Thursday, March 20, 2014

DoggyStyle: On Grime-Free Cleaning

While we were beyond excited to begin venturing outside sans hats and gloves, we haven't been so excited for the ensuing slush and Chicago grime coating the streets and our pups. With this year's constant freeze, and even more constant snowfall, the snowmelt has been like an archeological dig unearthing layers of half-eaten food and petrified dog poo that is slowly melting into the grime. Any type of grass there may have been has now eroded leaving little chance of grime-free walking. Even a simple trip out for the pups to use the restroom has become cumbersome.
As we attempt to be preventative, we've been trying out some new things this year to keep the outside Chicago Grime....outside.

The "Made of Sugar" Principle
We have found our slush suits we wrote about here have been perfect for combatting this type of grime. While they may look like mini-construction workers, it really does help to cover up every inch of their body. They do take a bit of extra time, but we've been using these for their morning walks where we rationalize it takes less time for us to put on their gear than to clean all of the mud off of them when they come back. We've been coupling the suits with their booties which covers every inch and makes clean-up easier. 

Feet Dips
We had been using anti-bacterial cloths to wipe the pups' feet before they came in, but these are no match for the amount of mud they are collecting on their feet when they've gone out sans booties. We started using one wet and one dry towel, but even that was a challenge. We've graduated to using a bucket to dip and wash their feet and clean dry.
Between Bath Wipes
We used to think Miss M was super-dirty since her white legs show every speck of mud. Then we just realized the rest of her (and Mr. B!) is just as dirty, but we just can't see it. We found a waterless spray shampoo that we can spray on a cloth and spot clean the pups between baths.
Fun Mop
After spending over a year searching for a mop that was easy and relatively "fun" to use, we were happy to discover this one! I hated the mops that required a lot of arm strength, and I liked how this one was plush enough to easily glide across the floor with little effort. We've been using a squirting spot cleaner (we were using Method wood floor cleaner) to spot clean the smaller area.
How has everyone else been working through the grime?

Also:
The health benefits of wiping feet
"Fun" cleaning products
Easy dog baths
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3 comments:

Lainey said...

We have a fenced in yard but of course when it rains there is some mud.. we use the bucket dip when its at its worst. Dip, Swish, Done!

Two French Bulldogs said...

We do feet dips due to our allergies. Our feets our itchy if we go in the grass
Lily & Edward

ari_1965 said...

I just live in the grime. Sometimes I think " Thank goodness my mother is dead and won't ever see this!"

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