Extra care must be taken when handling and feeding raw meats. It is no different than when a mother buys frozen or refrigerated raw chicken and prepares it for her family for dinner. Common sense applies.

This means that anything that touches raw meat or blood should be cleaned with hot soapy water. Dishes, utensils, mixing bowls, etc.

Floors may need to be cleaned also. If you have wood or Pergo floors, check with the manufacturer to find out what types of cleaners will not cause damage.

Some people choose to put a mat or towel under their cat’s plate to keep raw food off the floor.

I have used the cleaner below and the Swiffer wet mop on tile floors; both will work.

Remember to wash out any containers or bags/pouches that raw foods come in before throwing them away otherwise your house will start to smell like rotting corpses within a day or two.

At the very least rinse them well with hot water to remove any blood/food residue. K?

In my 9+ years of feeding raw, I have never once gotten any illness from it, and neither have any of the cats. Clean up does not take much extra time.

Here is  my favorite ‘homemade cleaner’ recipe that works well and is super affordable.

Exact measurements are not necessary.

Mix together:

• Dawn dish soap 1-2 tablespoons
• baking soda 1/4 cup
• hydrogen peroxide  1/2-1 cup

Scrub and rinse well. If food residue is hardened on, soak dishes & utensils in hot water for a while to loosen it up.

Why this combo?

I like to use baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) because there is hard water where I live and it helps prevent water spots. I use Bob’s Red Mill brand, but the cheap stuff at the grocery store will work just as well.

Fun fact: sodium bicarbonate can also be used to kill cockroaches. Once consumed, it causes internal organs of cockroaches to burst due to gas collection.

Dawn is a popular dish soap, but you can use whatever brand you prefer. It works well because it breaks down fats and proteins.  It can also be used to clean toilets- just dilute with water.

Hydrogen peroxide is a great antiseptic. It is what we use to get blood out of our scrubs and patient’s fur.

It fizzes when it comes into contact with blood.

Cats can regurgitate raw food, although it is not as common of an occurrence as it is with dry food, and they can also still have hairballs. Regurgitated food needs to be cleaned up promptly.

For carpets, an enzyme cleaner is the only thing that really works on pet stains.

The most highly recommended cleaning product is Anti Icky Poo. This product contains live microbes and enzymes that work together to break down the source of stains and odors.

Typical carpet cleaners contain fragrance to mask odors. This does not.

Anti Icky Poo can also be used on urine stains, and any organic material including vomit, feces, food residue, sweat stains, skunk musk, smoke, fish smells.

Some people say that this works better than Nature’s Miracle.

The key to using this is to keep applying it to the area everyday for several days in a row to keep it moist. Since the active ingredient is microbes, they need moisture to stay alive and keep working on eating the organic matter.

To use for clothing items, soak in Anti Icky Poo and store in a plastic bag and add more every day to prevent the item(s) from drying out. It needs to stay moist to work. Then wash with regular laundry detergent.

I spilled some thawed raw food on this towel. I’m soaking it Anti Icky Poo (not diluted) in a glass dish for a few hours before throwing it in with the laundry.

I will use just a bit of hydrogen peroxide on the carpet if there’s only blood, which there is after feeding Emilie mice or raw chicken hearts.

Don’t ask me why, but the cats will not eat those on a plate or on a non-carpeted surface like the kitchen or bathroom floor.

What cleaning products are your favorite? Leave a comment below