The best way to keep your pooch clean is to bathe it using homemade shampoos. They don’t require a lot of effort, and neither is the procedure expensive or time-consuming. Homemade dog shampoos and conditioners will keep the dog’s fur and skin healthy, soft and shiny. They will prevent flea infestations and skin disorders. You’ll begin to notice the difference soon after you start using homemade products.
Bathing your dog is an important grooming ritual. As a pet owner, you’d obviously want what’s best for your pet, and that automatically includes grooming products. You would ordinarily find a variety of dog shampoos and conditioners in pet stores, and you could even have your favorite brand.
There are several pet owners across the world who express concern over the chemicals used in shampoo products and the long-term effects of using them on their beloved furries. Even otherwise, wouldn’t it be great if you could whip up a nice cleanser at home? A perfect shampoo would be the one that gets the cleaning done, without a trace of strong chemicals.
Natural Shampoo
Shampoo made out of prime elements glycerin and apple cider vinegar.
►Procedure For Making Natural Shampoo
Ingredients:
•1 cup mild dish washing liquid
•1 cup apple cider vinegar
•1/3 cup glycerin
•1 quart water
Directions
Mix all the ingredients in a container. Store this mixture in an old shampoo bottle. Use this shampoo while bathing the dog and rinse well. Make sure you shake the bottle well before every use as the glycerin tends to form a layer on top of the liquid.
*Do not use it on the ears or near the eyes.
Oatmeal Shampoo
Oatmeal is the key ingredient for making shampoo. All you need is warm water along with it.
► Procedure For Making Oatmeal Shampoo
Ingredients:
•Oatmeal, as required
•Warm water, as required
Directions
The measure of the ingredients would depend on the size of your dog. Combine the two ingredients to form a starchy mixture. Pour it into a sock and apply it over the dog’s coat. Keep it on for 5 minutes and rinse with warm water. Oatmeal shampoo is ideal for relief from dry and scaly skin, mosquito bites, to remove fleas and also for cleansing and deodorizing.
Shampoo for Dry Skin
For dry skin shampoo cornstarch and essential oil are important materials. With the required measurement the shampoo can be made.
►Procedure For Making Shampoo for Dry Skin
Ingredients:
•1 box cornstarch
•10 drops of essential oil
(choose from tea tree, lemon, lavender or rosemary)
•1 and 1/2 cup cornmeal
Directions
Mix all the ingredients in a container and store. When giving your dog a bath, apply this shampoo and massage it well into the skin. Let it stand for around 5 minutes and then brush it away, followed by a good rinse.
Flea and Tick Shampoo
Various essential oils like peppermint, white cedar, eucalyptus oil, white vinegar oil, and citronella oil are used to create this shampoo.
►Procedure For Making Flea and Tick Shampoo
Ingredients:
•2 cups warm water
•2 tbsp peppermint oil
•2 tbsp eucalyptus oil
•2 tbsp white cedar oil
•¼ cup white vinegar
•¼ cup citronella oil
Directions
Mix all the ingredients and store it in a bottle. This shampoo works well to remove tick and flea infestation in dogs. Other than that, it also has a cleansing and deodorizing effect.
◆A Few Conditioner Recipes…
The regular grooming routine for a dog would suggest a conditioning treatment after a shampoo. Using homemade dog conditioner after shampooing will give a healthy shine and soft feel to the dog’s coat, along with leaving a pleasant, lingering smell.
Rosemary Conditioner
Rosemary seeds are required for making this conditioner. All you need is boiling the seeds in water and then using the water as conditioner. Filter the seeds and only use the water.
►Procedure For Making Rosemary Conditioner
Ingredients:
•Rosemary seeds
•Water
Directions
Add some rosemary seeds to boiling water and boil for a minute or two. Remove this mixture from heat, let it cool down. After ten minutes, strain the rosemary seeds and pour the solution into a bottle. Use this conditioner after shampooing and rinse well.
Egg Conditioner
In this conditioner egg yolk and egg white is used along with water. The process is simple and hassle free.
►Procedure For Making Egg Conditioner
Ingredients
•Eggs
•Warm water
Directions
Whisk some egg yolk with warm water until it turns creamy, then add the egg whites and whisk well. Apply this to the dog’s coat and let it stay for around two minutes and then rinse out with lukewarm water. Ensure that the final rinse does not leave any egg residues on the dog’s coat, as it may result in itching and leave an unpleasant odor.