How to Clean Dog Poop on Carpet

Most dogs will have a pooping accident inside the home at some time. When this occurs on carpeting, it can be quite a mess, even if the poop is fairly solid and not runny. There is a technique to getting poop, or most other semi-liquid things off carpet. Mainly, you must be careful not to grind the poop into the carpet pad, or deeper into the carpet fibers, while trying to remove the dog poop. Also, the carpet should be cleaned thoroughly so the dog does not associate that area with defecating, or it will likely happen again.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Rubber gloves
• Paper towels (at least one roll)
• Trash bag
• Water
• Enzymatic carpet shampoo
• Two disposable sponges

1. Put on rubber gloves to protect your hands from bacteria and parasites that might be in the dog feces. Use paper towels to remove as much of the dog poop as possible from the carpet. Try not to grind the poop deep into the fibers when picking it up with the paper towels. Don't rub the poop; just lift it up.

2. Place the feces and the soiled paper towels in a trash bag. Dampen clean paper towels with water, and blot the soiled carpeting. Use clean paper towels, and keep blotting and pulling more poop from the carpet fibers until it becomes too difficult with water alone.

3. Discard the used paper towels, and pour a small amount (follow the brand label directions) of enzymatic carpet shampoo directly on the area. Enzymatic shampoos are formulated to clean pet stains and other biological carpet stains. Look for these at pet stores and in the pet cleaning supply areas of grocery stores. Any carpet shampoo may fade or discolor carpeting, so you may want to test the shampoo in a smaller area first.

4. Gently rub the shampoo into the area with a clean, damp paper towel. Wait for fifteen minutes, or for the time indicated by the label (it may differ).

5. Wet a disposable sponge, and gently scrub the area. Use dry paper towels to wipe the shampoos, dirt and remaining poop up.

6. Wet another clean disposable sponge, and wipe it over the area again to draw out excess shampoo from the carpet. Blot the carpet with dry paper towels, retrieving as much moisture as possible so that the treated area will dry more quickly. Dispose of all paper towels and sponges that have potentially come into contact with the dog poop.

Tips & Warnings

• If you own a carpet steam cleaner or wet and dry shop vacuum, use this on the carpet as an additional cleaning step. You can also rent these from some hardware stores or home improvement stores.
• Dyes from the dog's food, as well as other natural chemicals in the feces, may stain the carpet. The sooner you remove the dog poop from carpeting, the better.

References

• Paw-Rescue: More About Cleaning Dog Poop