Yards contain aesthetic elements that please a person’s senses. It involves flowers, plants, and trees. However, wastes and pee left by your pet may ruin the beauty and nice smell of the place. What can you do about this?
Start by collecting the waste inside a garbage bag. Then, wash away the urine and poop spots left and brush them with soap. One way to reduce the smell with ease is to remove the upper layer of the waste contaminated soil. You can also use a pet odor eliminator to easily remove the stains and their odors.
In this article, we will talk about the reasons why a yard smells like poop and how to get rid of that smell. We will also include the steps to eliminate the poop odor and the maintenance needed to prevent it.
How to Eliminate Dog Poop Smell in Your Yard
To eliminate the poop smell, the first thing you should do is collect the wastes and spray water onto the contaminated areas. Then, brush the urinated and poop spots with soap and a pet odor eliminator. Rinse it and leave it to dry under sunlight.
The odor may stick to the brush you used to scrub, so make sure to clean it well to remove the smell completely. Lime can help in reducing the bad odor or you can take off the stained layers of the soil.
Here are the steps that you should follow to remove the smell of dog poop in your yard.
- The first step consists of gathering the poop using a poop scoop. Collect the wastes in a garbage bag, then secure the bag by fastening it. Make sure you lock it before throwing it away.
- Using a water hose, wash the walls, ground, and all the parts of the yard affected by the waste. It is advisable to use a hose for pressurized cleansing. Although using a pail and bucket is an option, it will require more effort to remove the stains.
- Brush the concrete areas and walls using soap or a homemade mixture, as we previously discussed. The said mixture contains baking soda and vinegar. You may also apply both soap and the substance for a stronger effect.
- Leave the cleaned area exposed to the sun’s heat. It can help expel the odor and can somehow disinfect the area. If the odor remains the next morning, just do the cleaning steps all over again.
- After cleaning your yard, you should also clean the tools used to do so. The smell is difficult to remove, so you should clean it thoroughly. Apply activated charcoal to the brush you use to clean the waste and pee. This material is usually sold in pet stores.
- The lawn in your backyard absorbs the waste materials you flushed away. Wash the grass parts using a meticulous amount of water. The method will concentrate the remaining waste and urine substances. Apply powdered lime to the specific area. However, be careful as it can increase the acidity level of the soil. Lime odor allays the smell brought by the dogs’ wastes.
- Dried urine requires a tremendous cleaning process to completely remove it. Another way to reduce the smell with ease is to remove the upper layer of the waste contaminated soil. Applying newly dug soil on top of it is highly recommended.
- Wash the structures surrounding the yard simultaneously. Also, check and remove each plant because some dogs will likely pee on them. Spray water onto the outdoor walls, furniture, and concrete floors. This ensures that there is no waste nor urine left around the yard causing the bad smell.
Every dog owner wants to keep their pets happy inside the yards. Dogs get bored when they need physical and mental stimulation. If you want to keep your dog engaged and interested, here are 15 ways to keep a dog entertained in the backyard.
How to Maintain Your Yard and Prevent Poop Smells
To maintain the poop-free smell of a yard, you should find the main factors causing it. Usually, the primary reasons for such smells are your dog’s food and health. Those may produce a bad odor if your pet is experiencing indigestion. They might also eat something that created an illness in their digestive tract. Thus, regularly clean their wastes to prevent a bad smell.
Other reasons may include your neighbor’s pet. Also, you should train your dog and create a waste disposal system. Here are the things that you can do to prevent your yard from smelling like dog poop.
1. Change your dog’s food
Pets’ wastes undoubtedly smell really bad. There are several factors on why the odor of your dog’s poop leaves a strong smell. This can be due to the food they have consumed, for instance. Cleaning and removing these kinds of intense smells is difficult.
Food that causes dog’s poop to smell bad contains a huge amount of fibers. The ingredients of the food affect their digestion organs, which results in the current waste odor they release. What is best in this situation is to change their diet.
Usually, cheap dog foods comprise a lot of grain alternatives in the ingredients, which is difficult to digest for dogs and leads them to produce a strong odor of wastes.
The most recommended dog food for good digestion contains proteins and fats. You can check the ingredients of the food or ask for some advice at the pet store. Good ingredients will surely help your dog digest the food more easily.
2. Check your pet’s health
In maintaining a poop-free atmosphere in your backyard, you first need to check your dog. If you see them unusually poop everywhere in your yard, it might indicate bad health conditions.
So, observe their behaviors. If they are weak, have lost appetite, rarely drink water, or act strangely, bring your dog to the vet as they may be experiencing indigestion.
Sometimes, they might have eaten unnecessary food that led to an ill digestive tract. So, watch out for their pooping manner as these may affect your entire backyard.
3. Train your pet on where to poop
Cleaning the yard all over again is a solution but can also be a hassle if it occurs constantly. The smartest way to get rid of the waste is to train your dog about where to leave their waste. Plan a specific spot in the yard where they can poop so that it will be easier for you to clean. Allowing them to soil anywhere can bring in extra work.
4. Clean the yard regularly
Cleaning your yard regularly is literally the best way to maintain cleanliness in your yard. “Maintaining” refers to cleaning, keeping everything orderly, and guarantee it won’t happen again. Although some trained dogs poop in a specific place, you should still clean this space as early as you can.
