# Is mopping the floor with pine sol harmful for my pets?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mopping-the-floor-with-pine-sol-harmful-for-my-pets/319940>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 3, 2005, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mopping-the-floor-with-pine-sol-harmful-for-my-pets/319940 "2005-09-03T22:25:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mopping-the-floor-with-pine-sol-harmful-for-my-pets/319940/1 "2005-09-03T22:25:18Z")

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Every month or so, I’ll mop the kitchen and bathroom floors with a generic version of Pine Sol. I know it’s poisonous if ingested, so I began to wonder - my cat walks around in the kitchen after it’s dry, but could a residue get on the cat’s paws and somehow get ingested?

Is this a legitimate concern once the floor has dried?

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**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mopping-the-floor-with-pine-sol-harmful-for-my-pets/319940/2 "2005-09-03T22:54:56Z")

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I wouldn’t think so. You might want to go over the dried floor with a clear water rinse afterwards.

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**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2005, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mopping-the-floor-with-pine-sol-harmful-for-my-pets/319940/3 "2005-09-03T23:09:32Z")

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I have always been told not to use that type of cleaner around my cats. I don’ think it’s as dangerous to dogs, but cats are extremely sensitive to toxins.

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**Author:** ![BluePitbull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@BluePitbull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BluePitbull)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mopping-the-floor-with-pine-sol-harmful-for-my-pets/319940/4 "2005-09-04T00:11:53Z")

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> [@Snakescatlady](#):
>
> I have always been told not to use that type of cleaner around my cats. I don’ think it’s as dangerous to dogs, but cats are extremely sensitive to toxins.

Why are cats more sensitive?

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**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mopping-the-floor-with-pine-sol-harmful-for-my-pets/319940/5 "2005-09-04T00:32:14Z")

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For some reason the kidneys in cats do not handle toxins well, according to my vet. A tiny amount of antifreeze, for example, can kill a cat. Others have died from having dog doses of pyrethin flea control products applied to their skin. (Note - Advantage and Frontline flea control products do not contain pyrethins. The knock off tubes sold over-the-counter do, which is why I recomend never using them.)