Clean Your Pet's Food Bowl To Keep Them Happy And Healthy

We love our cats and dogs so much, and all we want to do is keep them happy and healthy. And one way to do this is making sure we thoroughly clean our pet’s food and water bowls to help avoid germs, bugs and mold (eek!) that can make our furry friends sick. In fact, NSF International, a public heath organization, rated these little containers as the fourth dirtiest spot in our homes. Luckily, there are a few great ways to tackle this cleaning process to make sure you’re doing the job right.

NSF recommends either placing the bowl in a dishwasher or soaking it for about 10 minutes once a week in a solution of one part bleach to one part water. Then, rinse well and dry. However, if you don’t feel comfortable using bleach, VetStreet recommends cleaning the dish after every meal with hot water and soap. Or better yet, Tina Wismer, DVM, medical director at the ASPCA’s animal poison control center in New York told Wendy Wilson of Ceasar’s Way, to combine equal parts of baking soda, warm water and salt and scrub the surface in a circular motion, and then rinse well.

So you see, there are plenty of easy ways to make sure you’re cleaning your animal's bowl properly to help keep them safe. But, as always, it’s always a good idea to check with your veterinarian to get their advice on what will work best for your pet.

Click through our slideshow to see some of our cleaning and organizing tips. And be sure to head over to NSF International, Cesar’s Way and Vet Street for more information.

Have something to say? Check out HuffPost Home on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram.

**

Do you have a home story idea or tip? Email us at homesubmissions@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)