We do so much to keep our animals safe.
We feed them well, walk them daily, invest in natural remedies, and give them all our love, yet many animals now have chronic health issues of some kind, or behavioural issues, and it can be hard to understand why.
In my experience, one area that is really overlooked, that can cause so many issues, are the hidden dangers right inside our homes. These chemicals are often one’s that we can’t always see or smell, but that quietly undermine their health day after day (and ours).
The truth is, many everyday products considered “normal” or “harmless” in modern households are anything but — especially to animals with smaller bodies, faster metabolisms, more sensitive systems and way more olfactory receptors than us humans.
This blog is your guide to identifying and eliminating the most common household toxins — and replacing them with safe, natural alternatives.
Why This Matters
Animals are constantly in contact with their environment.
They walk barefoot on your floors. They lick their fur after lying on your rug. They breathe air that’s closer to the ground. They chew toys, fabrics, and even furniture.
Unlike us, they can’t choose to leave the room or open a window — so what we expose them to becomes part of their internal world.
The Top Everyday Household Toxins That May Be Harming Your Pet
1. Conventional Cleaning Products
From antibacterial sprays and toilet cleaners to floor washes and air fresheners — many contain toxic ingredients like:
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Ammonia
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Chlorine bleach
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Formaldehyde
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Fragrances (often containing phthalates)
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Quaternary ammonium compounds (linked to respiratory and immune issues)
For pets: These chemicals can irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs — and may contribute to long-term immune stress, hormone disruption, and even cancer. They can also cause your animal significant stress – animals instinctively know when they are in danger, but they cant escape these toxins. If you animal does not like being left in the house, then this is always an area that needs investigating (Note: it’s very rarely the only issue).
✅ Swap with: Natural, pet-safe cleaning alternatives like white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, lemon, and essential oil blends (Please check any essential oils used are safe for your species and do not overuse them, as thees too can be overpowering).
Scented Candles, Plug-Ins & Air Fresheners
These popular items often contain synthetic fragrances, paraffin wax, and VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which release chemicals into the air your pet breathes — and often sleeps near.
Common issues that these can cause:
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Respiratory irritation
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Behavioural changes
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Hormonal disruption
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Headaches, nausea, or lethargy
✅ Try instead: Natural beeswax candles, natural essential oil diffusers (cautiously and never around cats), or simply opening windows to refresh air. Please note: if diffusing essential oils, again, ensure the ones you are using are safe for your species and NEVER shut any animal in a room where essential oils are diffusing, they must always be free to leave. Animals are far more sensitive to diffused essential oils than humans because their olfactory systems are significantly more developed, meaning they process smells at much higher concentrations and with far greater impact on their nervous and respiratory systems.
3. Pesticides & Insecticides (Including Flea Sprays)
Garden weedkillers, ant powders, and indoor flea sprays are all highly toxic — and animals absorb these through their paws and nose. All of these are especially dangerous to animals because they contain neurotoxic and endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are easily absorbed through their paws, skin, and highly sensitive nasal passages, often accumulating in the body and disrupting vital systems. Again, using these will cause significant stress and danger to your pets.
If Used Common Symptoms include:
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Lethargy
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Drooling
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Tremors or neurological symptoms
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Behavioural changes
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Skin irritation
✅ Use natural alternatives: There is no need to use any of thees toxins, there are so many natural alternatives available. Diatomaceous earth, neem powder, non-toxic traps, and species-appropriate herbal repellents. To see my home made flea repellent power: WATCH HERE
4. Non-Stick Cookware (Teflon)
When overheated, non-stick pans can release toxic fumes — especially deadly to birds, but harmful to all animals. The PTFE chemicals used have been linked to thyroid disease and organ damage. I hope that you are not using these, as they are highly toxic to you too.
✅ Better alternatives: Cast iron, ceramic-coated, or stainless steel pans.
5. Laundry Products
Detergents, softeners, and dryer sheets often leave chemical residues on pet bedding, toys, and your clothing (which they often snuggle into). Fragranced formulas are especially problematic.
