Is Universal Cleaner a safer choice around pets?Updated 11 days ago

Koh Universal Cleaner is a two-ingredient formula, potassium hydroxide and laboratory grade purified water, with no added fragrance, no parabens, no phosphates, no chlorine and no bleach. It is GECA certified, Sensitive Choice approved by the National Asthma Council of Australia, Allergy UK certified and recognised by the Eczema Association of Australasia. Those are stronger signals for a pet home than a generic pet marketing claim, because independent bodies assess the formula for irritants. Fewer irritants in the air and on surfaces means fewer triggers for animals with sensitive noses, paws or skin. Keep pets off surfaces while cleaning and let surfaces dry fully before contact.

Move pets to another room while you clean. Spray Koh Universal Cleaner, leave it 10 to 30 seconds, wipe with a Koh cloth, and let the surface dry fully before letting pets back in. Drying time matters most on floors and low surfaces where paws land. Ventilate the room while you clean, and never spray near an animal or onto one. Keep the bottle out of reach when it is not in use.

Species differ a lot in how they handle anything airborne. Birds move air through their lungs in one direction rather than in and out, which makes their respiratory system far more efficient and far more sensitive than a cat or a dog. Reptiles and small caged animals sit in a similar bracket, partly because enclosures are small and poorly ventilated. Clean the enclosure and the room while the animal is somewhere else, ventilate well, rinse hard surfaces with a damp cloth, and let everything dry fully before the animal goes back. Any animal with a respiratory or skin condition is a conversation for your vet.

For the surface-cleaning part of the job it works well. Koh Universal Cleaner lifts urine, vomit and other pet mess from tiles, sealed floorboards, vinyl, laminate and most sealed hard floors. For oiled or waxed floorboards, fill your Spray Mop with plain water instead. On carpet and upholstery, spot-test a hidden area first, because alkaline cleaners can affect certain dyes and finishes. Then light spray and blot with a clean cloth rather than scrubbing, which drives the stain deeper into the fibres. For lingering odour on fabric, follow up with an enzyme-based pet odour treatment, since Universal Cleaner lifts the visible stain rather than neutralising odour.

Bowls follow the same condition as anything else that holds food: rinse with clean water and let the bowl dry before you refill it. Spray Koh Universal Cleaner into the bowl, leave it 10 to 30 seconds, scrub the ring off with a brush or cloth, then rinse thoroughly under clean running water and air dry. Water bowls build a slippery film within a day or two in warm weather, so a daily rinse and a proper clean twice a week keeps on top of it. Ceramic, stainless steel and glazed bowls all handle it.