How To Safely Travel With Your Pet

Traveling with a pet involves more than just loading the animal in the back seat and motoring off. The ASPCA offers the following tips to help you prepare for a safe and smooth car trip:

• Keep your pets safe and secure in a well-ventilated crate or carrier. There are a variety of wire mesh, hard plastic and soft-sided carriers available. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s large enough for your pet to stand, sit, lie down and turn around in. And P.S., it’s smart to get your pet used to the carrier in the comfort of your home before your trip.
  
• Get your pet geared up for a long trip by taking him on a series of short drives first, gradually lengthening time spent in the car. And please be sure to always secure the crate so it won’t slide or shift in the event of a quick stop.
  
• Your pet’s travel-feeding schedule should start with a light meal three to four hours prior to departure. Don’t feed your furry friend in a moving vehicle—even if it is a long drive.
  
• Never leave your animal alone in a parked vehicle. On a hot day, even with the windows open, a parked automobile can become a furnace in no time, and heatstroke can develop. In cold weather, a car can act as a refrigerator, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.
  
• What in your pet’s traveling kit? In addition to travel papers, food, bowl, leash, a waste scoop, plastic bags, grooming supplies, medication and a pet first-aid kit, pack a favorite toy or pillow to give your pet a sense of familiarity.
  
• Make sure your pet has a microchip for identification and wears a collar with a tag imprinted with your home address, as well as a temporary travel tag with your cell phone, destination phone number and any other relevant contact information. Canines should wear flat (never choke!) collars, please.
  
• Don’t allow your pet to ride with his head outside the window. He could be injured by flying objects. And please keep him in the back seat in his crate or with a harness attached to a seat buckle.
  
• Traveling across state lines? Bring along your pet’s rabies vaccination record, as some states requires this proof at certain interstate crossings. While this generally isn’t a problem, it’s always smart to be on the safe side.
  
• When it comes to H2O, we say BYO. Opt for bottled water or tap water stored in plastic jugs. Drinking water from an area he’s not used to could result in tummy upset for your pet.
  
• If you travel frequently with your pet, you may want to invest in rubberized floor liners and waterproof seat covers, available at auto product retailers.

Should You Let Your Dog Eat Bugs?

A Dog-Eat-Bug Life: Is it Safe for Dogs to Eat Bugs?

Your dog eats the food you provide and loves the treats you bestow. Sometimes, even the grass looks too inviting to pass up! But you’ve noticed that your dog also eats bugs, and you worry if that’s safe. If you see your dog chewing on something that you didn’t provide, the first rule of thumb is to try to stop it. Dogs have been known to eat just about anything, including rocks, grass, foreign objects and animal feces. Some things are harmless, while others can be devastating if ingested. Here are a few of the insects most commonly snacked on by dogs:

1. Flies and moths

If your dog is entertained by chasing flies or catching moths, there’s no need for concern. Some dogs will eat flies all day long. Although anything in excess isn’t good, including a dog’s consumption of flies or moths, the occasional winged snack will not be harmful to his or her health.

2. Crickets

Maybe it’s because they’re crunchy or just fun because they jump, but for whatever reason, dogs love to eat crickets. Crickets happen to be high in protein, so if ingested by your dog, there’s no need to worry. There are, however, exceptions to every rule. If the cricket happened to be infected, or if that cricket had been poisoned, it may cause an upset stomach. If your dog shows signs of repeated vomiting or fatigue, call your veterinarian.

3. Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers are related to crickets, and eating a few probably won’t hurt your dog. The difference between crickets and grasshoppers, however, is that some grasshoppers can carry potentially harmful parasites. If your dog eats a grasshopper and becomes infested, it could be very serious. If left untreated, the ingested parasite could lead to blockage in your dog’s intestines and even result in death. It can be difficult to tell if your dog has parasites without blood tests, however there are some signs that your dog needs to see a vet right away. Watch for diarrhea, sudden weight loss, or signs of maggots around the anus. Of course, call your vet immediately if you see any of these signs.

4. Bed bugs

Perhaps because they are so small, dogs rarely try to eat bed bugs. If your pet does eat one or two, he should be fine. You have bigger problems than Fido snacking on them, however; if you think you have bed bugs, call a professional exterminator. It’s next to impossible to get rid of them by yourself.

