topic Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors in Community Chat

Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

lucylover64 — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 02:54:32 GMT

HELP! We have a chronic messy kitchen floor every winter (and during the rainy spring) from our dogs' wet feet. I realize it seems simple---just wipe their feet! Part of the problem is our house layout (no mudroom): our garage floor is always wet/damp despite use of a portable heater, and the dogs come from outside into the garage and then into the kitchen. Even after wiping the dogs' feet, the disaster garage floor just cancels out any of our attempts We've tried laying down a variety of entry floor mats, protectors, etc. Clearly I don't ever expect a spotless house in this winter weather and with dogs but am so frustrated. Would greatly appreciate ideas and hearing what others do! Thanks so much!

Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

Mominohio — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 23:02:09 GMT

Without a mudroom or a place in the attached garage that is dry and suitable for a mat, I see your problem.

Without seeing a layout of your house, I can only suggest that the door in which the dogs go in and out should be on a tile or washable surface (and it sounds like you do that already). We have a large rug/mat type thing and the dog is trained to enter and sit, and wait to be cleaned up inside. I keep a basket near our 'dog entrance' and a container of diaper wipes in it. When the dog comes in, he knows to sit on the rug, and does it most of the time without a command. I wipe off each paw, and the belly and undercarriage if necessary before he goes any further into the house.

If you have several dogs, and if they aren't trained on their commands, this might be hard, but just a suggestion of how we make it work. I hate dirty floors, and this keeps things very clean and organized. Hope some of it helps.

Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

luvmyteddy4 — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 00:08:34 GMT

When I had three dogs I bought a really long piece of 2 ft. wide indoor/outdoor carpeting that I put on the patio under the back door and it ran down the path into the grass. Not sure if you have grass out there but it does help. I made my patio with pavers and made it bigger than I wanted since I couldn't get grass to grow right there. The carpet was on a spool at the hardware store that they cut to the length I needed. Very long.

I have a back room with throw rugs and even put a rug in the kitchen that I can steam clean or vacuum. I had a lot more problems with the bigger dogs that had big paws and nails. You might run the carpet down the whole length inside the garage. You can wash it off, vacuum, or use a broom.

Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

lucylover64 — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 04:33:09 GMT

Thanks so much mominohio and luvmyteddy! You both clearly understand the frustration. I appreciate your suggestions and we will definitely be trying them out!

Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

Fressa — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 18:06:00 GMT

We have two German Shepherd puppies that have turned the back yard/patio area into a swamp. They come directly into the family room and the muddy paw prints were driving me nuts. Yes, I wipe their feet and have mats inside and outside that worked for the previous dog but it just wasn't working now. I purchased a few microfiber plush style runners from BBB and laid down a runway for them from the door to the kennels as well as their favorite pathways. What a relief!!! I swear by microfiber because it really does drink in the moisture and seems to dry quickly. I also have the Don Astlett grime stopper outdoor rugs outside the patio door to catch some mud/debris as they run across that doorway. I could see a difference the first day. I was so pleased with this system that I purchased a second set so I would have the luxury of rotating them when one got too muddy. I also wanted the luxury of having an extra day or two before I needed to launder the "runway". Works great for my needs. Hope this helps you.

Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

lucylover64 — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 19:24:00 GMT

On 1/15/2015 DeePa said:
We have two German Shepherd puppies that have turned the back yard/patio area into a swamp. They come directly into the family room and the muddy paw prints were driving me nuts. Yes, I wipe their feet and have mats inside and outside that worked for the previous dog but it just wasn't working now. I purchased a few microfiber plush style runners from BBB and laid down a runway for them from the door to the kennels as well as their favorite pathways. What a relief!!! I swear by microfiber because it really does drink in the moisture and seems to dry quickly. I also have the Don Astlett grime stopper outdoor rugs outside the patio door to catch some mud/debris as they run across that doorway. I could see a difference the first day. I was so pleased with this system that I purchased a second set so I would have the luxury of rotating them when one got too muddy. I also wanted the luxury of having an extra day or two before I needed to launder the "runway". Works great for my needs. Hope this helps you.

