My cat loves sleeping in the washing drum: how do I discourage it?

First, make the accident impossible: keep the door shut when the machine is not in use and always check inside before starting a cycle, without exception. The cat seeks the drum for the warmth and the enclosed space, so offering an equally inviting alternative helps: a covered bed or a box in a warm corner. In the meantime do not rely on noticing: the only reliable defence is the habit of looking inside every time.

Do I really need to keep the toilet lid closed?

Yes, and it is one of the single most effective habits. The lid down removes two risks at once: ingesting water with cleaner or disinfectant residue, which can irritate or poison, and a puppy or older animal falling in and being unable to climb out. It costs one gesture and has no downside: the classic zero cost, high benefit measure.

Which bathroom objects get swallowed most often?

The small, soft ones that resemble a toy: hair ties, cotton buds, caps, dental floss and bits of sponge. They look harmless but, if swallowed, can cause an intestinal blockage, one of the most serious emergencies and one that often needs surgery. Prevention is simple: a bin with a lid and small objects kept in closed drawers, never left on the sink edge where one paw swipe knocks them down.

I just washed the floor with a cleaner: can I let the dog in?

Better to wait until it is completely dry. Even an apparently clean floor holds product residue that the animal picks up on its paws and then ingests by licking. Keep the room closed until it is dry and, where possible, prefer low residue products rinsed well. If you suspect it licked a freshly treated surface or drank water with cleaner in it, contact the vet without waiting for symptoms to appear.

Safe home and enrichment30 minLevel: BeginnerUpdated on August 17, 2026

Making the bathroom and laundry area safe

Two underrated rooms full of hazards: cleaners, medicines, an open toilet and the washing drum. Here is how to make the bathroom and laundry safe for dogs and cats.

Audience: Pet owners
Species: Dog, Cat
Scope: Valid everywhere, Italy, European Union

What you need before you start

Un giro di ricognizione del bagno e della lavanderia con lo sguardo all'altezza dell'animale
L'elenco dei detergenti e dei farmaci conservati in queste stanze, per decidere cosa spostare in alto
Contenitori o armadietti richiudibili dove riporre prodotti e piccoli oggetti
Il numero del veterinario e di un centro antiveleni salvati e raggiungibili in fretta

When people think about a safe home, the kitchen and the garden come to mind, almost never the bathroom and the laundry. Yet they are two of the most dangerous rooms for an animal, precisely because nobody watches them. Here you find harsh cleaners, medicines left on the sink, small objects that look like toys, an open toilet that is a water source for a cat and a drowning risk for a puppy, and a warm washing drum a cat can slip into unseen. This guide walks you through a room by room survey and leaves you a few simple habits that, once taken up, protect against almost everything.

The hidden dangers of two quiet rooms

The first thing to do is look at these rooms differently, that is, from below. An animal does not see the bathroom the way you do: it sees a cool floor to lie on, interesting containers within nose reach and surfaces to explore. Many accidents start from objects that are trivial to us and an opportunity or a trap to the animal.

The most common hazards in the bathroom and laundry and why they matter. Severity depends on species, size and quantity.
Hazard	Where it is	Why it is risky
Cleaners and disinfectants	Under the sink, on the bath edge	Ingestion or contact: irritation and poisoning even from licking residue
Human medicines	Shelves, cabinet, sink edge	Many common active ingredients are toxic to dogs and cats even in small doses
Open toilet	Toilet	Water with product residue and a drowning risk for the smallest
Washing drum	Laundry	A cat may climb in for the warmth and get trapped
Small objects	Cotton buds, hair ties, caps, dental floss	Swallowed, they cause intestinal blockages, among the most serious emergencies

Securing cleaners and medicines

Chemicals and medicines are the most serious hazard in these rooms, because tiny amounts are enough and because an animal can contaminate itself just by walking on a treated surface and then licking its paws. The rule is not to hide, it is to close: a product up high but on an open shelf stays within reach of a cat or a large dog.

Store cleaners and disinfectants in a closed cabinet, not on open shelves or the bath edge.
Put products away right after use, without leaving them open on the floor while you clean.
Keep human medicines in a closed box, never on the sink edge where they fall and roll.
Never leave a bucket of water and cleaner unattended: a thirsty dog may drink from it.
Wait for a freshly washed floor to dry before letting the animal back into the room.

