Cleaning A Puppy’s Pee & Poop Accidents

Cleaning a puppy’s pee and poop accidents perfectly and immediately is so important. Puppies and dogs have a natural instinct of relieving themselves where they smell the pee or poop. It’s like marking the area. And they can smell very light odors too which a human nose can’t.

This is why cleaning up the mess perfectly is mandatory.

We know that you love your animal but there is no way you can let your house be smelly and full of pet urine stains.

We recommend that you should keep the puppy limited to a certain area until he is fully potty trained! So that you don’t have to clean up several messes throughout the house.

Quick Navigation

Cleaning Pee accidents
Cleaning poop accidents
Surface specific leaning
Some great tips
FAQ’s
Supplies you will need to clean up the mess perfectly

Let’s discuss:

Cleaning pee accidents

If you find a fresh liquid mess anywhere in the house, just cover it with a dry paper towel and absorb the liquid in it. Use a new one if the previous one is filled. Keep changing the paper towel until the urine is fully gone.

After that, use a good enzymatic cleaner, spray it on that area and let it sit for a few minutes if the mess was fresh.

If it was not caught on time and you found it dried then leave the enzymatic cleaner on it for more time. And then clean it.

Cleaning poop accidents.

It is almost similar but not exactly.

You will have to pick up the poop and then clean the surface. You can use a pooper scooper for this purpose.

Pick up the solid part and if there is any liquid part left, clean it with a paper towel. (Avoid spreading it.)

After that, clean it up similarly i.e, spray the enzymatic cleaner, and after a few minutes, clean it according to the instructions given on the bottle of the cleaner.

Always read the instructions given on the packaging before using any sort of product.

Now come to the type of surfaces; Now we will discuss how to clean certain surfaces which encountered puppy accidents.

Cleaning a puppy’s pee and poop accidents according to surface:

1- Cleaning normal floor:

For a normal floor, the process is simple. Just wipe out the surface with a paper towel or towel (avoid spreading the mess, just put the paper towel or towel on it and let it absorb) and spray the enzymatic cleaner. Let the cleaner sit there for some time (according to the instructions given on the bottle) and clean it with another paper towel or towel.

Find out: Best enzyme cleaner in general

2- Cleaning wooden floor

For wooden floors, the process should almost be the same as it was for cleaning normal floors. Just make sure that the enzymatic cleaner you are using is safe to use on wood.

(read the label to make sure). Even if it says that it is okay to use it on wood, you should still check it on a small corner or on the area under the furniture to be on the safe side.

Find out best enzyme cleaner for hardwood floor

3- Cleaning carpets etc

Here comes the battle. Cleaning up the pet mess from the carpeted surfaces is the real challenge.

When you find the mess on the carpet, cover it with a paper towel or towel and let it absorb the mess. Change the towel until the mess is gone. Gently pat a dry paper towel on it to remove all the removable mess.

After that take a toothbrush or brush and an enzymatic cleaner. Spray the cleaner on it and use the toothbrush to help the cleaner reach deep down in the carpet. (use the toothbrush in the upward motion).

After around 10-15 minutes, wipe out the surface with another paper towel or towel. You can cover the area with a towel and let it sit there until the cleaner is fully absorbed in that.

It is best to read instructions on the label before using any product.
You can use a vacuum based carpet cleaner (like this one on Amazon) to perfectly clean the carpet.
Toothbrush you used on the carpet to clean up the surface should be cleaned with rubbing alcohol or bleach.
This toothbrush should be kept only to remove pet stains and odors, so keep this away from the area where other toothbrushes for brushing teeth are kept. So that they don’t get mixed up.

Find out the best enzyme cleaner to be used on carpets.

Cleaning up mattress and cushions

Almost similar to cleaning up the carpeted surface. Remove the upper layer of the mattress or cushion immediately. And wash it with an enzymatic-based cleaner.

For the cushion, you can dip it in the enzymatic cleaner and water solution and after some time, wash it normally.

For the mattress, we can use the same method we used for cleaning up the carpeted surface.

Furniture or upholstery Cleaning

If the furniture is made up of pure wood, it would be cleaned up similarly as we mentioned to clean the wooden floor.

But if it’s upholstery furniture, you need to take care of it. Use the cleaner as per the instruction given on the upholstery tag.

Besides choosing the cleaner, the rest of the process will be the same.