Deepa: THANK YOU! Sounds like you completely understand our issues. I so appreciate your suggestions and congratulations on your new puppies!

Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

Ceci — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 07:52:53 GMT

I'm going through the same nightmare. We live in Florida. The grass dies down in winter and its all sand, like beach sand. Imagine your dogs running over beach sand?? Horrible.

I have so many cheap throw rugs but my dog dashes through the door tracking sand all over. Our floors are tile but you can feel the sand when you walk on them. I have 2 Rombas going 3x a day, I take out the big vacuum daily, and I still feel sand.

Its been drizzling the last few days and damp. The sand never dries until it gets in the house. Sand is everywhere.

Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

Fressa — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 19:09:42 GMT

To Ceci: As a follow up to my original post--We had so much mud outside that we poured sand over the dirt. We discovered that there was a difference in the type of sand to solve our problem. (We have a lot of clay in our soil--even with a French drain the water just pools) I noticed that there is a variety of fibers in the microfiber rugs so maybe something with a loop might help your beach sand problem. The plush style picked up the all purpose sand from my dogs but it is not as fine as beach sand.

I also have purchased the Don Astlett grime stopper mats and used those at my other doorways (inside & outside) because it seems like no one wipes there feet or paws. They work as well and are available in some nice weaves, colors and are a bit thinner in density. This might work better for your problem.

I have tried so many rug types and have all different floor surfaces and have finally found what works for me. I knew I had to do something other than pulling the Dyson out multiple times each day. I also use the Don Astlett microfiber dusting mop. It even pick up glitter from Christmas ornaments. The pads are washable and last a very long time.

Hope this helps you.

Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

lucylover64 — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 22:15:49 GMT

On 1/15/2015 Ceci said:
I'm going through the same nightmare. We live in Florida. The grass dies down in winter and its all sand, like beach sand. Imagine your dogs running over beach sand?? Horrible.

I have so many cheap throw rugs but my dog dashes through the door tracking sand all over. Our floors are tile but you can feel the sand when you walk on them. I have 2 Rombas going 3x a day, I take out the big vacuum daily, and I still feel sand.

Its been drizzling the last few days and damp. The sand never dries until it gets in the house. Sand is everywhere.

Ceci--UGH! I can hardly stand our issue and can only imagine your struggles. DeePa has some awesome suggestions that I definitely intend to check out. Best of luck to you!

Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

lucylover64 — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 22:17:19 GMT

On 1/16/2015 DeePa said:
To Ceci: As a follow up to my original post--We had so much mud outside that we poured sand over the dirt. We discovered that there was a difference in the type of sand to solve our problem. (We have a lot of clay in our soil--even with a French drain the water just pools) I noticed that there is a variety of fibers in the microfiber rugs so maybe something with a loop might help your beach sand problem. The plush style picked up the all purpose sand from my dogs but it is not as fine as beach sand.

I also have purchased the Don Astlett grime stopper mats and used those at my other doorways (inside & outside) because it seems like no one wipes there feet or paws. They work as well and are available in some nice weaves, colors and are a bit thinner in density. This might work better for your problem.

I have tried so many rug types and have all different floor surfaces and have finally found what works for me. I knew I had to do something other than pulling the Dyson out multiple times each day. I also use the Don Astlett microfiber dusting mop. It even pick up glitter from Christmas ornaments. The pads are washable and last a very long time.

Hope this helps you.

Thank you again for sharing and all of your recommendations!!! :-)

Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

chickenbutt — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 23:07:51 GMT

This is probably overly simplistic, but all I do is - on wet days I put a moving blanket out, in front of the sliding glass door where the dog goes outside to the back yard.

He learned that, when he comes in and I'm holding one of his 'puppy towels' (yeah, I know - he calls things funny names), that he is to stop on the moving blanket and I clean him off.

It works pretty well for us. It doesn't look great, but oh well. He's a very good boy and makes it easy on me, for the most part. Sometime he thinks it's time to play 'get the puppy towel' so I have to calm him down.

His crate is right near the sliding glass door so that is really helpful because I have a towel that covers the back end of the crate, up against the wall, and I keep his puppy towels stacked there.

Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

lucylover64 — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 07:05:15 GMT

On 1/17/2015 chickenbutt said:
This is probably overly simplistic, but all I do is - on wet days I put a moving blanket out, in front of the sliding glass door where the dog goes outside to the back yard.

He learned that, when he comes in and I'm holding one of his 'puppy towels' (yeah, I know - he calls things funny names), that he is to stop on the moving blanket and I clean him off.

It works pretty well for us. It doesn't look great, but oh well. He's a very good boy and makes it easy on me, for the most part. Sometime he thinks it's time to play 'get the puppy towel' so I have to calm him down.

His crate is right near the sliding glass door so that is really helpful because I have a towel that covers the back end of the crate, up against the wall, and I keep his puppy towels stacked there.

Thanks, chickenbutt: a simple issue certainly can become a complicated one! I am glad this works well for you--will need to try it out! Thanks so much for sharing!

Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

RainyDayGal — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 23:16:59 GMT

Our door to the back is in the kitchen. We have four dogs and tile flooring. I did put a runner at the door but it only does so much. You know what? I've given up. I do clean it, but not all the time. Really, I think I could spend my entire day just taking care of that floor. You have to love 16 paws that are all on different time schedules.

Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

Abrowneyegirl — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 23:37:20 GMT

I have a series of rugs.

In the garage- a heavy vinyl backed low pile rug that can be vacuumed or hosed off. Similar to what you see in a hotel lobby with a logo in the weave.

In front of steps in the garage leading into the house and in the laundry area both have vinyl backed 'scraper' door mats. On each step (2) I have stair carpets.

In the house a large decorative indoor outdoor rug.

By the time they are on the floors their paws are pretty 'wiped off'

I only wish I thought of this sooner!

Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

lucylover64 — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 03:33:56 GMT

On 1/23/2015 RedConvertibleGirl said:
Our door to the back is in the kitchen. We have four dogs and tile flooring. I did put a runner at the door but it only does so much. You know what? I've given up. I do clean it, but not all the time. Really, I think I could spend my entire day just taking care of that floor. You have to love 16 paws that are all on different time schedules.

RedConvertibleGirl-- I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your post! I believe I have pretty much given up as well. I KNOW I could also spend all my "free" time cleaning it up but it just seems pointless! Especially since my husband says tonight: "How about we look for another Lab pup?!"

In the grand scheme of life, this ongoing annoyance is really minor. Thanks so much for sharing!

Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

lucylover64 — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 03:36:24 GMT

On 1/23/2015 Abrowneyegirl said:
I have a series of rugs.

In the garage- a heavy vinyl backed low pile rug that can be vacuumed or hosed off. Similar to what you see in a hotel lobby with a logo in the weave.

In front of steps in the garage leading into the house and in the laundry area both have vinyl backed 'scraper' door mats. On each step (2) I have stair carpets.

In the house a large decorative indoor outdoor rug.

By the time they are on the floors their paws are pretty 'wiped off'

I only wish I thought of this sooner!

I am completely in awe and impressed! THANK YOU for sharing! Although I just posted that I have given up, there certainly is a part of me that probably never will! LOL! I appreciate your input!

Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

Abrowneyegirl — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 17:13:46 GMT

On 1/23/2015 lucylover64 said:
On 1/23/2015 Abrowneyegirl said:
I have a series of rugs.

In the garage- a heavy vinyl backed low pile rug that can be vacuumed or hosed off. Similar to what you see in a hotel lobby with a logo in the weave.

In front of steps in the garage leading into the house and in the laundry area both have vinyl backed 'scraper' door mats. On each step (2) I have stair carpets.

In the house a large decorative indoor outdoor rug.

By the time they are on the floors their paws are pretty 'wiped off'

I only wish I thought of this sooner!

I am completely in awe and impressed! THANK YOU for sharing! Although I just posted that I have given up, there certainly is a part of me that probably never will! LOL! I appreciate your input!

LucyLover64- you make me smile

I understand completely, in the scheme of things I do not lose sleep over it either. I enjoy my puppies more than having clean floors! I do what I can, then move on, it is not the end of the world.

Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

lucylover64 — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 18:50:44 GMT

On 1/24/2015 Abrowneyegirl said:
On 1/23/2015 lucylover64 said:
On 1/23/2015 Abrowneyegirl said:
I have a series of rugs.

In the garage- a heavy vinyl backed low pile rug that can be vacuumed or hosed off. Similar to what you see in a hotel lobby with a logo in the weave.

In front of steps in the garage leading into the house and in the laundry area both have vinyl backed 'scraper' door mats. On each step (2) I have stair carpets.

In the house a large decorative indoor outdoor rug.

By the time they are on the floors their paws are pretty 'wiped off'

I only wish I thought of this sooner!

I am completely in awe and impressed! THANK YOU for sharing! Although I just posted that I have given up, there certainly is a part of me that probably never will! LOL! I appreciate your input!

LucyLover64- you make me smile

I understand completely, in the scheme of things I do not lose sleep over it either. I enjoy my puppies more than having clean floors! I do what I can, then move on, it is not the end of the world.

Abrowneyegirl--You made me smile as well! We also very much enjoy our 4-legged kids more than clean floors/house! (But a few good hours of tidiness would be so cool! LOL!) Hope you have a great weekend!

Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

Abrowneyegirl — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 21:03:13 GMT

On 1/24/2015 lucylover64 said:
On 1/24/2015 Abrowneyegirl said:
On 1/23/2015 lucylover64 said:
On 1/23/2015 Abrowneyegirl said:
I have a series of rugs.

In the garage- a heavy vinyl backed low pile rug that can be vacuumed or hosed off. Similar to what you see in a hotel lobby with a logo in the weave.

In front of steps in the garage leading into the house and in the laundry area both have vinyl backed 'scraper' door mats. On each step (2) I have stair carpets.

In the house a large decorative indoor outdoor rug.

By the time they are on the floors their paws are pretty 'wiped off'

I only wish I thought of this sooner!

I am completely in awe and impressed! THANK YOU for sharing! Although I just posted that I have given up, there certainly is a part of me that probably never will! LOL! I appreciate your input!

LucyLover64- you make me smile

I understand completely, in the scheme of things I do not lose sleep over it either. I enjoy my puppies more than having clean floors! I do what I can, then move on, it is not the end of the world.

Abrowneyegirl--You made me smile as well! We also very much enjoy our 4-legged kids more than clean floors/house! (But a few good hours of tidiness would be so cool! LOL!) Hope you have a great weekend!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend as well

Re: Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

lucylover64 — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 18:02:14 GMT

On 1/24/2015 Abrowneyegirl said:
On 1/24/2015 lucylover64 said:
On 1/24/2015 Abrowneyegirl said:
On 1/23/2015 lucylover64 said:
On 1/23/2015 Abrowneyegirl said:
I have a series of rugs.

In the garage- a heavy vinyl backed low pile rug that can be vacuumed or hosed off. Similar to what you see in a hotel lobby with a logo in the weave.

In front of steps in the garage leading into the house and in the laundry area both have vinyl backed 'scraper' door mats. On each step (2) I have stair carpets.

In the house a large decorative indoor outdoor rug.

By the time they are on the floors their paws are pretty 'wiped off'

I only wish I thought of this sooner!

I am completely in awe and impressed! THANK YOU for sharing! Although I just posted that I have given up, there certainly is a part of me that probably never will! LOL! I appreciate your input!

LucyLover64- you make me smile

I understand completely, in the scheme of things I do not lose sleep over it either. I enjoy my puppies more than having clean floors! I do what I can, then move on, it is not the end of the world.

Abrowneyegirl--You made me smile as well! We also very much enjoy our 4-legged kids more than clean floors/house! (But a few good hours of tidiness would be so cool! LOL!) Hope you have a great weekend!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend as well

Thinking progress: dogs sneaked into kitchen after a romp outside in the wet yard--muddy footprints all over the floor.....I actually laughed, cleaned it up, and felt thankful to have them and that they are healthy! :-)