green pets Archives

A little known fact: One of the greatest gifts you can give a new pet parent is a general cleanser for pet mistakes and odors. Sure, toys are great, but nothing comes close to having a good cleanser on hand when those unmentionable accidents occur.

There will be plenty of accidents throughout the life stages of your companion animal. Potty training, illness, hairballs, and geriatric incontinence are just a few instances that will keep you invested in and attuned to the pet cleaning supplies on the market.

Read those product labels and go in search of the answers to these questions: Is it toxic? Will it, in a great irony, stain my fabrics, floors, and carpets as it attempts to remove my pet’s latest accident? Will it, should it touch my skin, cause me to rush to the hospital? Is the fragrance overwhelming? Is it free of animal-derived products? Will it work as advertised? Is it affordable?

We are way past the puppy stage, with Grandbury at 15 and Tristan at 14, but we still use a pet cleaning product on a daily basis. Tristan is beginning to exhibits signs of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD) and he often gets the message to eliminate a bit too late for him to physically get up and alert us to his need to go outside. He does his very best, but sometimes there are mistakes. Tristan, like all of our pack, took to potty training quickly, and never wants to eliminate in the house. A product that cleans up his accidents quickly and effectively is a must.

Tristan is a Siberian Husky, and like most white dogs, he is extremely sensitive to fragrance and chemicals in general. Room sprays and carpet powders can set him into a sneezing fit. General household cleansers and “pet safe” products have made him sick with allergic reactions and chemical burns.

In contrast, Grandbury has an occasional bile spit-up, and Winni has a twice monthly hairball hack.

TerraCycle has a soft spot in many people’s hearts, ours included. The company has made a name for itself as a leader in green business practices by creating new consumer products packaged in discarded trash. When they sent over some of their new pet products for us to try out, we jumped at the chance to put the cleansers to the test.

I had just finished reading the ingredients on the TerraCycle Pet Stain and Odor Remover bottle when Winni decided to supply me with her first test sample–a hairball. For those who don’t share their life with a cat, when I say hairball, note that it should read, “lump of wet hair covered /accompanied by bile/vomit rarely displaced in one location.” Cats will occasionally rid their bodies of these compacted hairballs. Some pet parents clean them up weekly, and others, like us, expect to see them once or twice a month.

Winni decided to produce the hairball in question in the one place we have carpet. She ran from the hardwood floors to the lone remaining carpeted room. If she can’t get into the room, she’ll most certainly find a nearby rug. No better time to test the TerraCycle All Natural Pet Stain and Odor Remover.

I removed the hairball and just as the package describes, sprayed the stain and odor remover on the spots to be cleaned. I immediately noticed a lack of fragrance or scent, which for my house, is a plus. The spray nozzle worked great, dispersing plenty of solution with each squeeze of the trigger. I allowed the solution to soak into the carpet and then blotted the spot with a cloth. The directions state to keep the area damp for several hours as the solution continues to work on the stains/odors.

As I blotted the spot, the vomit/bile came right up from the carpet fibers. A few more blotted spots and all visible signs of the hairball hack had been eliminated. My carpet remained intact and there was no bleaching or spotting of the carpet. There were no traces of any stain or odor.

Later in the afternoon, Tristan provided a mishap of his own in order that that we could test the TerraCycle All Natural Stain & Odor Remover Hardfloors solution. We have sealed hardwood floors. Most chemical cleansers will eat through a floor finish, leave dull spots, or discolor a hardwood floor.

Application couldn’t be simpler. After removing the excess solid waste, I sprayed the solution directly onto the hardwood floor and waited approximately 3 minutes before I wiped the spot dry with a clean cloth. No rinsing required. The solution can be used on marble, tile, linoleum, and brick floors as well.

Ever the curious Sibe, Tristan came closer to sniff the solution I had just sprayed. I waited… he blinked and walked on. No sneezes, no runny noses, no reaction.

Pack Approval: Our boys Tristan and Grandbury have had no ill responses to these products after a month of use. Tristan doesn’t sneeze or have any allergic reaction to the solution as it is being applied to a nearby stain/odor, nor does he have a reaction to any treated spot.

Human Response: As an asthma sufferer, I haven’t had a reaction to the solution. While the packaging cautions that you should avoid contact with your eyes, open cuts, and sores, I haven’t had a reaction to the solution when it has accidentally blown back on my skin. I have extremely fair and sensitive skin, so I’ve been pleased with the non-reactive response.

24Paws Rating: 5 Paws (5/5)

We give both products a 5 Paw Rating, with 5 being the highest.

The Products:

All Natural Stain & Odor Remover – Lifts and Removes Stubborn Pet Stains & Odors

All Natural Stain & Odor Remover Hardfloors – Odor & Stain Remover For All Hard Surfaces

Company & Site: TerraCycle

How’d We Get Our Paws On It? TerraCycle sent them to us.

Retail Price: $10.99 – $12.00 for 32 oz. (946 mL)

Easily portable: Yes, sometimes you need a little protection for the road

Why We Like It: No strong fragrance, cleaned up our messes, created from earth, pet, and people friendly/safe ingredients, didn’t burn our skin, didn’t make Tristan sneeze, is NOT tested on animals, contains no animal-derived products, Packaged in a 32 oz. waste stream recyclable bottles, absent of ammonia, phosphate and petroleum ingredients, biodegradable, comes with a money back guarantee

Room For Improvement: Retail price seems high for the size of the product, would like to see a completely transparent ingredient list, would like to know how effective it is on eliminating bacteria like E. coli from the surface where the accidents occurred

To Sum It Up: We love the fact that the ingredients in these products are pronounceable, identifiable, and natural. However, as sticklers for transparent ingredient lists, we’d like to see exactly what “essential oil cleaners” they are putting into the products. We love essential oils, but sometimes there are sensitivity issues with them and it would be nice to know what’s under the cap. However, this issue doesn’t take away from the fact that these products were successful in removing both odors and stains while being gentle on our floors, skin, and sense of smell, not to mention the planet.

Ingredient List: