Your carpet does not have to stand condemned just because your dog had an accident on it. If you know exactly how to clean dog diarrhea from carpet, you can have your carpet looking as good as new in no time.
The key to doing a perfect job in cleaning dog diarrhea from your carpet is to act fast. The longer you take to attend to the accident, the tougher it becomes to restore your carpet to pristine condition. Dog feces contain natural acids which, if left for a long time on your carpet, would ruin it beyond saving not to mention pose serious health risks for everyone in the household.
You’d also need to consider the kind of carpet you have as it will determine the kind of treatment you should apply on your carpet.
Generally, there are four different kinds of carpets made from different materials. Nylon, polyester and acrylic can all be treated using the same methods and can handle hot water on its fibers. Wool, on the other hand, cannot handle a hot water treatment as it would damage the fibers.
The following methods will work for all carpet types besides wool carpet, but before we go into that, we guess that, like us, you’re pretty curious to know how Oprah cleans dog diarrhea from her carpet. No, she does not hire professional house cleaners. This momma of 21 dogs (over the years) has a few tricks to show you about cleaning dog diarrhea from your carpet using club soda and dish detergent. Watch it here.
Table of Contents
How Do You Clean Dog Diarrhea From Your Carpet?
Here are the steps to clean dog diarrhea from your carpet:
- Make sure you wear protective gloves.
- Quickly take out the poop using cardboard or a paper plate.
- Dip a rag in water and squeeze a few drops onto the affected spot.
- Blot that area with a paper towel.
- Repeat the last two steps until the paper towel no longer appears discolored after blotting.
- Apply an enzyme-based cleaner.
- Leave your carpet to dry.
- Sanitize the area using rubbing alcohol or vodka.
As we said, you must be quick about your cleaning. However, if, out of your control, the poop dries before you could get to it, don’t despair. Your carpet isn’t condemned. We have a section that shows you how to clean dried dog diarrhea from carpet. If that’s what you need right now, you can skip straight to that section.
1. Keep Yourself Protected
Probably the most important thing you must do when cleaning dog diarrhea from your carpet is to protect yourself. Dog diarrhea contains germs which can make you sick. So, ensure that there’s a barrier between you and the germs.
Make sure you work with plastic gloves. It not only protects your hands from germs, it also protects you from the harshness of the chemicals in some of the cleaning agents you’d be using.
Considering the fact that dog poop would definitely stink, some people might also want to use a face mask. That’s a great idea if you decide to because it not only protects you from the foul smell, it also helps limit your chances of inhaling harmful bacteria.
If you don’t have a face mask readily on hand, a bandana or scarf should suffice. Just ensure that there are no loose ends, you don’t want all that interfering with your cleaning.
Lastly, don’t forget to change out of your clothes into more “befitting” clothing for the moment. Something you won’t mind getting dirty in.
Now, let’s get straight to how to clean dog diarrhea from carpet proper.
2. Take Out The Diarrhea
Once you’re fully kitted, the first step to take is to take out as much of the wet poop as soon as you can. You must take out all the poop possible as it affects how successful the next step would be.
If you don’t take out the majority of the poop, you’d smear it further into the carpet instead of cleaning the carpet, and that would only make your situation much worse.
3. Work Gently And Carefully
Now, in cleaning up dog diarrhea, you must be gentle especially because the stool is quite loose. You don’t want more stool seeping into the carpet fibers than is already there. Taking out stool soaked in carpet fibers is already challenging enough and you don’t want to make your already tough job worse.
So, to do this job, get a flat surface like a cardboard or paper plate to get out the diarrhea from the surface. Do this by scraping the carpet lightly with the cardboard or paper plate.
We suggest cardboard or paper plates because they are weighty enough to hold the loose stool. Plus, they are super easy to dispose of as well.
4. Soak Up The Residue
After scraping off the diarrhea, the next step would be to take out the loose stool that has seeped into the carpet fibers. This is where the real cleaning actually begins. Here are the steps to getting that done.
Get a bowl of clean water and a clean cloth. Dip the cloth in clean water and then wring it over the stained area, but only a small quantity. You don’t want to drench the area. The reason for adding this water is to break up the feces in the carpet fibers so they come out more easily.
After doing this, use your paper towels to blot the area, but do it gently. Don’t apply too much pressure or else you could push the feces deeper into the carpet fibers.