Bug-proof your home

Make an attempt to keep your home and the area where your dog lives bug-free. Store dry food in air-tight containers and keep food bags off the ground.

Make a habit of purchasing smaller amounts of dog food at a time rather than buying in bulk and leaving extra bags out where they could become contaminated. Even if it is sealed, the longer you leave food out, the higher the chance it may get pests. To avoid immediate problems, keep leftover food off the floor and off the counters. Prevention is the key to keeping pests at bay.

How To Eliminate Mattress Odor

Does your mattress smell funny?

Many things can happen, your child has an accident, your cat uses your mattress as a litter box or it just smells funky! Clear The Air eliminates foul mattress odor and can eliminate harmful odors you can breathe in when you sleep.

Here is how to eliminate odors from your mattress:

• Take all your bedding off your mattress, including your mattress cover. Wash all your bedding.
• Sprinkle Clear The Air Carpet/Furniture Odor Eliminator on your mattress where you smell the odor the strongest.
• Leave the product on your mattress for up to 24 hours.
• Vacuum product up from your mattress. Odor will be eliminated!
• If some odor still exists, apply a second application to your mattress.
• Return your clean bedding to your mattress and enjoy a peaceful, odorless night’s sleep!

Have questions about how to use our product? Contact our customer service department to answer all your odor issue questions!

Close The Fridge, It Smells!!

If you open up your refrigerator and it smells, you need Clear The Air!

Imagine you have people over for dinner and every time you open the fridge, a foul odor creeps out. How embarrassing!

With Clear The Air’s Odor Eliminating Bag, you can will eliminate odors from your refrigerator once and for all! All you have to do is simply place the Odor Eliminator Bag in your refrigerator and foul odors will be eliminated. The Odor Eliminator Bags last up to 3 months.

If you want to keep your refrigerator clean and odor free, follow our helpful steps below:

1. Clean everything out of your refrigerator. All the items that must stay cold, you can put in a cooler with some ice temporarily. Make sure to throw away any spoiled food and wipe any bottles or canisters that have food leaking out of them.
2. Once you’ve taken everything out, turn off your refrigerator. Take out all your shelves and drawers and wash them in the sink to remove any spilled food particles. Wipe down the inside of your refrigerator with soap and water.
3. Now, place one to two of our Clear the Air Odor Eliminator Bags in your fridge towards the back or wherever they won’t get in the way. Turn the refrigerator back on.
4. Return the cold food items to the fridge and you are ready to enjoy your refrigerator odor free!

How To Potty Train Your Puppy

Puppies are cute but potty training can be tough! Check out our helpful puppy potty training tips below.

Teaching your puppy how to potty train? Clear the Air works great for eliminating odors from your dog’s accidents in the house. Plus, it is non-toxic and completely safe even if ingested.

Check out some helpful potty training tips for your dog:

• Restrict your dog’s access to the house. Making his environment smaller makes him less apt to have an accident. This same process can also be used for crate training.
• Keep your dog with you, or keep an eye on him. Dogs usually like to sneak off to have accidents, if you can’t see him, he might be getting into something he shouldn’t be.
• Go outside with him when teaching your dog to potty train. If you don’t see him urinating and defecating outside he might just be playing and not taking care of business. Plus going out with him teaches you about his routine.
• Quietly praise your dog for going potty outside. Don’t reprimand him for making a mistake, just distract him and get him outside as soon as you can.
• If you have a dog that likes one particular area specifically, you can put his food near that area and he will not urinate or defecate where he eats. But be careful, this sometimes doesn’t address the problem and the dog finds a new spot.
• Utilize a crate, or a baby gate, or an exercise pen when you are not home. If you are diligent about keeping your dog with you when you are home, but he pees or poops as soon as you leave it is defeating your hard work. Crates are a wonderful tool for potty training.
• Do not use puppy pads or indoor aids when potty training if you want your dog to potty outside. Encouraging potty indoor sometimes, but then wanting them to go outside is confusing. Choose one or the other and stick with it.
• Be consistent and use lots of praise while controlling his environment and soon your dog will be happily going potty outside. Do you have potty training tips you’d like to share? Please comment on our blog.

How To Avoid A Missing Dog

There are many reason a dog may get lost. Find out how to keep your pet safely at home.

