Imagine starting off your day with a refreshing morning walk wearing your favourite and the most expensive running shoes you can afford. And then stepping on dog poop! Seems like a complete nightmare, right? As those shoes are pretty expensive, there is no chance you can throw them away or simply leave them on the streets.
Hence, the only way you have is to clean the dog poop off your shoes. And cleaning doesn’t mean simply putting them under a water stream; and you have to cleanse them in and out. Dog poop has a lot of bacteria and pathogens, which can turn fatal for human beings and other animals as well.
Make sure you clean your shoes well after such an unpleasant encounter. Here are some of the best ways to get dog poop off shoes. Also, we have included some effective ways to eliminate foul odors.
HOW TO CLEAN DOG POOP OFF SHOES
1. Use a Hose
Suppose you have a hose at home, cool! You are two-three steps away from cleaning that nasty dog poop off your shoes. However, make sure your shoe is waterproof or at least doesn’t get damaged by water.
Firstly, remove your shoe and spray water through the hose using a gentle setting.
Further, when most of the poop is knocked off, use the jet setting to clean those small ridges on the sole.
While using the hose on the jet setting, make sure you do it from a safe distance to avoid the poop from splashing on you.
2. Use a Cleaning Brush
By cleaning brush, we mean an old toothbrush or any small brush which you will never use again. And no, you won’t find any special cleaning brush to clean dog poop off your shoes. The idea is pretty simple: if you don’t have a hose, remove the poop off the shoe using paper towels or water.
We know it’s kind of smelly, but you have to do it. Next, when you know your shoe is mostly clean, take some dishwashing liquid with the cleaning brush and scrub and clean poop off your shoe. Lastly, wipe it clean.
3. Wash in the Washing Machine
After reading this title, many people might have thought the same thing. And the answer is no! You cannot put your dirty shoe smeared with dog poop inside your washing machine unless you will destroy the machine later.
Firstly, you need to use a hose or brush to clean the shoe thoroughly. For washing your shoes in the washing machine, check for the instructions which specify that they are machine washable.
Moreover, check the instructions to wash them. Lastly, when they are fully clean, let them dry naturally as the machine’s dryer might damage them.
4. Use a Handheld Steamer
Handheld steamers are the norm right now, so if you have one at your home, you can use it to get the dog poop off the shoe. Yes, they can clean the thinnest area possible by breaking the dirt.
Hence, using it on your shoe with small ridges will be totally fine.
However, before using the handheld steamer near your dirty shoe, it’s important to clean it as much as possible by using a hose, brush, or anything.
Further, use the steamer to remove the poop. Also, don’t forget to place a sheet of paper beneath if you are not doing this outside, as the poop will directly fall on the surface below, making it a mess.
5. Freeze your Shoe
This one might be the weirdest way to clean poop off shoes, but trust us, it works. However, try it only if you have a huge refrigerator or freezer, as no one can really use a small fridge for freezing a dog poop shoe.
But, let us make it clear, you will not keep the shoe as it is. You should clean it as much as possible and put it into a sealed plastic bag and then into the freezer.
Further, when the poop is frozen, take the shoe out and chip it off. You can use a stick or old pens for that purpose. Also, do not forget to clean it thoroughly afterwards.
6. Grass and Sticks
Even though it’s at the end, it’s the most and quickest way possible to clean dog poop off shoes. However, we would recommend it only if there is no water available. In this method, you have to simply scrub the poop on the grass.
You can also use small sticks to remove small clumps from ridges. But, once you get home or somewhere to clean, you must clean those shoes.
How to Eliminate Dog Poop Smell from Shoes
If you think cleaning the poop off your favorite shoes is the worse, wait until they smell like dog poop. Trust us, it’s the worst, and to save you from that, here are the top three tested methods to eliminate dog poop smell from shoes.
1. Use a Natural Odor Remover
If you have a pet dog, you might have a natural odor removed too. And, you can use it on your shoe as well. You should keep this natural odor remover to let its enzymes do their magic.
2. Seal Your Shoe in a Bag of Baking Soda
Who knew the baking soda in your kitchen would someday help you get dog poop off your shoes? Simply pack your shoe in a sealed bag with some baking soda. Within a day, the baking soda will absorb all the odors.
3. Remove the Dog Poop Smell with Activated Charcoal
Similar to a baking soda hack, you can use activated charcoal to remove those foul odors. Put your shoe in a sealed bag with some activated charcoal, which will make the shoe smell fresh.
CONCLUSION
Well, no person with a sane mind can think of stepping on dog poop on purpose. However, it happens to everyone at some point in life. Hence, it’s better to know what should be done if you ever step on dog poop. Lastly, we hope that you have a satisfactory answer with you and can clean your shoe now.
Justin is a Master Fitness Trainer, coach, and consultant. Justin holds Science degrees in biological science, natural life science, and human anatomy focus. He has been assisting as a Fitness trainer for over 15 years in the health and fitness industry. He enjoys teaching others to achieve their goals and wellness using his expertise.