...you could even use that on your vegetables. I'll do that to the ratty cages a couple times a year as well just to make sure no bacteria is in any porous spots. I also keep a bottle of natures miracle around for spot cleaning any animal accidents or cage levels.

vinegar may not smell terrific, but the smell completely disappears when it's dry.

Big dangers-non stick pans (ie teflon), the fumes kill birds and I doubt they are good for rats or us for that matter. Self cleaning ovens, very toxic as well as most oven cleaners. New carpet and furniture. thanks to the stain resistant sprays they use on them...they can be dangerous and need to be aired out for a long time before animals should be in the room. A lot of candles and incenses are also a no no. with candles, it's usually the wick that has the worse chemicals. If you want the house to smell good...strategically adding some essential oils in places can be nice..like on your pillows. Or you can simmer some orange rinds, cinnamon and vanilla.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

Your best bet for animals especially rats is to pick a cleaning product that is safe to use straight on food preparation areas and is not strongly scented. Natural options like vinegar in water are often very useful. You also want to avoid those with citrus flavours (e.g. lemon / orange scents) for boys or make sure not to leave things wet.

I actually quite like simple dish soap in warm water for deep cleans, though dilute hibiscrub is also good (a vetinary cleaner / disinfectant also used as a wound wash). For light cleans I use human food prep disinfectant sprays (unscented) or wipes


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## Amymac (Sep 16, 2021)

For daily cleaning of the most used surfaces, vinegar diluted with water would be helpful. It is a natural food product that does not harm your pets, and it would not cause you any allergies either. The pungent smell disappears quickly, and you don't have to worry. Often I only use a damp cloth to wipe the small layer of dust. But when I plan a general cleaning inside the house, I access End of Tenancy Cleaning London | Local Service You Love and usually select the services I need. You can talk to them about using natural-based detergents that would not harm your pets.


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## Enne (Dec 12, 2020)

Amymac said:


> For daily cleaning of the most used surfaces, vinegar diluted with water would be helpful.


Please don't reply to old posts that haven't been updated in years.


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