How do you clean your patio/concrete after the dogs?

Groom!

Just wondering what cleaning products or disinfectants anyone uses to clean their gardens (hard surfaces) if you have a load of dogs?

I use the power hose regularly, and in between I would hose down with a regular hose and use a yard brush. I have used an organic cleaning product but I don't think it's much good. What about dettol? Has anyone used it?

Also the same question for the deck, as one of my dogs seems to favour that area as his toilet area :mad:

Any cleaning tips most welcome!:)

aisher

Jeysfluid - smells but works wonders!!

portgirl123

anything which turns water cloudy can be potentially dangerous until it has completely dried

makemyday

Just walk your dogs and you wont have to clean after them at all! :mad:

easyeason3

makemyday wrote: »

Just walk your dogs and you wont have to clean after them at all! :mad:

I walk my dog twice a day, usually an hour each time, & he still manages to squeeze out a dog log on the grass & he tends to wee a few times a day too.
Maybe I should take away his water supply so he doesn't go so often?:rolleyes:

Cú Giobach

makemyday wrote: »

Just walk your dogs and you wont have to clean after them at all! :mad:

Mine are walked regularly but still leave "messages" and puddles in the yard.

A good power hosing sorts out my yard, I hate using chemicals of any sort out there.
Luckily it's a very old concrete farm yard designed for animals and sloped, so everything washes down to one corner and out to a small stream (that's why I wont use any chemicals).

star-pants

Just so posters know - makemyday is sitebanned it seems so no need to bother replying to their post

TooManyDogs

I use dettol, but not the origional 'flavour', there's a lavendar one that doesn't go cloudy in water so safe to use. I throw a hoosh of biological washing powder into the bucket too

DBB

If you're going to use dettol or any other product which has 'caution: irritant' warnings on the label, do so with care.
Only yesterday I met a dog whose paw had been badly burned the previous night when she stood on a detolled floor which hadn't been rinsed yet.
Warm, soapy water is pretty much just as effective. I wouldn't be going mad with strong chemical cleaners if it's not absolutely necessary!

Mo60

I find a good scrub with a yardbrush and a bucket of water with biological wash powder cleans and neutralises any smells.

tk123

Safe4Pets poured and brushed into the puddles (he only wees on the concrete) then once a week when he's at daycare so out of the way and it has time to dry a good hose down with scrub with jeyes fluid. I love the smell off jeyes lol

Justask

Am I the only one who uses Bleach?

lorebringer

Justask wrote: »

Am I the only one who uses Bleach?

Nope!

I use bio clothes detergent in warm/hot water - give it a good scrub over with a yard brush, rinse like the bejesus (and then rinse again for good luck!) and dilute some chlorine bleach with boiling water, give it a scooch over and more rinsing (it usually ends up with my OH and I - one of us with the yard brush and the other running in and out with boiling water). The bio gets rid of any pee smells and the bleach kills any nastys hanging around. I do use Milton, Dettol (the purple one), Jayes, Savlon or any other disinfectant we have in the house too but it usually ends up being chlorine bleach because we always have that handy!

We always leave it to dry before letting the dogs out onto it again so doing it on a sunny day or at night (although, I can't imagine coming into Winter that will work too well!) is your best bet. The key is to rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse to make sure no delicate paws get irritated. Doing up the side of the wall, fence, house or any other areas where the boys will cock their legs really helps with the smell too.

EDIT: Jayes do a spray that is really handy for concrete, can't remember the name of it right now, but it is in all good DIY stores - blue spray bottle, "Jayes" plastered across the front of it. Smells nice (like tk123, I too think Jayes smells lovely) and great at cleaning everything.

Justask

lorebringer wrote: »

Nope!

I use bio clothes detergent in warm/hot water - give it a good scrub over with a yard brush, rinse like the bejesus (and then rinse again for good luck!) and dilute some chlorine bleach with boiling water, give it a scooch over and more rinsing (it usually ends up with my OH and I - one of us with the yard brush and the other running in and out with boiling water). The bio gets rid of any pee smells and the bleach kills any nastys hanging around. I do use Milton, Dettol (the purple one), Savlon or any other disinfectant we have in the house too but it usually ends up being chlorine bleach because we always have that handy!

We always leave it to dry before letting the dogs out onto it again so doing it on a sunny day or at night (although, I can't imagine coming into Winter that will work too well!) is your best bet. The key is to rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse to make sure no delicate paws get irritated. Doing up the side of the wall, fence, house or any other areas where the boys will cock their legs really helps with the smell too.

I've used it all my dog owning years and never has any problems. No irritated paws ever. I cant stand the smell of Jeyes....yuck its as bad a petrol lol

TooManyDogs

Justask wrote: »

Am I the only one who uses Bleach?

When I'm fostering pups I wash the poo area with purple dettol and bio washing powder daily and dilute bleach once a week.

Groom!

Thanks a mill everyone for great suggestions and ideas!!

I guess the main thing is to rinse well and let it dry welll before letting the dogs back out.:)

tk123

Groom! wrote: »

Thanks a mill everyone for great suggestions and ideas!!

I guess the main thing is to rinse well and let it dry welll before letting the dogs back out.:)

Also don't despair when they undo your work seconds after you let them out!!

oppenheimer1

aisher wrote: »

Jeysfluid - smells but works wonders!!

Is Jeyes fluid not banned now?

aisher

Jeyes fluid is not banned - I just got some and used it to wash down the concrete during the week - I love the smell of it lol. I normally wash the yard and bring the dog for a walk while it drys -I buy it in the hardware.

gregers85

I use Fairy washing up liquid boiling water and a hard yard brush! works a treat!!

gigawatt

after picking up the poo, i fill a large bucket with hot water and a good bit of bleach, rinse it down over the patio and scrub the bejesus out of it with a yard brush. works a treat and have never had irritated paws etc.

piperh

We dug out a patch of the grass next to the path and drain and covered it with gravel, this gives a natural soak away, they use the gravel for all their business. I go out and clean up the mess twice a day and hose it down then scrub the path with diluted bio washing powder and hose it down again. Takes all of 5 mins and no smell.

Sigma Force

If in a hurry I just dilute the wee with water once it's diluted it doesn't stink as bad but in general hot soapy water and a yard brush is fine. Sometimes I use the hose sometimes I don't need to. If the dogs have a bout of the runs then I get the bleach out but if I just want a general clean my favourite is to use hot water, fairy liquid, a big dash of white vinegar and a few drops of lavender oil.