Buzz
Waking up in the morning to find your floor covered in waste because your dog had diarrhea the night before can feel like a nightmare. It’s essential to clean up this waste properly to prevent stubborn stains and lingering odors from taking over your home. Plus, the faint smell might encourage your dog to return to the same spot to relieve itself again. It’s best to act quickly and efficiently to clean up and neutralize the odor.
Steps
Clean the Waste on the Floor
Maintain cleanliness for yourself and the other areas in your home. Wear disposable rubber gloves to avoid getting your hands dirty. Keep a plastic bag nearby to contain the waste instead of bringing it directly to the trash bin to avoid dropping anything inside the house.
Clean up waste. It is important to clean up before the waste dries, as it becomes much harder to clean once it does. The best method is to use paper towels or an old cloth to wipe it up, then dispose of it properly.
Use a cleaning product. You need to sanitize the area to prevent your dog from returning to that spot. First, use a pet-safe floor cleaner to clean the area, and then use a pet odor neutralizer to eliminate any lingering smells.
- You can purchase pet odor neutralizers at pet stores, but be sure to choose one that is safe for your floors.
Clean waste from the carpet.
Prepare. Be sure to wear disposable rubber gloves to protect your hands. Also, have a plastic bag ready to dispose of the waste to prevent contamination of other areas in your home.
Clean up quickly. It's best to clean up before the waste dries. Use paper towels or an old cloth to wipe up the mess and dispose of it afterward.
Remove as much waste as possible. If feces are stuck to the carpet, you can try using the edge of a butter knife or a spatula to scrape them off. Apply enough pressure to push the waste away.
- This should be done before applying any cleaning solution.
Blot and wash the carpet until all waste is gone. Once most of the waste has been removed, gently press a paper towel or disposable cloth onto the carpet to absorb as much liquid as possible. Avoid pressing too hard to prevent pushing the stain deeper into the fibers.
- Next, spray cold water onto the stain and blot again. Repeat this process until the carpet is clean. Be careful not to soak the carpet, as this could cause the stain to sink deeper.
- Avoid scrubbing to protect the fabric's integrity and appearance.
Consider using a carpet cleaning machine. Carpet cleaners will wet the soiled area with a soapy solution and then extract the dirty water and waste from the carpet. Focus on thoroughly extracting as much dirty water as possible.
- Repeat the process multiple times for optimal results.
- If you don’t own a carpet cleaner, you can rent one or hire a professional cleaning service. Keep in mind that dog feces, especially diarrhea, can leave stains, so if you can’t hire a service immediately (before the stains dry), consider manual cleaning methods instead.
Use a biological cleaning solution. Dog feces contain proteins, and biological cleaners are effective at breaking them down due to their enzymatic action.
- Spray the solution on the stained area and blot off the excess liquid.
- Continue spraying water and blotting until the stain is gone.
- The advantage of this method is that biological cleaners are excellent at neutralizing odors, meaning even if the carpet has some stains, your dog will likely avoid soiling that spot again.
- No matter what cleaning solution you use, always test it on a small, inconspicuous area of the carpet first. You can check for any color fading in a corner of the carpet so if discoloration occurs, it won’t be too noticeable.
Use natural cleaning agents if you lack specialized products. You can sprinkle some baking soda on the carpet and clean it with water, or use a diluted vinegar solution.
To make the solution, mix equal parts water and vinegar. For half a liter of white vinegar, add half a liter of water, then spray it on the carpet and blot it clean. Repeat this process until the stain is gone.
- You can also create an odor-neutralizing solution by mixing about 0.5 liters of hydrogen peroxide with a teaspoon of dish soap and a tablespoon of baking soda. Apply this solution to the stain, blot the excess with paper towels, and leave it for about 5 minutes. Then rinse with water and blot the carpet dry.
- Finally, sprinkle baking soda over the carpet and leave it for about an hour to neutralize odors. Afterward, simply vacuum up the baking soda from the carpet.