Look for:
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Itching
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Skin redness or rash
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Paw chewing
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Chronic inflammation
✅ What to do: Use fragrance-free, eco-friendly laundry products — or better yet, ones made with natural soap nuts or essential oil infusions. Check put my blog for the home made laundry liquid I use in my blogs.
6. Flame Retardants in Furniture, Carpets & Pet Beds
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Flame retardants are found in many soft furnishings and are known endocrine disruptors. These chemicals accumulate in dust — which pets often lick off their paws or fur.
Linked to:
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Thyroid disruption
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Behavioural issues
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Immune dysfunction
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Increased cancer risk
✅ Tip: Choose natural fibre bedding, use HEPA filters or vacuum with a sealed system, and replace foam-based pet beds with organic options. Personally I LOVE these air filters – in a world full of geo-engineering and toxic products everywhere, clean air in your home is a must these days, and if you have indoor only pets then this is essential – SEE Air Filters Here
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7. Plastic Bowls & Food Containers
Plastics can leach BPA, phthalates, and other hormone-disrupting chemicals — especially when exposed to heat, like dishwasher cycles or warm food.
Remember your dogs food and water bowl need to be toxin free and kept clean too! The best way to wash their bowls is in diluted vinegar and wash well, as water bowls accumulate bacteria quickly.
✅ Best choice: Stainless steel, ceramic, or glass bowls — and always wash regularly to prevent bacterial buildup. Do NOT put pet bowls in the dishwasher unless you are using a non-toxic detergent!
8. Paint, Varnish, and Renovation Dust
Home renovations are major sources of airborne toxins and heavy metals. Pets exposed to paint fumes or sanding dust often develop respiratory or liver stress — especially if they lie close to floors and baseboards.
✅ Tip: Keep animals out of renovation zones. Use low-VOC, eco-certified products when painting or updating your home. See these amazing air filters.
9. Tap Water
It looks harmless — but most tap water contains chlorine, fluoride, heavy metals, pharmaceutical residues, and microplastics. These accumulate in your pet’s system and contribute to chronic inflammation.
✅ Upgrade to: A high-quality filter that removes toxins but preserves minerals. I recommend the Zest Water for Life system — it’s what I use myself.
10. Mould & Damp Environments
Mould spores are toxic — and sadly very common in UK homes. Pets often sleep near or under mould-prone areas (windowsills, skirting boards, under furniture), breathing in spores that can cause:
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Chronic coughing
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Fatigue
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Gut inflammation
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Behavioural or neurological symptoms
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Skin flare-ups
✅ What helps: Air purifiers with HEPA and carbon filters, regular inspection of damp areas, and natural antifungal treatments like clove or grapefruit seed extract.
You can see the Air Purifier I use and recommend here– including a discount code 😊
Small Changes, Big Impact
You don’t have to overhaul your whole house overnight. Its a journey, but one you will be thankful for, for the health of your whole family.
Becoming aware — and making one shift at a time — can profoundly change your animal’s long-term health and vitality.
Start by asking:
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What do they walk on, lick, sleep in, and breathe every day?
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Where can I switch one toxic item for a natural one?
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How can I reduce the chemical burden gently but consistently?
My Favourite Tools & Product Swaps
I’ve created a curated list of the tools I use in my own home and with clients — from cleaning and detox support to EMF protection and filtered water. If you need help reach out.
👉 Browse safe, trusted health products here
❤️ Final Thoughts
Your home should be your animal’s sanctuary — not a source of silent stress.
They can’t ask you to change the floor cleaner or ditch the scented candle. But they feel the effects of every choice.
When we know better, we do better — one small shift at a time.
If you’re seeing unexplained symptoms in your pet — from anxiety to allergies — and you want support identifying possible triggers and creating a clear plan forward, I’m here to help.
🗓️ Book a 1:1 holistic consult here (select the animal consults tab):
👉 www.catherineedwards.life/holistic-consults
With love & truth,
Catherine
🌿 @catherine.edwards.life