Making the rooms safe step by step

Once the risks are understood, the clean up is quick and done once. Follow this order to leave no gaps, starting with the most serious hazards and ending with the habits that keep the room safe over time.

Gather and close away all chemicals
Go over the sink, bath and shelves and move every cleaner into a closeable cabinet. Leave none on open surfaces within nose or paw reach.
Put medicines in a closed container up high
Move medicines and supplements into a closed box, away from the sink edge. A blister on the floor is an immediate danger to a curious animal.
Get into the habit of keeping the toilet lid down
Closing the lid removes in one move the drowning risk for the smallest and access to water with product residue for cats.
Check the washing machine before every cycle
Keep the door shut when not in use and look inside the drum before starting. A cat may have slipped in for the leftover warmth without a sound.
Clear small objects from reachable surfaces
Cotton buds, hair ties, caps and dental floss often end up in mouths. Put them in closed drawers and do not leave them on the sink edge or in an open bin.
Make the waste bin safe
Choose a bin with a lid or keep it in a closed cupboard. It holds exactly the objects most tempting and most dangerous if swallowed.

Toilet, bath and water traps

Water in the bathroom deserves its own chapter, because it combines two risks: ingesting chemical residue and, for the smallest or for non swimmers, drowning. There is no need to be alarmist, just to remove the opportunities: most bathroom water accidents are prevented by the single habit of keeping closed what should be closed.

Keep the toilet lid down at all times, especially if you use cleaning products in the bowl.
Do not leave the bath full and unattended: a puppy or an older cat that falls in may not get out.
Empty basins and buckets right after use rather than leaving them full on the floor.
Offer the animal clean, always available water elsewhere, so it does not seek alternatives in the bathroom.
Wipe up puddles on the bath or shower floor, where an animal could slip.

The habits that keep the room safe

The initial safety pass lasts once; the habits last forever. The trick is to make them automatic, so they do not depend on remembering. A few gestures repeated by everyone at home are enough, because in a family a closed door and a lowered lid need to be shared rules, not one person's reminder.

Keep the bathroom and laundry door closed when you are not present, as a rule shared by the whole family.
Put every product away right after use, without the intermediate step of resting it on the edge for a moment.
Check the washing drum every time, without exception, before starting a cycle.
Do the survey from below every few months, because over time objects drift back into reach.
Teach guests and children too to leave the lid down and the door closed.

Frequently asked questions

My cat loves sleeping in the washing drum: how do I discourage it?: First, make the accident impossible: keep the door shut when the machine is not in use and always check inside before starting a cycle, without exception. The cat seeks the drum for the warmth and the enclosed space, so offering an equally inviting alternative helps: a covered bed or a box in a warm corner. In the meantime do not rely on noticing: the only reliable defence is the habit of looking inside every time.
Do I really need to keep the toilet lid closed?: Yes, and it is one of the single most effective habits. The lid down removes two risks at once: ingesting water with cleaner or disinfectant residue, which can irritate or poison, and a puppy or older animal falling in and being unable to climb out. It costs one gesture and has no downside: the classic zero cost, high benefit measure.
Which bathroom objects get swallowed most often?: The small, soft ones that resemble a toy: hair ties, cotton buds, caps, dental floss and bits of sponge. They look harmless but, if swallowed, can cause an intestinal blockage, one of the most serious emergencies and one that often needs surgery. Prevention is simple: a bin with a lid and small objects kept in closed drawers, never left on the sink edge where one paw swipe knocks them down.
I just washed the floor with a cleaner: can I let the dog in?: Better to wait until it is completely dry. Even an apparently clean floor holds product residue that the animal picks up on its paws and then ingests by licking. Keep the room closed until it is dry and, where possible, prefer low residue products rinsed well. If you suspect it licked a freshly treated surface or drank water with cleaner in it, contact the vet without waiting for symptoms to appear.

What to do next

Look at the bathroom and laundry from below, at the animal's height, and start with the most serious risks: close cleaners and medicines in cabinets, not on open shelves. Keep the toilet lid down, check the washing drum before every cycle and put small objects in closed drawers. Then turn these gestures into rules shared by the whole family, so the room stays safe without having to think about it.