Check the tag for following

S – solvent-based (water-free)

W – water-based

SW – both are fine

X – do not try to clean it by yourself, seek professional help. (source)

Find out the best enzyme cleaner for bedding, fabrics and upholstery

Tips to clean a puppy’s pee and poop accidents

1- Use light to find out the mess:

Even if you can’t find a visible mess around the house but you have a pet at home, it’s best to check out at least once in 2-3 days, using a UV flashlight, so you don’t miss any mess.

2- Try an area before applying enzymatic cleaner

Whichever enzymatic cleaner you are using, it’s best to try it on a small surface at first. This is to be on the safe side.

Find out the list of best enzyme cleaners according to the surface type

3- Prevention is better than cure:

If your dog is not fully potty trained, it’s best to limit his area to a plain surface where you could clean the mess immediately and easily.

And if you are going through any event that might cause your puppy to get regressed, it’s best to limit his area. (events like shifting of home, primary caretaker of the puppy is gone, etc. Refer to our article about puppy potty training regression.

4- Do not try to clean with hot water or steam:

Always use an enzymatic cleaner. Do not expose the pet urine to hot water or steam. It might cause the stain to set on that place and it will be difficult to remove it later on.

5- Do not throw the cleaning supplies into the house:

The paper towels and other things you are using to clean up the pet mess, do not throw them in the house. Make sure to dispose of them outside, where your dog usually goes to relieve himself.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why should I always use an enzymatic cleaner ?

Enzymatic cleaners are made up of enzymes or bacteria that produce enzymes responsible for breaking down the stains and odor. They are known to completely get rid of the smell of the urine instead of just putting a cover of good smell on it.

Dogs and puppies go to the same place again and again and if one accident is not cleaned properly, there are huge chances that he will go to that place again. And it will be a huge hurdle in setting good potty habits. (it may cause puppy potty training regression too.)

Are there any Alternatives of enzymatic cleaners?

Although it is best to use an enzymatic cleaner to remove pet urine stains and odor, just in case you don’t have the cleaner in hand, you may encounter an accident. There are two alternatives you can use:

Vinegar solution: A mixture of 50% water and 50% white vinegar acts at puppy repellent spray. Make a mixture and pour it into a spray bottle. After cleaning the mess, spray the vinegar solution on that area, and after some time, clean it.
Baking soda: this is another option. After removing as much of the mess as you can, sprinkle some baking soda on it and let it sit for an hour, and clean it with a vacuum cleaner.

Remember, if you are going to use vinegar solution or baking soda, it’s best to test it on a small area.

For how much time should we leave the enzymatic cleaner on the surface?

The best practice is to follow the guidelines mentioned on the product label.

However, you can leave it for around 10-15 minutes. If the odor is too strong, some experts say that you can leave it overnight, but again, you should test it on a small corner area.

Should I leave an accident in a puppy’s crate?

Not at all. You should regularly check your dog’s crate with a UV flashlight, to make sure your dog has not done the deed there. And if you find one, immediately clean up with a great enzymatic cleaner. You know! If they become comfortable going potty in their den, it will be difficult to revert them back to their good habits.

How to dispose of dog poop?

You can use a pooper scooper to pick up the poop and throw it where your puppy used to go. This is to keep them in the sense that this is the place where I need to go.

Do I have to clean up my puppy’s bum after every toilet visit?

Dogs don’t really need to wipe. They can live a perfectly healthy life without wiping but if you are concerned about your own cleanliness precautions, you can use doggy wipes to clean them up.

But make sure to use disposable gloves before wiping and throw the wipes outside the house after you are done.

Do a better job next time; check out why the accident happened?

After you are done cleaning, it’s time to rethink where you were wrong. Were you being lazy with following up with good potty habits? Is there anything that is disturbing for your animal?

Make sure it isn’t puppy potty training regression.

Supplies you will need to clean a puppy’s pee and poop accident:

Dog poop bags (Available on Amazon)
Enzymatic cleaners (Available on Amazon)
Paper towels (Available on Amazon)
Pooper scooper (Available on Amazon)
UV Flashlight (Available on Amazon)
Doggy wipes (Available on Amazon)
A puppy repellent spray (read our guide to puppy repellent and attractant sprays)

Cleaning A Puppy’s Pee & Poop Accidents – The Perfect Way

Cleaning pee accidents

Cleaning poop accidents.