Now, as you do this, the paper towel will get discolored, naturally. Blot twice and then repeat the whole soaking to blotting process all over again until your paper towels no longer appear discolored after blotting.
At this point, you’ve taken out most of the stool and the carpet is ready for the next step.
5. Use A Cleaner
To clean up the stained area, you’re going to need an enzyme-based cleaner. Enzyme-based cleaners specially designed for dog poop and diarrhea are quite common and easy to find. Keep in mind that you want an enzyme-based cleaner, not a regular cleaner.
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The enzymes in enzyme-based cleaners help to neutralize and eliminate the fecal particles so that the area is cleaned completely. But here’s the thing about such cleaners. They are usually not kid-friendly or pet-friendly. If that bothers you and you prefer to work with more natural options.
What Natural Cleaners Can You Use To Clean Dog Diarrhea From Your Carpet?
Here are some natural materials you can use to clean dog diarrhea from your carpet:
- Baking soda.
- Vinegar.
- A combination of baking soda and vinegar.
i. Baking Soda
Also known as bicarbonate soda, baking soda is a great natural method for cleaning dog diarrhea from carpet. If the diarrhea was really runny, then baking soda becomes even more useful. With its alkaline nature, baking soda soaks up the liquefied poop thereby taking it out easily.
Here’s how to use baking soda to clean up your carpet from dog diarrhea.
Cover the stained area with your baking soda and rub it into the carpet fibers gently. After this, let the soda sit in that stained area for a good number of hours. In fact, if you can leave it there overnight, that would be great. Then the next morning, use a vacuum and vacuum up the leftover baking soda on the carpet.
ii. Vinegar
Vinegar is a fantastic option for cleaning dog diarrhea and a go-to option for most dog owners. The reason vinegar is so great is that it is enzyme-based like most pet stain cleaners. So, just like these cleaners, the enzyme breaks down the fecal particles. However, unlike these pet cleaners, vinegar is a safe, natural method.
Here’s how to use the vinegar method.
Dilute the vinegar in water in a 50:50 ratio in a spray bottle and spray this solution onto the affected area of your carpet. After soaking the area, blot with a clean cloth and rinse with water. Repeat this method until you have a stain-free carpet.
Now, besides the fact that vinegar is enzyme-based, vinegar has other properties that make it a great poop cleaner.
For one, it is a natural deodorizer. So, it doesn’t just take out the stain, it also takes out the smell as well. But then again, that smell is replaced with the smell of vinegar which most people don’t agree with. If the smell bothers you, then a few drops of essential oil in your vinegar solution before you apply it. That should do the trick.
Again, vinegar is highly acidic which makes it a great natural sanitizer. Now, vinegar is not recognized as a sanitizer so you might still want to sanitize the area with a sanitizer even after using vinegar.
Check out this video for a visual example on how to clean out dog poop with vinegar.
iii. Baking Soda and Vinegar
For a double dose, you could try using baking soda and vinegar together. When together, these two powerful natural cleaning agents can join forces to clean even the toughest dog diarrhea stains.
The only caveat here is to be sure, first of all, that your carpet can handle a dose of vinegar and baking soda together. A combination of these agents might discolor your carpet. So, you might want to test it on a small portion of your carpet first before applying it on the affected area.
So, here’s how you use this method.
First, cover the stain using baking soda and then rub the baking soda gently into the stain. Allow to sit afterward.
Next, prepare the vinegar solution and spray onto the carpet as we showed you in the previous method. When you do this, the solution of vinegar and baking soda will bubble. You then want to scrub this mixture into the carpet fibers. Do this gently.
After doing this, rinse the area with water and dry up using towels.
Remember that with the vinegar solution, the aim is not over-soak the carpet. If the carpet is over-soaked, the solution also gets to the carpet padding which would make drying almost impossible. If this happens, your flooring will get affected and then the growth of mold is not long coming afterward.
iv. Dawn Dish Detergent
Dawn makes a great choice when deciding how to clean dog diarrhea out of carpet because it foams so well and penetrates carpet fibers quite easily.
In using this method, simply dilute the detergent in water like we did with vinegar. When you do this, spray the resulting mixture onto the carpet. As usual, don’t over-soak the carpet as it will interfere with drying, making it nearly impossible.
