tea tree oil and cats

KlassyWithaK

I finally ran out of my industrial size container of Lysol and bought everything to make my own cleaners. Some of the recipes I've found have tea tree oil as an ingredient. I've read that tea tree oil is toxic to cats and am a little wary of using it in a cleaner. Does anyone have cats and use it? Would it be safe to use if I wipe everything down really well? Any good substitutes I could make that are safe for cats?

CDMay2006

My completely uninformed opinion is that it couldn't possibly be any worse than synthetic/chemical cleaners given the concentration at which you'd be using it.

belovedbride07

I occasionally add lavender oil to my cleaners because I like the smell, but I'm a little worried about the cats being around it too much so I don't do it often or use very much.  However, this is pretty much my take on it:

CDMay2006:

My completely uninformed opinion is that it couldn't possibly be any worse than synthetic/chemical cleaners given the concentration at which you'd be using it.

I use TTO in my OCM mix, but don't really use it for cleaning because I don't like the smell.

LibrariAri

None of my cleaners use tea tree oil. While it's great as a topical disinfectant, it's just unnecessary for day to day cleaning. Also, having cats, I'm not going to put it anywhere near them (they also freak out at the smell), as it is quite toxic to 'em (cats have super sensitive livers). Also, why create more work for yourself by then having to rewipe down the counters?

tokenhoser

I would just skip the EO if you're worried. I have a cat and use peppermint in my mix I use to clean the bathroom, but my cat really spends no time in there and isn't one to lick the counters anyway.

Upon research, peppermint is also a kitty no-no.

ki10

I definitely wouldn't use it anywhere the cats frequent. There are lots of other things to use. A big part of why we're transitioning to natural cleaners is so they're safer for the cats, so we steer clear of tea tree oil. I do agree that it's likely no worse than your standard cleaners, if those are your two options.

KlassyWithaK

Thanks for the replies. My cats get everywhere so I'm pretty sensitive to what I use around them. I found a recipe that doesn't have any EO or peppermint in it and it works great!

kp_n_fergi

I use Lemon Essential Oil for my cleaning products and Lemongrass also. They smell really nice and you can still get the Lysol/Pin-sol  effect but better and safer for your pets I have 3 dogs inside my house no one has a problem! Everyone here is super sensitive and allergic to everything.

Also you can take a cloth collar and place a few drops of your choice on it and have a natural flea deterrent! Thats always a plus!