Dog poo and urine can create a hell in your dog kennel. To avoid your dog contracting diseases, you need clean its kennel regularly and disinfect it. In this article, we will be explaining different methods you can do this safely.
How to Clean Cement Floor in a Dog Kennel?
Before You Cleaning Your Dog Kennel
1- Bigger items in the kennel such as Dog toys, blankets, and furniture should be removed not only to free up the floor for cleaning but also so that these items can be washed and disinfected before returning them to the kennel.
2- After cleaning and disinfecting the dog kennel, dry the metal walls with a cloth. Leaving them to air dry can cause rust over time.
3- Your dogs shouldn’t be around the kennel while you’re cleaning it. Some cleaners you use may be toxic to them so ensure they are at a safe distance.
4- Ensure the cement floor in the dog kennel dries before you allow your dog back there. If not, residues from the cleaner may harm them as they could be licking the floor.
Method 1: Using Bleach
You’ll Need
1- Bleach
2- Water
3- Dish soap
4- Broom
5- Brush
6- Safety goggles
7- Nose mask
8- Rubber gloves
9- Sprayer
Steps
STEP 1- Wear safety goggles, rubber gloves, and a nose mask to protect yourself from Bleach, which can a powerfully dangerous chemical.
STEP 2- Use a nylon brush with a long handle to sweep the dog kennel floor.
You need to get solid wastes (poop and other dirt) out of the kennel so you can clean the floor unhindered. Cleaning the floor with solid waste on it can make a mess on the floor too; doing more harm than good.
Start sweeping from the back and gather it in a heap at the front. If some of the waste has dried and refuse to budge, don’t sweat it.
STEP 3- Pack the heaped waste with a shovel or scooper and get rid of it. Ensure you dispose of it properly so the odor doesn’t pollute the air in your environment or cause diseases.
STEP 4- Mix 1 part bleach with 10 parts water in a sprayer. Spray the walls and cement floor of the dog kennel thoroughly. Focus on the areas with dried poop and urine.
STEP 5- Allow the bleach solution to sit on the cement floor for about 1 hour. The bleach needs to break down the dried poop and urine. More importantly, the bleach needs time to disinfect the kennel, to protect your dog from diseases.
STEP 6- Make a soapy solution with dish soap and water in a sprayer. You can use any dish soap you want or a detergent that lathers well. Spray the cement floor with the soapy solution.
STEP 7- Scrub the floor with a nylon brush (with a long handle) thoroughly (from the back to the front), paying attention to areas with stubborn stains, dried poop, and urine until these stains fade or the dried waste comes off.
STEP 8- Rinse the kennel with water thoroughly to get rid of the bleach residual and soap foam.
STEP 9- Use a broom to sweep the excess water away from the kennel, and use a squeegee to help reducing the natural drying time. And then, allow the kennel to dry before allowing your dog/dogs back inside.
Method 2: Using White Vinegar & Baking Soda
Vinegar is a safe cleaner as it doesn’t emit toxic fumes or irritate the skin. The Acetic acid content in vinegar is not too much (High content can be a risk sometimes). It will also not leave residues that can harm your dogs.
You’ll Need
1- Vinegar
2- Baking soda
3- Water
4- Sprayer
5- Brush
6- Dish soap
7- Squeegee
Steps
STEP 1- Identify dog poop and urine that has not dried and start cleaning from there. These will be easier to clean and will make your work easier.
STEP 2- Pour baking soda on these wet wastes until they are fully covered. The baking soda will soak up the urine and poop liquid, and get rid of the odor. Allow the baking soda to sit on the waste for about 30 minutes.
STEP 3- Use a broom and shovel to pack the baking soda with the waste. Dispose of this waste properly to avoid contamination.
STEP 4- Mix equal parts vinegar and water in a sprayer. Add a few drops of liquid dish soap, to make the cleaner more effective. Also, add a few drops of essential oil to mask the vinegar smell if you want. Vinegar will disinfect and deodorize the kennel, while the dish soap will clean it.
