dog, diarrhea, beige carpeting, not a great morning

June 8, 2013 7:00 AM

My dog had diarrhea sometime overnight on our (new!!!!) beige carpeting (I've found advice for white). I am about to go to WalMart and Petco to buy whatever I need. What do I need? I want to clean it today so it doesn't set permanently. I'm willing to throw any amount of money at it. I also have a bissell little green proheat deep reach.

Also can you think of any options for protecting the carpet ? This is in an RV so we can't just lock him in the kitchen or crate him. (he's big)

sorry no pictures of the dog, my internet connection out here sucks. see my twitter feed.

posted by desjardins to Pets & Animals (15 answers total)

Nature's Miracle.
posted by walla at 7:08 AM on June 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

Carbona 2 in 1 Oxy-Powered Carpet Cleaner. I have a dog and two kids that routinely throw up or throw food onto a beige carpet (including Bove's Pasta Sauce - which is greasy and red but it doesn't have any added sugars).

I used to use Nature's Miracle, but for things that will set that I don't want to set - the Carbona does wonders.
posted by Nanukthedog at 7:24 AM on June 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

When we were getting ready to sell my dad's house after he died, I found some sticky-backed clear vinyl at ... Home Depot? Wal-Mart? (my sources were limited). Anyway, we laid that stuff down all over the house so that while we were packing stuff up/traipsing around inside and out/etc, we wouldn't totally destroy the newish beige wall to wall carpeting. Cost probably less than $20.00 for a roll and you'd have a lifetime supply of it for an RV. That was its intended usage, and it did not leave a sticky residue.
So, once you get it cleaned up as best you can, slap some of that stuff down!
posted by jvilter at 7:35 AM on June 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

I've had good luck with "resolve" carpet cleaner for cat puke. It's a powder you shake on, scrub with a brush, then vacuum up. I think it's based on the same stuff as the carbona oxy-powered stuff Nanukthedog mentions, which is oxygen bleach. If you can't get any of that (not sure how far out into nowhere you are), you can also try using some hydrogen peroxide if that's easier to find. IIRC, the active part of oxygen bleach is basically hydrogen peroxide
posted by rmd1023 at 7:36 AM on June 8, 2013

Nature's Miracle used to be really good, but some years back they changed their formula and since then have been coasting on their old reputation. The product simply does not work as well as it used to.

Apparently the old formula they used to use is still available under the Petastic brand. Around our house we use another enzymatic cleaner: Alden Odor Solutions, which really is a magical substance. (Unfortunately both of these require purchase by mail order, which I know doesn't help you in the immediate term, but for what it's worth the Alden stuff usually works just as well on the secret old messes that we occasionally find.)
posted by usonian at 7:42 AM on June 8, 2013 [2 favorites]

Not to hijack, but this is hopefully relevant to the OP's question - usonian, is Alden Odor Solutions just good for odor or for stains, too? (three dogs plus a foster, one unhappy persian rug here).
posted by walla at 7:45 AM on June 8, 2013

I'll also mention that with diarrhea, and depending on the type of carpet, you may have an issue with "wicking" and so keep in mind that if the stains reappear, there's a way to deal with them. Says "my friend" who's had this problem before.
posted by peagood at 7:47 AM on June 8, 2013

walla, it's good for both odor and stains; the enzymes break down the offending organic matter. Our usual routine is, blot and gently scrub as much of the mess as possible, then saturate the spot with the cleanser and let it dry while the enzymes do their thing. Once dry a once-over with the vacuum cleaner usually does the rest.
posted by usonian at 8:10 AM on June 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

Hydrogen Peroxide can work well with pet stains on carpet - as with any of the suggestions test in a non obvious place for color fastness...
posted by NoDef at 8:25 AM on June 8, 2013

I would try just your Bissell with really, really hot water first. Repeat several times. That has worked for me in the past with fresh messes. Just be careful that you DRY the area thoroughly, to prevent mustiness later on.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 9:36 AM on June 8, 2013

Response by poster: Something seems to be wrong with the Bissell so I diluted the solution, sprayed it on the areas, let it soak in and then blotted with paper towel. About 75% came off this way. Is it a terrible idea to go over the areas with a dirt devil?
posted by desjardins at 11:03 AM on June 8, 2013

Response by poster: This dirt devil has a rotating brush, not sure if they all do.
posted by desjardins at 11:04 AM on June 8, 2013

we have two dogs and got a bissell spotbot. It cleans up these messes really well and you just fill it up, sit on the spot and push a button. Its great. Also got it for some friends who have two toddlers going through potty training and they use it ALL THE TIME for both undigested and digested messes.
posted by bartonlong at 1:00 PM on June 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

Im probably too late, but don't start with hot water on protein-based stains (poo, blood, vomit, urine you get the idea...)!
The heat really does cook the stain into the fiber, making it completely impossible to fully remove. Lots of tepid to cool soapy water should do it.
posted by mdrew at 1:44 PM on June 8, 2013

This won't necessarily take care of odor, but the stain will likely go away and won't come back: Folex, which is quite possibly the greatest cleaning product I've ever discovered. You can even add it to your Bissell. I foster dogs and have two cats, and I couldn't live without it. The only thing I've never been able to get out was the severe urine stain when I found out my foster dog had been peeing around my coffee table for two weeks without me realizing it. All the other stains he left me with have come out though. You can get it at lots of stores, including BB&B.
posted by emcat8 at 9:02 PM on June 8, 2013 [2 favorites]