Cleaning Dog Kennels With Bleach

Preparing the Kennel

Cleaning out a dog kennel with a bleach solution is the best way to ensure that germs, bacteria and other disease-causing agents aren't transferred from one animal to another. This is particularly true in places, such as animal shelters, where animals are housed in close quarters and sharing and trading kennels is quite common.

Before disinfecting the kennel with bleach, everything needs to be removed. The dog should be transferred to another kennel, and all toys, food dishes, bedding and other foreign objects must be removed and treated separately. Make sure to clean up all feces and sweep the floor of dirt and hair.

Disinfecting the Kennel

Use a hose to rinse the kennel's floor and walls with hot water. Make a solution of one part bleach to 32 parts water in a large bucket. Though that solution may seem weak, a little bleach goes a long way. The solution is strong enough to kill germs and bacteria without irritating the dogs' airways and eyes. Use a scrub brush to apply the bleach solution to all of the floors, walls, fencing and ceilings in the kennel. Make sure not to skip any cracks or crevices. If any spot is left untouched, it can contribute to the spread of disease. Allow the solution to stand for about 30 minutes.

Rinsing the Kennel

Rinse off all surfaces in the kennel with a hose, then dry the floors as much as possible with a towel. While waiting for the damp kennel to air dry completely, select clean bedding for the kennel (you'll want to launder the dirty bedding, as well as any cloth toys, in dog-safe detergent). Disinfect the food bowls and rubber toys with a dog-safe dish soap and hot water and make sure to rinse them thoroughly. After the kennel is dry, replace all the dog's supplies and put the dog back in the kennel.

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