Bear in mind to avoid the waste and urine lingering in the area for a long time. It will dry up and the smell will be also difficult to remove.
5. Beware of your neighbors’ pet
Let’s say you know that your dog has learned where to leave their waste a long time ago already, but you still keep seeing a mess in your backyard. Your neighbor’s pet might have been able to access your yard and poop there. In such cases, don’t immediately jump on your neighbor without solid proof, as it could tarnish your relationship with them.
Instead, it is best to either monitor it using CCTV or do it manually. Show them the evidence before talking to your neighbor, so that the conversation will go smoothly.
6. Create a disposal system
It will work like a septic tank to collect the waste materials and will look like their personal bowl outdoors. A way to create a disposal system is to dig a hole and put a toilet intended for dogs. The area is also buried with thin soil.
Use medicines that contain digestive enzymes to liquefy the waste. This way, the soil will absorb the substance fast, which will ease the cleaning process you’ll need to apply in your yard.
Dogs love to play with their owners outdoors. If you plan to go plunge in the water for a swim, you should also provide an alternative to let your pet join you in this activity. There are many high-quality above-ground pools for dogs that your pet will surely love. Read our article for the best above-ground pools for dog.
Why Does Your Yard Smell Like Poop?
Generally speaking, yards smell like poop due to dogs’ waste. They may scatter it all over the yard, which contaminates the whole atmosphere of the place. Without regular maintenance and cleaning processes, these wastes will go dry. The hardened waste materials are then hard to remove along with their lingering bad smell.
Ways to Get Rid of Dog Poop Smell in Your Yard
Poop smells are hard to remove. To get rid of the odor, scoop the dog’s waste and throw it into a garbage bag. Spray the areas with stains and pee using a water hose. Scrubbing it with soap is effective as well. A pet odor eliminator is also helpful to easily remove the dried stains.
1. Poop scoop
The first thing to do in getting rid of the poop smell is to remove the waste. Pooper scoopers are available on the market and are mainly used to remove dog poop for disposal purposes.
Scoop the poop and wear gloves when doing so. Animal waste can transmit viruses so it is better to be careful when handling your pet’s waste. Collect all the waste in a garbage bag and throw it away when you’re done.
After eliminating the wastes, the smell will still linger in the trash can. So, the best way to diffuse this smell is by using baking soda. Putting some in the trash can help regulate the smell before the garbage collector gathers it.
Keep your yard clean from your dog’s poop to prevent the smell from invading it. Removing your pet’s waste also makes the yard neater.
2. Wash away the dog’s waste
A hose is a good equipment to start with this method. Flush away the dog’s urine and the area where you pick up the solid wastes. Do it thoroughly until the urine marks are completely gone.
Dogs tend to pee everywhere they want to. To ensure the cleaning process of urine, spray the walls and outdoor furniture as your pet may leave their wastes in these spots. Since this space is for relaxation and family gatherings, it’s important for it to always smell good.
3. Use soap
A water hose may remove some of the stains, but combined with soap, it can fully get rid of the smell and dirt. Thus, apply soap and brush it after you spray water to the areas where your dog left their waste. Clean it all before you rinse it.
Dogs’ wastes smell is sometimes difficult to remove. It remains even after the first cleaning. In such instances, redo all the methods mentioned above until the smell is gone. The whole process won’t eliminate the smell if you don’t vigorously clean it.
4. Use a pet odor eliminator
This product helps prevent the waste residue of your dogs and is available in almost every pet store. Spraying it on the dried stains of a pet’s waste or pee helps remove it.
When applying this product, make sure you let it sit for several minutes. Remember to follow the instructions for maximum effectiveness. Also, avoid using too much of it on your lawn as it can damage your grass, which may sometimes be unrestorable afterward.
Some of the most notable pet odor eliminator products include ANGRY ORANGE and Rocco and Roxie. We recommend you to ask for advice at the store to check whether the substance is suitable to use for lawns or not.
5. Make a homemade odor eliminator
There are two ways you can make your own mixture. The first one is using vinegar and baking soda. The ingredients should be mixed into a spray to be applied to the target area, and you should let it rest for 5 minutes.
The ingredients for making such a spray include a cup of water, a cup of distilled vinegar, and 4 tablespoons of baking soda. The whole process won’t be complete without a canister. Mix all the elements in the spray, and you’re all set!
The second homemade mixture requires baking soda. Blend it with a bit of water to make a sticky mix. Apply the mix to the desired area and let it dry. Take it off using fabric.
Conclusion
Yards are open spaces for plants, trees, and a perfect area for gatherings. It should always be clean and beautiful as it is an asset to your house. If you have pets, they will surely love your yard as well. Aside from playing and lounging in it, they might also treat it as their toilet, especially your dogs. This can leave you with a yard that smells like dog poop.
Having pets is not bad, as long as you take care of them properly. The salient ideas to observe if you have them are training and maintenance. Their wastes scatter all over the place, and it is not a good sight to see in your garden. Practice strict behavior as it can help maintain cleanliness in your backyard.
The best thing that you do to prevent your yard from smelling like dog poop is cleaning your pet’s waste immediately. Do not let it sit in your yard because it will be much more difficult to clean. You can also follow the other tips that we shared in this article to keep your yard clean and fresh.