Clear The Air would like to share some helpful tips from Cesar Milan about preventing your dog from getting lost. Please keep these tips in mind so your dog enjoys a safe and happy life with you!

• The eyes have it – The easiest and surest way to keep your dog safe is to be able to see where he is at all times. And notice we say “see” and not “know.” You may think you know your dog is playing in your fenced-in backyard, but if you don’t have an eye on him, he could have run out of a gate that was left open, dug a hole under the fence to freedom, or be stolen by a criminal. Likewise if you’re walking your dog, don’t tie her up to the parking meter outside your favorite store or coffee shop while you run errands. Your dog could slip her collar, chew through her leash, or be stolen. Better to have the caffeine headache now than the headache and heartache of a missing pet later.
• Get a new leash on life – Whenever possible, keep your dog on a good leash when out in the world. Even if you’re just letting your dog follow at your heels as you go to the mailbox, a stray squirrel or rabbit in the corner of your dog’s eye could cause him to bolt into traffic or down the street, and you are probably not going to catch him. It could easily result in your dog getting lost, the further he runs, or worse, injured or killed in traffic.
• A dog by a different collar – A good collar that fits well is your best line of defense for two reasons: it keeps your dog from slipping out of it and getting loose; and it provides an easy way to ID your dog and makes your contact information available so you can get her back. It seems like fancy dog boutiques are popping up on every block so finding a good collar should be easy. But be mindful that the collar needs to be functional before fashionable. Your dog’s collar can literally save its life and it’s far more important that it stay securely on your dog and provide your contact info than alert the world in rhinestones that your dog has “Bieber fever.” Additionally, regularly check the fit of the dog collar as it is likely to stretch out over time or crack or fray depending on the material it’s made of, making it less secure. It may need to be tightened or replaced.
• Microchipping—not just for computers – Microchipping involves implanting a tiny rice-grain-sized chip under your dog’s skin. It’s painless and can help your dog be identified with a scanner. Even if your dog loses his collar (or in the case of dognapping, has it removed), the microchip allows your dog to be positively identified as yours. This shouldn’t be regarded as a substitute for the collar and ID however. The microchip is a worst-case scenario for identifying your dog. It’s a lot easier for Good Samaritans to call the phone number that’s right there on the dog’s collar than to find a shelter or vet that can scan the microchip (if the Good Samaritan even thinks to do that). However, the microchip gives you a fighting chance your dog might be identified without a collar and provides excellent legal recourse should a dispute arise over who owns the lost dog.

Read more tips from Cesar Milan here.

Summer Heat Safety Tips For Your Pets

We all love spending the long, sunny days of summer outdoors with our furry companions, but the ASPCA warns being overeager in hot weather can spell danger.

Take these simple precautions, provided by ASPCA experts, to help prevent your pet from overheating. And if you suspect your pet is suffering from heat stroke, get help from your veterinarian immediately.

• Pets can get dehydrated quickly, so give them plenty of fresh, clean water when it’s hot outdoors. Make sure your pets have a shady place to get out of the sun, be careful to not over-exercise them, and keep them indoors when it’s extremely hot.
• Symptoms of overheating in pets include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor or even collapse. They can also include seizures, bloody diarrhea and vomit along with an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees.
• Never leave your animals alone in a parked vehicle. Parked cars can heat up extremely rapidly even with the windows open!
• Do not leave pets unsupervised around a pool-not all dogs are good swimmers. Introduce your pets to water gradually and make sure they wear flotation devices when on boats.
• Feel free to trim longer hair on your dog, but never shave your dog: The layers of dogs’ coats protect them from overheating and sunburn. Brushing cats more often than usual can prevent problems caused by excessive heat.
• When the temperature is very high, don’t let your dog linger on hot asphalt. Being so close the ground, your pooch’s body can heat up quickly, and sensitive paw pads can burn. Keep walks during these times to a minimum.

How To Eliminate RV Odors

Sadly summer is at a close. If you own an RV and use it regularly for summer trips, continue reading…

Clear The Air can eliminate any and all RV odors you may experience. Many times RV’s can harbor foul odors because they do not always get the air circulation they need during the off season.

If you smell unpleasant odors in your RV or are planning to store your RV for the Fall and Winter time, we suggest you use Clear The Air’s Odor Eliminating Bags to keep odors away.

