If you have a dog, then you know that accidents happen. These accidents are particularly distressing to dogs because of the discomfort that accompanies diarrhea and also the fact that the dog knows he or she shouldn’t poop in the house. And, with diarrhea, the dog can’t really control where the incident happens.
The longer you wait to clean up a pet accident, the more likely your carpet may be permanently damaged.
Work as rapidly as feasible since the natural acids in the dogs poop excrement might damage some carpet fibers. To protect yourself, put a mask over your nose, put on some rubber protective gloves, latex gloves or vinyl gloves, and start to work. When cleaning up the mess, a sturdy piece of cardboard or plastic dustpan comes in handy.
Fibers in Carpets
Wool, nylon, polyester, polypropylene, and acrylic are used to make carpets. All but wool can withstand hot water on their fibers, but wool must have cold water to avoid damage.
To remove diarrhea pet stains from all carpets except wool, use the following approach.
Method 1
Remove the solids first.
Gather some paper towels and scrape the gunk onto cardboard or a clean plastic dustpan. Put the cleaned-up mess in a plastic garbage bag that can be sealed. If you dab the discolored area till you clean it, the excrement will be forced into the carpet fibers. Keep the trash bag on available in case you need to dispose of any other soiled towels. All that’s left to do now is sanitize and clean the carpet once you’ve removed the majority of the filth. Lift the material off the carpet with a dull knife for dried feces. We use disposable plastic knives.
Step 2: Spray for Pre-Treatment
Spray a pre-treatment laundry product containing oxygen bleach on the stained region of the carpet and let it sit while you prepare the new cleaning solution.
Step 3: Let the Stain Soak
To make suds, fill a gallon bucket halfway with warm spring or distilled water and 2 tablespoons liquid laundry detergent. Soak the affected region in the solution for at least 10 minutes.
Scrub it in Step 4
Scrub the stain using a soft bristle brush dipped in sudsy water and applied to the carpet, brushing the stain repeatedly until it is gone, working from the outside to the interior. We scrub up and down and sideways to prevent matting of the fibers in one direction.
Step 5: Give it a Rinse
Fill the bucket with cool distilled or spring water after rinsing it to eliminate soapy residue. Rinse the carpet area that has been cleaned to remove any residual detergent. To eliminate excess moisture, wipe the rinsed area with paper towels or a soft cloth once the detergent has been removed.
Odor Remover (Step 6)
To use as an odor-removing agent, mix 1 part vinegar with 1 part spring or mineral water. In a bucket, combine the components and pour some of the liquid straight onto the carpet’s previously stained region. To remove any excess, pat the area with paper towels and allow it to dry completely.
Step 7: Add a pinch of baking soda to the mix
To get rid of any leftover stink, sprinkle baking soda over the area and leave it for at least 24 hours. The next day, vacuum the baking soda. Brand-name odor neutralizers should be avoided since they can be harmful to dogs if consumed.
Oriental Rugs or Wool Carpets
Step 1: Get Rid of the Solids
Using a disposable implement, scoop the contents into a trash bag. We’ve used paper towels, plastic spoons and stiff paper plates cut in half.
Step 2: Cleaning with White Vinegar
In a spray bottle, combine 2/3 cup cool distilled water and 1/3 cup white distilled vinegar. Using a white paper towel or cloth, dab the affected area with the vinegar solution without rubbing or scrubbing it. Blot dont rub. Continue patting the stain until it is completely removed from the rug.
Step 3: Spot Remover that is Safe for Wool
Using a clean white cloth, dab the area with a spot cleanser certified for use on wool. Set a clean cloth over the wet area of the carpet and stand on it to soak up any remaining residue as a last step.
Odor Absorbent (Step 4)
Allow the damp part of the rug to dry overnight using baking soda or an approved absorbent product for wool. Vacuum the area completely once it has dried.
Method 2
Over the years, carpet cleaning products have come and gone including enzyme cleaners and other natural cleaning products. But when a professional carpet cleaner tells you they “hate” a stain removing product, you have to take notice.
Resolve is that product. It works very quickly to neutralize the stain and odor.
Of course, all the solids need to be removed first, as in Method 1 above, but for a quick clean, it is hard to beat this product.
Their pet odor and stain remover has been formulated just for this type of job. For a small or a quick cleaning job it works surprisingly well. Remember to remove all the fecal matter you can before spraying the product on the diarrhea stain.
You may need to come back a few times and retreat the spot. And of course, test a small area of your carpet that is not visible to make sure that your carpet is color-fast.
Method 3
As you can tell, we’ve cleaned our share of diarrhea accidents on carpet in our time.
Because of the frequency of all kind of dog accidents, an upright carpet cleaner has been a godsend. Ours is a Hoover Max Clean steam cleaner, but we have also used a Spot Bot to really deep clean the carpet to scrub the fibers without damaging them. We also use it for urine stains and regular poop stains.
Be careful using heated water on wool carpets and rugs. The cleaning solutions developed for these machines do a fine job on their own of treating the stain, and sucking up the dirty water just like a vacuum cleaner. You’d be surprised, or maybe you wouldn’t, at how dirty the water is that is gathered in the reservoir.
Once you set the machines up, it is easy to get carried away and clean the whole carpet. We’ve done this more times than we can count.
Other Considerations When Removing Poop Stains
- We have not had much success using hydrogen peroxide to clean diarrhea from carpet as others have claimed. A baby wipe isn’t sturdy enough to deal with a large diarrhea stain so we don’t use those either.
- Using any of the three methods, we haven’t had a problem with lingering dog urine or diarrhea odor.