Dogs and Carpet: How to Remove Mud and Dirt From Your Carpet

Dogs may be a man’s best friend, but they may not be a carpet’s best friend! Dogs can spend a lot of time outside collecting mud and dirt in their paws and fur, often bringing them into your home and quickly spreading across the house. Carpets can be the most affected area from dirty dogs trampling through the house, leaving mud, soil and grass in their trail. As much as we try and avoid these situations, sometimes an excited dirty dog can slip through our grip and make a mess in seconds!

Consistency is key, and that applies to carpets as well! The best way to have your rug or carpet last longer is to continually maintain it. Here are a few tips on how to best maintain your carpet or rug with a dog in the house.

1.    Prep their paws

A dog’s paws can bring a lot of dirt into your house, from untrimmed nails to long hair on their paw pads. Trimming your dog’s (or other pets!) nails can help minimise the amount of mud and dirt collected underneath the nails. It can also prevent your dog’s paws getting caught in your rug or carpet. Since our dogs are often running around, their nails can snag the fibres and cause damage. Trimming the hairs on their paw pads can also reduce the amount of mud and dirt that builds up in their paws.

2.    Clean them off after any walks

Consider cleaning your dog off in a designated area after any walks to prevent them from bringing any dirt or mud inside the house and staining your beautiful carpets. If you don’t have a hose ready, prepare a bucket of water for when you come back from your walk. Don’t forget to leave some towels nearby for a quick dry!

While these are some great tips, this doesn’t guarantee your dog won’t get mud or dirt into your home. So, your favourite furry friend has left muddy paw prints across your beautiful carpet – what happens next? After you’ve given your dog a good clean, now it’s time to tackle the carpet. If the staining appears serious we recommend you go straight to Step 5 otherwise start from Step 1.

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1.    Remove excess debris

Carefully pick up any grass or soil off the affected areas and vacuum any excess. Use a spatula or ‘fishslice’, or something similar, to carefully scrape off any soiling that is stuck to the carpet fibres. By removing as much debris as possible, it will avoid any leftovers being worked back into the carpet in the next steps.

2.    Allow the affected area to dry.

Leave for several hours or even overnight, if necessary, then thoroughly vacuum with a brush attachment. Repeat this action as vacuuming will bring the soiling to the surface and dry soiling is easier to remove than wet. If any residue remains, proceed to Step 3.

3.    Blot the affected area

Lightly moisten the stained area by using a spray bottle filled with lukewarm water only. Massage the moistened area using a white cleaning cloth or paper towel and blot at the stains as much as you can. By using a white cloth, the soiling will clearly show up on the material giving an indication of the amount of staining being removed. Continue to blot at the affected area until the stain stops transferring to the cloth. Then lay a clean lightly moistened (wrung out) cloth over the area and weight it down to promote a wicking action. Leave overnight and in the unlikely event staining persists continue with Step 4 or 5.

4.    Use a cleaning solution such as JAEspot.

It is suitable and safe for customer DIY use and available from your local JAE Branch. Just follow the simple label instructions.

5.    Alternatively, give your local JAE branch a call! 

We can bring in our trained technicians, specialised machines and formulated blends of chemicals to remove the stain and get your carpet looking brand new.

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