Muddy paws....

[BloodyDogHairs]

Our house layout means that to get to the garden the dogs go out the patio doors in the livingroom, its driving me insane mopping the floor every morning as the grass it pretty muddy so my 2 dogs are leaving lovely trails of mud around the livingroom.

What would be the quickest way to wash my floors as I have a crawling baby and toddler. Using the mop seems to take ages to dry .

[SpicyBear]

Get a good quality steam mop and it will dry very quickly. I've got a Shark for this purpose.

[SpicyBear]

Oh and get a Turtle Mat/Hug Rug type thing for by the patio doors to grab the worst as they come in.

[BloodyDogHairs]

Are steam mops ok for laminate?

Going to order a mat just now.

[SpicyBear]

I use mine on laminate with no prob but you do need one of the better ones as some of the cheapies leave the floor very wet.

[Fudgeface123]

Decent mats and wet wipes is what I do and then steam the floors a couple of times a week...but I don't have kids

[CMOTDibbler]

I lay a large old towel by the patio doors and make the dogs stand on it for a few seconds when they come in (my crocs live on it too) - that way I can wash it daily, and after a quick squirt of floor cleaner, I push the outgoing towel round the floor to pick up any mud

[BloodyDogHairs]

I've ordered 2 large mats so in the meantime I'll look out the old blankets for the floor. During the day its fine as the dogs come in from outside and I tell them to lie on "their couch" which is beside the doors.

Its the mornings that drive me insane as my DH lets them out, DD lets them back in before she heads to school and if she forgets to close the gate across the livingroom room door I have a trail from one end of the house to the other of paw marks

[Jammygal]

I use mats too.... It is a pain ... Autumn is always the worst!

[Tortoise]

I wipe their feet (x3 dogs!) as they come back in otherwise end up with a muddy footprint trail!

[Dancingyogi]

I use a mat too and just wipe paws with kitchen roll. A few treats for staying on the mat and he was pretty easy to train.

[BellaVita]

I have a towel right beside the door in the conservatory. I manage to catch her to wipe her feet.

[R4roger]

i concur with the towel idea.

[WeAllHaveWings]

towel at door on floor and another by the side, dog trained to sit on towel when he comes in and gets dried (if raining) and paws wiped

[r2d2ismyidealman]

I feel your pain! Mine are also trained to come in and go straight on to a covered sofa so I can clean their feet - but still it's very annoying. It's bugging me so much that I'm currently up late designing an enclosed dog toilet area that will be on the patio so just water, no grass/mud/etc.! I've ordered everything but it won't be here for another week - this will be my Christmas!

[BloodyDogHairs]

r2d2......every year I say I'm having a fence made to stop the dogs getting on the grass but it's something I never get round to doing. The mud really does depress me especially with a crawling baby.

I washed all my floors on Saturday, the PIL's came to babysit for me Saturday night and when I came in the floors were back to square one so I was back up early sunday morning mopping again. Roll on the frost!

[r2d2ismyidealman]

Argh, and all the washing of towels or blankets that they muddy up! Are there any other options Bloody? The bit I'm closing off for a dog toilet is a small bit to the side of the house where there's a side door. It's paved so I can sweep and rinse the area so it's generally clean. I've ordered a little gate and some large dog trays. I was going to make one but Amazon had something that seemed suitable - we'll see. My dogs also have a tonne of hair between their toes and on their legs. So pretty... when it's clean!

[SistersOfPercy]

I agree with the steam mop. I'm fortunate that Murph goes out via the kitchen rather than the conservatory so I only have muddy kitchen tiles, and even those aren't too bad as all our back is decked/concreted.

I bought this one from John Lewis. Works a treat on both tile and laminate and the fact that the steam handle pops out as well to a hand held means I can clean all the bathroom with it too. It's literally a five minute job on the laminate, it dries really quickly. The Vax one does have a pet solution as well that you add to the cleaner and it makes everywhere smell lovely

[naomibryan123]

I have Hug Rugs by our front and back doors, they are great! Very absorbent, my dog comes in from a walk/the garden and it just soaks all the water up. If you subscribe to their newsletter (I have yet to receive one after months) you get 10% off your first order. Best thing is they are eco-friendly and British made and you throw them in the washer once they are dirty - they have some gorgeous designs too!