Dogs and Messy Winter Floors

lucylover64 · ‎01-04-2013

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!

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

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.

luvmyteddy4 · ‎09-04-2010

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.

lucylover64 · ‎01-04-2013

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

Fressa · ‎03-20-2012

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.

lucylover64 · ‎01-04-2013

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!

Ceci · ‎03-11-2010

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.

Fressa · ‎03-20-2012

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.

lucylover64 · ‎01-04-2013

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!

lucylover64 · ‎01-04-2013

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!!! :-)