6. Blot When Applying The Cleaner (Don’t Scrub)
You’ve seen the array of cleaner options you can use to get the dog poop out of your carpet. However, it’s important to note that you might have to act counterintuitively when using these cleaners. That is, do not scrub.
If you do, you could cause your carpet to disintegrate through the fraying of the carpet fibers.
So, instead of scrubbing, with your gloved hand, massage the cleaner or mixture into the carpet. Depend on the cleaner, this might cause foaming or simply help the cleaner find its way into the carpet fibers more easily.
After leaving the cleaning solution to sit for as long as required, blot the solution with a clean, damp cloth. You’d want to have a bowl of clean water beside you while carrying out this step. You’ll continue this step until the area is clean. Change out the water if necessary too.
If you’re still not confident that the area is completely clean, then begin from the cleaner application solution all over again. However, allow a bit of drying time in-between applications.
7. Leave The Carpet To Dry
This is an important step as you don’t want to damage your floors. If you decide that you need to apply the cleaning solution all over again, then ensure that you allow the carpet dry after the first step before the next application.
To cut down drying time, blot excess moisture from your carpet using paper towels. Do this until you’re no longer feeling moisture when you blot with the paper towels.
After this, put on your ceiling fan to allow for the circulation of air and to also allow the carpet dry faster.
8. Treat The Stain
Cleaning your carpet and letting it dry is only one part of the job. When it comes to cleaning dog diarrhea from carpets, using cleaning solutions hardly take care of the stain immediately. You’d need to use other products to get the stain out. Thankfully, many of them are household products.
How Do You Take Dog Poop Stains Out Of Your Carpet?
There are two common household products that you can use to take out dog poop stains from your carpet. You can use hydrogen peroxide, although this will require several applications. You can also use shaving cream as well.
i. Hydrogen Peroxide
To manage just how much hydrogen peroxide you apply (you don’t want to apply too much), you might want to use an eyedropper. Just apply a few drops and allow the hydrogen peroxide sit and dry.
Don’t get discouraged if this does not work instantly. Many times, you’d need several applications to get the stain out. Also, if this method doesn’t work, then you can always try other methods.
ii. Shaving Cream
Yup, shaving cream. Weird, right? But it does work. Usually, the color or smell of the cream does not matter. However, if you’re scared, you can always carry out a test experiment on a small part of your carpet first.
When you’re confident, spray the cream onto the stained area, and then massage it into the carpet gently or simply let sit for about 15 to 20 minutes. After this, blot with water or vacuum up the residue.
9. Sanitize The Area
Sanitizing is important to keep everyone in your household safe, especially your pet and little ones.
Probably the easiest step, sanitizing your carpet simply involves blotting the spot either with rubbing alcohol or vodka. As usual, do not soak, just dampen a little bit and then allow the area to dry completely.
How Do You Clean Dog Diarrhea From Wool Carpets And Oriental Rugs?
The following are steps to take to clean dog diarrhea from wool carpets and oriental rugs:
- Remove the poop.
- Clean the area with diluted vinegar.
- Apply a stain remover that’s safe for wool carpets.
- Apply an odor absorber that’s safe for wool carpets.
1. Remove Solid Poop
Remove the poop using a cardboard or paper plate just like we showed you in the steps above.
2. Clean With Vinegar
Mix vinegar into water in a spray bottle in the ratio 2:1 and spray the mixture on the affected. After that, blot with a paper towel or cloth until the stain lifts. Remember not to scrub or rub, just pat and blot.
But won’t vinegar just stain your carpet further? Yes, it will, if you use the red kind. You’re supposed to use white vinegar not just when cleaning dog poop but when doing household cleaning generally.
3. Apply Stain Remover That’s Safe For Wool Carpets
Get a stain remover that’s safe for wool carpets and blot the area after blotting with white vinegar. Make sure you get all the excess residue after this step.
4. Apply An Odor Absorber That’s Safe For Wool Carpets
An agent that will always work for you is baking soda. Another option is to get an odor-absorber that’s safe for wool carpets. Apply either of these on the stained area of the carpet and let it sit there overnight. By morning, it should be dry and ready to be vacuumed up. So, vacuum up the residue thoroughly.
How Do You Clean Dried Dog Diarrhea From Your Carpet?
