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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

keeping carpets clean with a dog....

27 replies

tara0202 · 10/08/2012 11:48

Hi.

I have a 5 year old weimaraner called Finn :)

All the time we've had him (since he was a puppy) we've lived in a house that is laminated throughout! I'm forever sweeping it because of his hairs and general muckiness from being in the garden or coming home from walks.

We are moving soon and the new house has neutral coloured carpets. I've no idea how I'm going to keep them clean (ish, I'm not a total clean freak but the amount I sweep up everyday means carpets are going to be vile!).

What do people with carpets do? Hoover a lot? Clean dog everytine he comes in from garden? Or won't it be as bad as I think?

TIA!

OP posts:
SDTGisAnOlympicWolefGenius · 10/08/2012 12:10

I am sorry, but I think it will be fairly hard to keep clean. We have two dogs - a brown lab and a black lab cross, and the neutral coloured carpet in our hall is filthy even after vacuuming. We are going to try those dyson cleaning granules, but dh thinks we are going to end up shampooing it. I have to admit that I don't vacuum daily, and had I done so, it might have helped.

wildfig · 10/08/2012 14:02

I have two huge black dogs who considerately shed black and white hair. I hoover once a day, and have been fantasizing about ripping out the carpets and stripping the floorboards ever since I moved into this house 3 years ago. I keep towels by the front door and have trained the dogs (well, led them to realise it is inevitable) to wait while I wipe their paws after a walk.

I also keep windows open whenever possible and keep meaning to get the carpet professionally cleaned every so often. And I talk to people about my genius Dragon's Den idea of Dog House Slippers with decreasing amounts of 'joking' in my voice.

IAmSheWhoMustBeObeyed · 10/08/2012 14:09

It would be cruel to clean the floors with a dog!

SDTGisAnOlympicWolefGenius · 10/08/2012 14:36

Wild fig -I will see your dog slippers, and raise you Dog Varnish. Just a thin coat......

wildfig · 10/08/2012 14:45

... and for winter, one of those all-in-one forensics suits the police wear to dust for fingerprints. Dog-shaped, with adjustable ruching to accommodate all leg lengths...

round2 · 10/08/2012 14:56

You can use a window squeegy thing to get the dog hair out of carpets. It was amazing the amount I got up with it after a Hoover!

Original poster
tara0202 · 10/08/2012 15:02

Grin at forensic suit! I did think.of putting socks on him but he would just eat them (don't ask).

Yes I.thought this. Carpet and big hairy dogs don't go do they?!

I haven't heard of these granuels though so will look into that and I'm going to get a new hoover as hardly use mine so its a crap one.

Thanks for the replies! If anyone comes up with a wonder product let me know!

OP posts:
Original poster
tara0202 · 10/08/2012 15:04

Ps - round - thanks for squeedgy (sp?) tip, will also try that.

OP posts:
wildfig · 10/08/2012 15:43

Furminators are also your friend (a) for getting the undercoat out of the dog before it hits the carpet and then (b) for getting the undercoat out of the carpet. If you have bored children you can hand them the Furminator and watch their little faces light up with amazement at the amount of fur appearing on the comb (NB. I haven't tried this on actual children, but it seems to work on my DP)

We have a Miele Cat & Dog hoover which has put up with 4 years of daily use with no major breakdowns so far. I think if I had to see the amount of fur/filth appearing in a Dyson chamber I would just give up the will to live.

RedwingS · 10/08/2012 16:30

I have a miele vacuum too and it is great - makes the carpet look really nice.

I also have a carpet cleaner and shampoo the carpet from time to time, or use it to spot clean after one of the dogs has had an accident (which only happens when he is ill, but he's been ill a lot). It does a decent job, and it's been a lifesaver having it, but the carpet was old when we moved in so it doesn't matter too much. I was told by a carpet-fitter that some types of carpet should not be shampooed (especially wool ones), because over time it will ruin the finish on the carpet so that it attracts more dirt and needs constant shampooing. So you might want to take advice before shampooing it (is there a carpet forum on MN?!).

I second the idea of wiping the dogs' feet on the way into the house. When it's raining, we dry them off with a towel and make them shake out in the garage.

HildaHotPants · 10/08/2012 17:23

We had two very hairy biggish dogs, and bought a vax. Carpets were cleaned every 6 weeks to keep in tip top condition. I am a bit of a slave master and delegated this particular task to Mr Hot Pants!

