Isn't Spring lovely?! Okay, it's not officially Spring, but the mess has arrived and
mostly we couldn't be happier....*but* who has time to wash that messy dog? If your
dog/s have been enjoying the outdoors alongside their humans, there's bound to be
some grime involved this time of year. We did some searching online and decided to
give our own no-bath natural spray cleaner a try.
Here is the one we tried:
*Bring about 2 cups of water to a boil, with about 2 teaspoons of dried mint leaves
and 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary leaves and a splash (maybe a teaspoon or less) of
apple cider vinegar.
*Let it come to a rolling boil for about 2-3 minutes. Then remove it from the heat
and let it continue to steep for maybe 5 minutes more.
*Strain the herb infused water into another 2 cups or so of water and add another
good splash of ACV at this point.
*Let it cool and then pour it into a spray bottle (this was a big batch, so a large spray
bottle would be needed or the extra could be stored in another jar or bottle for
refilling your spray bottle as it empties).
It's subtle and safe for your dogs; just shake the bottle and spray them down, then
wipe with a towel. It even was able to combat one of our gals rolling in chicken
poo...yup, our messes are pretty epic! The rosemary and mint are not only great for
cutting the scent left from some of the more messy adventures, but also have
properties that lend to fighting off insects, germs, and itching as well. The ACV
complements the herbs to help ward off fleas and is generally regarded as being
good for the skin.
Conversely, one could use essential oils, though mixing with some witch hazel might
help the oil disperse better than just water. Honestly, this isn’t a route we would
recommend without doing some good research on safety of the oils you plan to use
around pets, especially if you have multiple types of pet in your household, as
certain oils can be particularly dangerous to cats. While they still carry many
benefits, the herbs are more subtle and have less chance of adverse reactions in this
application (though still watch for any reactions or changes in your pets). This
article is a good starting point if you’d rather work with oils for this type of spray:
For those pet owners with children in the home, this is a great site for looking at safe use around kids, particularly young children:
This recipe might get more experimentation in the future (I think I’d honestly go a
bit heavier on the herbs and do a longer infusion), but it's a good starting point. Do
you make anything similar? What tips do you have for keeping your furry friends
clean this time of year?
No comments:
Post a Comment