It’s pretty hard to picture yourself eating a fresh meal out of a dirty plate, right? Even if you licked it clean the night before it doesn’t mean that the plate is actually clean. However, this is what many pets face each day. Why is it seemingly okay for our pets to eat and drink out of the same food and water bowl day in and day out?
After all, it is kind of easy to forget to clean, especially when it really doesn’t look dirty most of the time.They often eat dry food that doesn’t leave much to clean when looking at it with the naked eye. Yet, studies suggest it is actually one of the top 5 dirtiest spots in our homes. If we’re not careful, it can be a breeding ground for bacteria, bugs, and foul germs. Our pets are such beloved members of our family and keeping their dishes just as clean as ours is important.
Keep your pet’s food and water bowl clean
- Bleach Cleaner: Some tried and true pet owners say that a sure fire way to get the germs out of your pets how is to soak it in equal parts water and bleach for 10 minutes once a week to keep it clean. Just make sure to rinse it extremely well before filling it back up.
- Baking Soda Cleaner: If you’re not a fan of using harsh chemicals like bleach, but want to keep bacteria at bay, I recommend using equal parts baking soda and water with a few pinches of salt to scrub it clean. Baking soda is a natural cleanser and the salt is abrasive enough to loosen nasty microbes and clean the dishes without chemicals.
- Dishwasher: This one is by far the easiest and is actually what we do in our house. I just throw my pet’s dishes in the dishwasher when I run it. I try to make sure and throw in the pet’s dishes with our own. Then I put down a temporary bowl of water for the night and they have fresh dishes in the morning. We’re all family, so their dishes should be just as clean.
Once you get into the routine of cleaning their bowl as you would your own dishes, it’s actually pretty easy to keep up. And there is no denying that your fur-child will appreciate a clean dish to eat from, just as much as they appreciate snuggles and playtime.