Air fresheners just mask the odors and often smell worse than the offensive odor, RV detailing is expensive, and shampooing often just spreads the smell around. Many things can cause odors in your RV – pets, smoke, gasoline, smog, mold/mildew, bathroom, and holding tanks all cause odors to build up in your RV.

Clear The Air Odor Remover Bags can simply be hung in your RV and they will completely eliminate all these odors. Our product draws in odors like a powerful magnet and are also safe around children and pets even if eaten. It does not have to come into contact with odor producer to eliminate the odor – Clear The Air does not cover up odors it literally “clears the air” leaving the air fresh and clean.

Find out HOW to use our Odor Eliminating Products in your RV by clicking here.

How Our Odor Removers Work

Have a foul odor in your home? Here is how our Odor Remover and Odor Eliminator Products work:

Earth Care Products “Clear The Air” can be used to eliminate odors by simply placing a bag near the odor, or by sprinkling granules over or near the soiled areas. The great news is, Earth Care’s Clear The Air does not have to come into contact with the odor producer; it will pull the odors from the entire room.

Earth Care Products are ingredients are negatively charged and odiferous gasses ride on positively charged particles. Because of this negative and positive attraction Earth Care draws in odors like a powerful magnet.

The odors are adsorbed and neutralized without any cover ups or fragrances. The molecular structure of Earth Care consists of billions of microscopic pores, which gives it a large surface area (exceeding the size of a football field). This enables Earth Care to adsorb phenomenal amounts of odors!!

Earth Care does not cover up odors it literally clears the air, leaving the air fresh and clean with no odors or fragrances left behind.

Many of the odor and pollution control products on the market today act merely as masking agents. This means they add chemicals to the air to cover up odors and actually increase the level of indoor pollutants in the process. Earth Care, on the other hand, truly eliminates odors and cleans the air by adsorbing and neutralizing odors. Earth Care Products are especially beneficial to those that suffer from chemical sensitivity which can be aggravated by fragrances.

Earth Care is safe for Planet Earth. To dispose of Earth Care simply add to your soil, it is an excellent nitrogen soil amendment.

How to Reduce Energy Use in Your Home

Summer is here and it is important to make sure your home can handle the heat!

Decreasing your energy bill doesn’t only save your pocket but, it will also help in the fight against our over reliance on fossil fuels to power our homes. These tips will help you decrease your energy usage and ultimately lead to a decrease in your energy bill:

Seal Your Home

When the mercury climbs, you’ll be using your air conditioner a lot more. If you have air leaks, you force your AC system to work harder. Sealing the leaks in your home will save you up to 30 percent on your energy bill. Leaks are typically found on doorways and windows, but make sure to check lesser-known culprits like electrical outlets and dryer vents. Once you find the holes, use caulk and weather-stripping material to seal them. You can also hire professionals to do a complete house audit.

Upgrading Your Home’s Lighting

Change out energy-sucking incandescent and CFL light bulbs to more efficient LEDs. CFLs are fairly efficient, but contain mercury, which is harmful to the environment. A single LED will last you 40 to 50 years, and a household with 25 LED bulbs will incur a savings of round $6,700 compared to incandescent bulbs. Go a step further by using natural light. If you have space to install larger windows that will help increase the amount of light that goes into your home, you can also regulate the amount of light (and heat) that comes with shades from a company like the Shade Store to help.

Harness the Energy of the Sun

Switching to solar is another way to reduce your energy bill. Although startup costs are high, you will see the savings relatively soon. You will also have the peace of mind that you are cutting down on your carbon footprint by using the rays of the sun. Elon Musk recently made an announcement that his company, SolarCity, is purchasing solar panel maker Silevo in an effort to create more solar panels and ultimately make solar energy more cost efficient.

Upgrade Home Appliances

It may be time to upgrade your home appliances, as well. Energystar.gov has a comprehensive list of the most energy efficient appliances, including everything from DVD players to air conditioners to refrigerators. Energy Star appliances will cost more than those that are not certified, but you will notice the savings on your next energy bill. Also, remember when you are upgrading your appliances to get rid of old ones. Refrigerators are the most common appliances that residents keep once they have gotten a new one; they also waste the most energy.

What other tips do you have? Make sure to keep add any more energy saving tips below in the comment section!