EasyToEatTiger · 10/08/2012 18:35

Ha ha! LOve the forensic suits!! Our house has the cheapest of cheap rugs by the door which takes a bit the worst of it off. The house is otherwise hairy and muddy. Life is too short to be attached to a vacuum cleaner or a brush! Saying that, I do use a steam cleaner every now and again which is BRILLIANT and cleans things I never thought would be cleanable.
All our furniture is from one auction or another and we don't mind mud too much. Apart from in bed. It's not so much the mud as the other things the dogs bring in which go into our bed. Yuck

Original poster
tara0202 · 10/08/2012 19:33

Oh.thanks for Hoover recommendations. I've seen the miele one and thought that or the dyson animal.

Never heard of a furminator but it sounds good (as does making it 3yo dd's task!)

In all seriousness I might look for a suit! I used to see an old English sheep dog on.walks who wore a red one WITH A HOOD when it rained. It really was the funniest thing cause crammed into the red rain coat type suit with hood up he looked quite skinny and then poking put the hood was his massive hairy face!

It's more my dogs feet I'm concerned with and his bloody gray hair that gets everywhere.
Vax/steam.cleaner a good idea. Looks like I'll.need a loan just to buy new stuff to look.after a frigging carpet Grin

I may have to rip up the carpet, not sure I'll be able to stand it.

OP posts:
Original poster
tara0202 · 10/08/2012 19:34

That's poking out the hood not poking put the hood. Stupid phone.

OP posts:
VolAuVent · 10/08/2012 19:40

Another vote for the Miele vacuum!

Also you can use bicarbonate of soda as a "shake n vac" that doesn't smell of artificial perfume.

VolAuVent · 10/08/2012 19:40

And a Turtle Mat by each door.

sunflowerseeds · 10/08/2012 20:17

Keep the dogs out of carpeted rooms until they are dry (presume kitchen/utility have no carpet) and hoover the main living room every day. It only takes 5 minutes and stops buildup of hair and dirt.

EasyToEatTiger · 10/08/2012 20:29

How big is your living room?! Ours is tiny - too small to open up a sofa bed and not much wider, and that takes longer than a couple of minutes to clean! I think you just have to get used to a certain amount of hair and mud apart from when the Queen comes for tea!

Original poster
tara0202 · 10/08/2012 22:19

Thanks for link to turtle mat, I shall get some of those. Miele it is then and thanks for other tips!

I feel armed to deal with my mucky dog and carpet now!

OP posts:
topsi · 11/08/2012 08:28

we hire a rug doctor every now and then from b and q they are very good but a temporary measure

cherrypieplum · 11/08/2012 09:57

I've deliberately ripped carpet out of the majority of our house as we have two dogs. They don't even moult but it is so hard to maintain. My IL's have a large dog and even with a carpet cleaner there was a doggy niff.

If you can, save yourself the long term expense of cleaning products not to mention the time and stress of cleaning/worrying about dog mess and smells and lay new floor. Easier said than done I know. We've done it in stages.

Cuebill · 11/08/2012 10:07

I have a large kitchen so the dogs stay in there most of the time and only come into the carpetted areas when clean (ish).

I do have carpets as I have a couple of oldies and they find wooden floors or laminate a nightmare to walk on and to get up and down on as they slip over. Also not great for puppies who tend to skid around corners etc.

I shampoo my carpets regularly with a vax and hoover most days. Dogs get brushed daily. Stupidly I seem to have a dog in every colour possible so at least you can see the hairs to hoover them up. Smile

I also use dog towels similar to these for the dogs in crates in the car. So if we have had a very muddy walk by the time they are home they are clean, dry and the towels can be washed straight away. Dogs don't seem to mind them dog towels

Original poster
tara0202 · 11/08/2012 10:20

Dog towel looks good! I could try it. Not sure if my dog would keep it on!

My dog just paces and howls if put in a room away from us. Weimaraners are a bit like that! I think if we had two dogs it would be easier to do as he wouldn't be on his own.

I think I might just take the carpet up and have the expense of a new floor. I was bloody looking forward to carpet though in the new house as only have carpet on the stairs here!

OP posts:
wildfig · 11/08/2012 10:28

you have to do Fashion Maths on it.

New floor < Yankee Candles x 12 + Hoover bag every three days + twice-yearly professional carpet clean + Furminator.

My plan is to take up the carpet, sort out the floorboards, then buy nice big rugs. Possibly woven from finest hound hair. (I will use the rest of the discarded hound hair to insulate the loft.)

wildfig · 11/08/2012 10:29

(that's multiplied by x years that you'll be living in the house, obvs...)