Remember the last time you thoroughly cleaned your pet’s food and water bowls?
Let’s be real, you don’t. But don’t let me fool you, neither do I.
Though, that’s something that needs to change! Cleaning your pet’s bowls after each meal is just as important as cleaning your dishes after you eat.
According to NSF International, who protects and improved human health, pet bowls are the fourth germiest thing in your home, “To Clean: Pet dishes should be washed daily, either in a sanitizing dishwasher or scrubbed by hand with hot soapy water, then rinsed.” Eckler Cleaning Services uses Dawn Dish Soap to clean our pet bowls. Dawn is a safe alternative to bleach. Most sites will tell you to use bleach to clean your pet’s bowls, but bleach can be harmful, especially if not used or rinsed properly.
Think Outside of the Bowl
Bowls aren’t the only thing you should be worried about. Chris Brownlow with Chewy, who has been writing about pets for over 10 years, say that placemats can be a hotbed for germs and that storing your pet’s food is important in protecting your pets from food-borne illness. Cleaning placemats should be just as easy as cleaning bowls. A silicone or rubber place mat can be easily wiped with dawn and water, and a cloth placemat can be thrown right into the washer. Also, think about where you are storing your pet’s food. We recommend in containers, rather than bags, because pests can easily access your pet’s food from bags, causing contamination.
Bacteria like salmonella, E. coli, algae, and mold can be found in pet’s food and water bowls, placemats and containers, if not cleaned properly. Chris Brownlow also states that, “Just wiping your pet’s bowls out with a damp cloth or rinsing them under warm water isn’t going to cut it. To eliminate bacteria, prevent dog illnesses and keep your entire family safe from these pathogens, pet dishes need to be cleaned properly.”
Cleaning your pet’s bowl should become habit from now on. I know it will be for me. Never would I have guessed the bacteria that could grow! How gross! I wouldn’t want to eat from that, and I don’t think our pets would either.
Written by Cheyenne O’Keefe
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