Here’s how to clean dried diarrhea from you carpet:
Just like with cleaning dried dog pee from your mattress, you want to rehydrate the fecal particles. Once rehydrated, you can now begin the process of cleaning like cleaning liquid poop. If you want to go natural, it’s best to use diluted vinegar. The water in the mixture rehydrates the poop while the vinegar will go to work breaking down the particles for cleaning.
After applying diluted vinegar and letting it sit for about 10 minutes, then begin the entire dog diarrhea cleaning process from the first step. Of course, people with thicker carpets would have it tougher as it would take a number of tries to get all the loosened poop out. You’d need a lot of patience to clean dried dog diarrhea from thicker carpets, that’s for sure.
Check out these other helpful articles below:
- Guardian Gear Martingale Dog Collar — detailed review.
- XVolt Smart Detection Anti-Bark Collar — in-depth review.
- Lionet Paws Bow Tie Dog Collar — in-depth review.
- K9konnection No-Bark Shock Collar — in-depth review.
- PetSafe Martingale Collar — an in-depth review.
- Blue Buffalo Limited Ingredient Weight-loss Dog Food — in-depth review.
How Do You Keep Your Dog From Pooping On Your Carpet?
As with pee, so it is with poop. If a dog has pooped in a place before, he’s most likely to go back there and poop again as long as he can perceive the lingering odor from the first accident. This is why it is super important to follow all steps for removing dog diarrhea from your carpet religiously to take out any lingering smell.
In addition, you can get an odor remover to keep your dog away from the spot. Or if you prefer homemade, then you can create a dog repellent by mixing a citrus-based spray or essential oil. Dogs hate the smell of citrus and would most likely avoid that area if you apply any of these mixtures there.
If your dog keeps pooping in the house and you need help correcting that bad behavior.
Ed Fawley might be able to help you with that. Check out this video where he seeks to help another dog parent like you in a similar condition.
Now, there are several reasons your dog might be having diarrhea. The most common is the ingestion of contaminated food or water. Another reason might be stomach sensitivity issues. Whatever the case, please see your vet first before taking any action.
In some cases, your vet might recommend a low-residue dog food. To learn about such foods, click here to read our article on low-residue dog food.
Conclusion
Finally, after all has been done, vacuum the area properly, preferably using a vacuum cleaner for pet hair and allergens. This will totally eliminate any toxin still lingering in your carpet.
If you used a harsh cleaner while getting out the poop, you might want to cordon off the area from kids and pets for a few hours. This way, no one gets hurt.
Also, consider getting a steam cleaner if you find that you constantly have to clean dog poop as it makes the job considerably easier.
How To Clean Dog Diarrhea From Carpet — Related FAQs
Will Baking Soda Clean Dog Poop From Carpet?
Baking soda is one of the best natural ways to clean dog diarrhea from a carpet. With its alkaline nature, baking soda is great at absorbing loose diarrhea which makes taking out liquefied poop much more easily.
Can Dog Poop In The House Make You Sick?
Dog poop in your house can definitely make you sick. Dog poop contains bacteria like E.coli as well as parasites such as roundworms, tapeworms, and hookworms. If these are somehow ingested, these can definitely make you sick.
Can You Flush Dog Poo Down The Toilet?
It’s not advisable to flush dog poo down the toilet as the sewer network is not suitable for that kind of waste.
Even with the high temperature and extremely harsh conditions over there, parasites like roundworms still, somehow, survive the system which is why you must be careful.
Dog poop bags shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet either as they can block your toilet.
What Color Bin Does Dog Poop Go In?
Dog poop should go to the black bin. When disposing off dog poop, wrap it up twice in biodegradable dog waste bags in order to prevent the odor from the feces wafting out.
Is Dog Feces A Health Hazard?
Aside from being disgusting and unsightly, dog feces do constitute a health hazard as well as an environmental hazard.
If left on the ground, dog poop will eventually decompose into harmful constituents.
These constituents can then get washed into the rivers, streams, and other local waterways which constitutes a huge danger for the entire community served by the local water supply.
Can The Smell Of Dog Feces Harm You?
Dog feces as well as dog urine have a sharp smell to them that can be quite irritating to the lungs. Even when inhaled at a low concentrations, the smell of dog poop and urine can irritate your lungs.