The issue of dog poop

At first glance, this doesn’t seem to be like an air quality question…until you unexpectedly walk into some.  Then you know: it’s affecting your air quality.  

Americans own about 89.7 million dogs, not to mention cats and who knows how many stray animals.  Lots of dog owners are responsible and pick up their animals’ waste, but it always seems that you find a “pile” when wearing your favorite shoes or pressed for time to do something else. I know. We have an elderly dog who likes to step off the porch and do his business squarely in the footpath, or along the edge of the driveway where we always step when getting in or out of the car.  So convenient for him and so gross for me when I forget to scoop it up!

For your health and sanity, we thought we’d round up the best solutions for getting it off shoes in the safest, easiest fashion. 

Whatever you do, don’t wear dog-poo-d shoe(s) inside the house. A single gram of dog poop can contain over 23 million coliform bacteria, which are easily transferred from shoe soles to carpets and floors, especially in high-traffic areas. This can introduce harmful pathogens like E. coli, salmonella, and parasites.  Especially if you have small children or crawling babies, this is not just “dirt”, it’s a biohazard! (How to Clean Dog Poop Off Shoes (Step-by-Step Guide)) 

This makes a good case for keeping disposable gloves within easy reach of the front door. 

So, how do you clean it out with the least effort and contact?

There are the common methods of scraping/dragging your feet through the grass, across a curb, or using a stick to “pick” it out.  These are at best incomplete and cumbersome (especially standing on one foot to use that stick).  However, if the poo is fresh and there it has recently rained, find the nearest shallow puddle (preferably with sand or gravel on the bottom) and go stand in it.  Swivel/grind your foot back and forth to loosen the poo.  After a minute or two, you can step out and check the bottom, or scrape across the grass to remove the rest of it.  This worked for me really well once, but it does require a puddle.  

Some people use toothpicks (and from experience, sometimes the toothpick breaks and sometimes it just scrapes a line through the poo).

Then there is the water hose method.  This seems to work until inevitably, some of the water sprays back onto your clothing or face (!!!)

 Old toothbrushes and boot buddy brushes are helpful.  

There are a few things that can help it to come off easier though:

• If you have an old rusty baking pan lying about, fill it with about ¾” water and leave the shoe to soak with the sole submerged at least to the level of the treads. (How to completely clean dog poop from shoes with lots of patterns?) This is an artificial puddle as described above–you can just slip the shoe back on, walk through the grass in a more remote area, and it’s gone.  I plan to do this but look for a square foot of artificial turf to lay in the bottom of the pan so I can completely clean the shoe in the water by doing the “twist” while wearing it (!)  If necessary you can use an old toothbrush and spray sanitize with TotalClean.  And of course, spray out that old pan with clean water and turn it over outside, never to be used as a food pan again!

• Stick the shoe in a ziploc bag(s) and place it in the freezer away from any food.  When it’s completely frozen, put on disposable gloves and break it off the sole by hand, and use a sharp object to pick any remains out of the treads. (Getting dog poop off shoes)

• This article has some detailed methods for cleaning different types of shoes. 

Once the poo is gone, it may still leave an odor.  This is where a few items can really restore the shoe back to pre-poo incident:

• TotalClean: This deodorizing cleaner uses iodine and copper to neutralize the smell, and it’s safe to use on all fabrics where water can be used.  You can spray it on the sole and wipe away with paper towels. 

• Baking Soda: this pantry staple is a cheap way to deodorize anything.  Stick the shoe in a large bag with ¼ cup baking soda in the bottom and let it sit for a few hours to a day or more, pressing the sole into the baking soda.   Alternatively, you can toss fabric washable shoes in the washing machine with your favorite detergent, and add ¼ cup of baking soda to the drum directly. 

• Enzymatic cleaners: The enzymes in the cleaner will work on the organic part of the poop that makes it stink. Spray it on the sole(s) and let them dry on a paper towel. 

• Disinfecting wipes: using these with gloves may further remove the small remainder of poop that causes the smell. 

Photo by Todd Morris on Unsplash