STEP 5- Spray the vinegar solution on the cement floor and metal walls thoroughly and Let it sit on the floor for about 30 minutes. This is enough time for dried solid waste and stains to break down and become loose.
STEP 6- Use a nylon brush with a long handle to scrub the floor. Pay attention to poop and urine stains. Do this until they come off and fade.
STEP 7- Rinse the floor and walls, and sweep the water away with a broom. Use a squeegee to get rid of excess water that the broom couldn’t sweep away.
Method 3: Using Hydrogen Peroxide (Plus an All-purpose Cleaner)
Many all-purpose cleaners are very effective at cleaning and disinfecting pet houses. Chances are you already have one in your kitchen, so you can just grab it.
You’ll Need
1- All-purpose cleaner
2- Hydrogen peroxide
3- Rubber gloves
4- Water
5- Nose mask
6- Sprayer
7- Brush
8- Broom
9- Squeegee
Steps
STEP 1- Wear a nose mask and rubber gloves because some all-purpose cleaners are harmful when inhaled.
STEP 2- Sweep the solid wastes on the cement floor with a broom and pack it up with a shovel or scooper and dispose of them properly. Leave the stuck on waste.
STEP 3- Mix the all-purpose cleaner with water, according to the instructions on the label. If you’re using Fabuloso (for example), mix 1/4 cup with 1 gallon of water.
STEP 4- Spray the floor with this solution until it covers the whole floor. Most all-purpose cleaners have different lovely scents. So they will not only clean the dog kennel, they will deodorize it as well.
STEP 5- Let the cleaner sit on the cement floor for about 10 minutes. It will break down the dirt and destroy the germs.
STEP 6- Use a brush with a long handle to scrub the floor, working the cleaner into the floor. Pay attention to poop and urine stains.
STEP 7- Rinse the floor with a hose to get rid of the soap and dirt. Then sweep the water away from the dog kennel.
STEP 8- It is time to disinfect the cement floor and make it bacteria-free for your dog. Mix 1 part 3% hydrogen peroxide with 1 part water in a sprayer and spray the cement floor and metal walls thoroughly soaking the dog kennel.
STEP 9- Let the hydrogen peroxide solution sit on the floor for about 10 minutes. Then rinse with running water. Sweep the water away if necessary or use a squeegee to get rid of excess water.
Method 4: Using TSP
You’ll Need
Steps
STEP 1- Scrape dried poop and stuck-on dirt on the cement floor, with a scraper. Scraping can be a bit hard but the results are worth the elbow grease.
STEP 2- Sweep solid waste and lose dirt from the dog kennel and use a shovel to get rid of it. Dispose of it properly.
STEP 3- Wear safety goggles, a respirator, rubber gloves, rubber shoes, and a long-sleeve shirt for safety as TSP can be toxic if inhaled or when it touches the skin.
STEP 4- Mix 1 cup of TSP powder with 1 gallon of water in a bucket and mix the solution properly using a long wooden spoon or spatula.
STEP 5- Use a mop to apply the TSP solution to the cement floor. Make sure the whole floor is saturated.
STEP 6- Allow the solution to sit on the floor for about 10 minutes. Don’t let the solution dry. If it starts drying, apply more of it.
STEP 7- Use a nylon bristled brush to scrub the stains off the floor.
STEP 8- You need to get rid of the TSP solution. Leaving the residue on your cement floor can cause white films. So Rinse the floor thoroughly using a hose and also rinse the mops and bucket used.
Conclusion!
It is a safe and healthy practice to clean the dog kennels daily to get rid of the surface mess. Deep cleaning is recommended once a week or two. Simple household items such as bleach, vinegar, TSP, Hydrogen peroxide, Baking soda, or an all-purpose cleaner are the many different options that you can use to clean the cement floors of your dog kennel.
