In this series of posts I work my way through “Squeaky Green- The Method Guide to Cleaning Your Home” one chapter at a time.

In my original post I said I was going to skip the Pet chapter, as I only have a fish. But after reading it, I feel that pet owners should be aware of some of the important information this chapter covers.

CHAPTER 7

- Buy PVC free dog toys

Animals, like children chew their toys. Keep Phthalates out of your pets system by avoiding PVC. Rope toys or deflated tennis balls are good alternatives.

- Avoid toxic flea collars and treatments

Flea collars and treatments can contain harsh pesticides. Consider rubbing eucalyptus oil on your dog’s fur- it’s a natural repellent- fleas hate the stuff. You might also try feeding him a few cloves of garlic every few days. Don’t worry dogs don’t get garlic breath.

-Use biodegradable dog waste bags or newspaper to pick up after your dog

Biobag makes all sorts of great biodegradable bags, including dog waste bags.

-Use natural shampoos and grooming products on your pets

Treat your pets to the good stuff and keep toxins out of their bloodstream.

-Use Natural alternatives to synthetic garden sprays and pesticides.

Your pets will track whatever you put on your lawn, into your house. Think of your backyard as another room in your home. Most garden stores have organic garden products and they can also be found on line .

And that is all they wrote…

It’s been interesting working through all the chapters of Squeaky Green. My only criticism of the book is that the chapters did not have recommended organic product lists. At the very least the authors should have mentioned all the Method products, after all, they started the company. Informing us about household toxins is very helpful but telling us to get rid of our conventional products without giving us organic alternatives, leaves us hanging a bit and perhaps, in some cases, less likely to make the switch.

*This blog is based on content in “Squeaky Green- The Method Guide To Detoxing Your Home” by Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry

Related Posts

• Let’s Get Squeaky Green- Chapter Six
• Let’s Get Squeaky Green- Chapter 5
• Let’s Get Squeaky Clean-Chapter 4
• Let’s Get Squeaky Green- Chapter Two
• BookCrossing: Read, Recycle, Release.