Chemicals, cleaning and pets in pregnancy: what to watch for at home

Home is usually where you feel safest. Even so, in pregnancy things like the cat litter tray, bathroom cleaning or the paint for the nursery can play on your mind. The good news: a few simple habits keep the risks small, and you can largely carry on with daily life.

What is toxoplasmosis?

Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a parasite. In healthy adults it often causes no symptoms or only mild ones. It matters in pregnancy because, if you catch it for the first time during pregnancy, it can pass to the baby. The infection can spread through cat faeces, contaminated soil and undercooked meat.

If you have had it before, you are generally immune. Your doctor can assess whether you have through a blood test.

If you have a cat

You do not need to give your cat up. The main source of infection is the faeces, not the cat itself:

• If possible, ask someone else to clean the litter tray.
• If you do it yourself, wear gloves and a mask and wash your hands with soap afterwards.
• Clean the tray every day; the parasite in faeces does not become infectious within the first day.
• Keep your cat indoors and do not feed it raw meat.
• Wear gloves when gardening or handling soil and wash your hands afterwards.
• Avoid close contact with stray cats and children’s sandpits.

Dogs, birds and fish do not carry a similar toxoplasma risk, though hand hygiene still matters. Reptiles (tortoises, lizards) and rodents can carry other germs; wash your hands after contact.

Protection in food

• Cook meat thoroughly and avoid raw or undercooked meat.
• Wash vegetables and fruit well.
• Wash boards and knives used for raw meat in hot soapy water before using them for other foods.

If you are unsure about a particular food, you can check our Can I eat it? section.

Cleaning products

Normal household cleaning is generally fine in pregnancy; ventilation and product choice are what count:

• Open a window and avoid using products in closed spaces where you would breathe them for long.
• Wear gloves.
• Never mix bleach with ammonia or acid-containing products; this can release toxic gas.
• Choose liquids or creams over aerosols and sprays when you can.
• You may want to leave harsh products, such as oven and toilet cleaners, to someone else.
• Follow the warnings on the label.

Simple options such as vinegar, bicarbonate and hot water can be enough for many jobs.

Paint, renovation and pesticides

Painting the nursery is a lovely way to prepare, but it is safest to leave it to someone else. If you do it:

• Choose water-based, low-odour paints and ventilate well.
• Stay away from solvent, thinner and varnish fumes.
• An older home may have lead paint; do not sand or scrape old paint.
• Where possible, do not apply pesticides yourself; stay out of the house during treatment and ventilate well afterwards.

What you can do

A simple plan for this week: hand the cat litter and gardening to someone else, keep a pair of gloves at home, do not mix products and open the windows. These are small, doable steps, and you do not have to be perfect.

When to contact your doctor

• If you have touched cat faeces or dirty soil and are worried, or have flu-like symptoms (fever, swollen glands in the neck).
• If after breathing chemical fumes or getting them on your skin you have dizziness, nausea, coughing or stinging eyes: get into fresh air. If it is severe or you are short of breath, call 112; if poisoning is suspected you can also contact the national poison information line (114 in Türkiye).
• If you develop fever and weakness after eating raw or undercooked meat.

This article is for general information; for your own situation, your doctor’s advice comes first.