Swiffer cleaning fluids=toxic

On another forum, there is discussion about Swiffer cleaning fluids being toxic to pets. Swiffer has disavowed this and labeled it an "urban legend." I ran the ingredients by my friend who has a PhD in chemistry & he said Swiffer isn't being totally truthful.

The fluid contains a small amount of antifreeze type liquid which, in small amounts, is toxic. Swiffer claims that it is a very small percentage of the total volume. However - my friend said that the other ingredients (e.g. alcohol) will evaporate quickly leaving a higher concentration that can be absorbed through wet paws as well as licked. He states that it is "moderately toxic" and would not use it.

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Originally Posted by Dogmama

On another forum, there is discussion about Swiffer cleaning fluids being toxic to pets. Swiffer has disavowed this and labeled it an "urban legend." I ran the ingredients by my friend who has a PhD in chemistry & he said Swiffer isn't being totally truthful.

The fluid contains a small amount of antifreeze type liquid which, in small amounts, is toxic. Swiffer claims that it is a very small percentage of the total volume. However - my friend said that the other ingredients (e.g. alcohol) will evaporate quickly leaving a higher concentration that can be absorbed through wet paws as well as licked. He states that it is "moderately toxic" and would not use it.

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Thanks for the info! I was thinking about getting one to deal with muddy doggie prints in the kitchen - I'm SO glad you told us!!

I have used one for about 6 months now with no problem - I have two dogs. I will do more research.

Do you have any links?

It is a false alarm, in my opinion...

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/swiffer.asp

I love snopes. Once in a while things come through as "true", too!

And from my favorite site for urban legends...

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/s/swiffer.htm

I used to use Swiffer Wetjet but stopped after thinking about the chemicals that are left on the floor. I see my cats licking their paws and figured it can't be good for them, even if they claim the stuff's non-toxic.

So, after much research, I decided to get a steam mop. I opted for the Bissel steam mop

While I can't say I LOVE it, because it does leave the floor wet, I feel much better knowing it's only water that's on the floor. It was a godsend when my dog was around; he'd drool a lot in the summer and I would be mopping at least twice a week.

Since I have all wood floors in my house (except the bathroom), I only use the dry Swiffer thingies--are they okay? For my wood floors I use 1 c. white vinegar to one gallon of water on a damp mop. Works great, even on dog pawprints, of which there are many.

It appears to me that Dogmama said that this was being touted as an urban legend, but her science-buff friend begs to differ. For some reason, I think I'd go with the PhD in Chem's opinion over the biased opinion of Swiffer . . . but, that's just me. :rolleyes:

My attitude is why chance it? And I've found Snopes to be mostly, but not wholly accurate. I was tempted by the convenience - but we do usually use natural cleaning products in our home. No good reason to make an exception.

White vinegar in water here too. Our world is filled with so many chemical exposures already....bleach and antibacterial products. I think sometimes chemical "clean" is overkill. How "clean" do you need things to be? Tokie

After my health scare this summer I'm eliminating as much of that kind of stuff from my life as possible. I know one's personal health is not a very good reason to do so compared to everyone else's in the waste stream... but anyway. Just thought I'd reiterate that where some people use vinegar for cleaning, I use food grade citric acid. You can mix the acid stronger as needed, plus it doesn't have an odor. Vinegar smells like gym shoes to me (or maybe my shoes smell like yeast fermentation... more likely :rolleyes:) - in either case it's not a "clean" smell to my nose.

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Originally Posted by michelem

It appears to me that Dogmama said that this was being touted as an urban legend, but her science-buff friend begs to differ. For some reason, I think I'd go with the PhD in Chem's opinion over the biased opinion of Swiffer . . . but, that's just me. :rolleyes:

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How 'bout going with a PhD in Toxicology?
It's an urban legend. One of many (like Bisphenol A, fluoride...)
I could ramble on forever. But, basically it comes down to the quote by Paracelsus, the Godfather of Toxicology - to paraphrase "The dose makes the poison". The Chemist friend is correct, but almost everything is poisonous, at the right dose. There are even stories of water being poisonous to individuals who drink to much of it.
The dose isn't left on the floor. I wouldn't let my dogs eat the cloths, though.

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Originally Posted by TsPoet

"The dose makes the poison".

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Which goes back to what I said about one's personal health (or the health of one's pets or family) being the wrong reason. Workers in manufacturing, those who live near the plants, and those who live down the waste stream are exposed to horrific doses of these poisons. Maybe you caught the story a couple of years ago where DuPont had to buy a whole town in my area because they contaminated it with C8. Last year it came out that they'd contaminated the water supplies of a whole region. And yes, there's epidemiological as well as hydrologic data. When we buy that stuff, we're poisoning the workers.

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Originally Posted by TsPoet

How 'bout going with a PhD in Toxicology?
It's an urban legend. One of many (like Bisphenol A, fluoride...)
I could ramble on forever. But, basically it comes down to the quote by Paracelsus, the Godfather of Toxicology - to paraphrase "The dose makes the poison". The Chemist friend is correct, but almost everything is poisonous, at the right dose. There are even stories of water being poisonous to individuals who drink to much of it.
The dose isn't left on the floor. I wouldn't let my dogs eat the cloths, though.

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Exactly my point. The propylene glycol within the solution is probably OK because it is a very small percent of the total solution. The problem starts when the accompanying ingredients (water & alcohol) evaporate, thus leaving a strong residue of propylene glycol on the floor. It can be absorbed through paws and/or licked off of the floor. Remember that dogs & cats are smaller than humans, so are potentially affected more adversely by toxic substances.

Hills (Science Diet folks) use ethoxyquin as a preservative in their kibble. Ethoxyquin is a potent carcinogen. Hills claims that the minute amount used won't harm animals. Oddly enough, ethoxyquin is also used in their prescription diets - foods used for sick animals. Now, why would you add a carcinogen to a food & feed it to a dog with a compromised immune system or other organic problems...? :confused: I digress....

Regarding Snopes, etc., I cannot believe most of those websites. Unfortunately, the internet is full of misinformation. That's why I went directly to a guy who knows his chemicals.

Bottom line - why chance it? There are natural cleaners available that are not harmful to animals or the environment. I have a German Shepherd whose paws bring in more dirt than a front loading tractor. I find that vacuuming & wet mopping with water only (I have tile) works just fine. I'd rather have slightly discolored grout and a healthy dog & cat. Just my opinion.