How to Clean Concrete Dog Kennel

If you want your doggie to have an outdoor space for some fresh air but want him contained, a dog kennel gives her a safe place. It also keeps your beautiful yard free from dog poop and pee stains.

There are myriad options to consider when selecting the best kennel flooring for your needs.

A concrete floor is one of the best as it offers convenience when it comes to cleaning. Also, as the doggie walks and runs around in his kennel, the concrete slab will grind down his nails. If you detest trimming your pup’s nails, this option makes life easy for you.

Plus, you can slant the kennel so that urine and water drain somewhere and keep the concrete dry.

In this post, we will focus on cleaning a concrete dog kennel. Without proper hygiene, a concrete kennel can attract dampness and dirt both of which are attractive to pathogens. These little microorganisms never bring anything good to the table.

Weekly Cleaning

When it comes to cleaning a concrete kennel, you can do a sweep or deep clean it. Aim to do the first on a daily basis and the second once a week.

Let’s go over what weekly cleaning looks like.

Tools Needed

• A long handle nylon brush or a tough mop

• Water hose

• Disposable gloves

• Squeegee

• Shovel or scoop

• Soap

• Broom

• Disinfectant (you can mix water and bleach)

The Process

1. Remove The Dog And Her Accessories

Like all cleaning projects, start by removing everything in the concrete kennel.

First, let the dog out and direct her as far away from the kennel as possible. Dogs are very curious. If you let them hang around, they will want to sniff this and taste that. Cleaning procedures are toxic if ingested.

Next, remove all the bowls, toys, leashes, and bedding and set them aside. Clean the bowls and toys and dip them in hot water to kill germs.

One of the easiest ways to kill bacteria is to run the toys and bowls through the dishwasher.

You can choose to add soap or not but as long as you hit the sanitize setting, the machine will clean and disinfect the bowls for you.

If the bedding covers need a wash, throw those in the washer as well.

2. Sweep

With a long handle nylon brush, sweep the concrete floor starting from the back to the front. Do the same for all the other surfaces getting rid of any solid waste.

Use a shovel or scoop to get rid of stubborn solids in the kennel.

Don’t worry so much about the dried waste that refuses to budge. Once soaked in soapy water, you can easily scrape them away.

Gather everything, scoop it up, and throw them in a waste container. If there are old toys that need to be discarded, throw them alongside other types of waste.

3. Rinse The Floor With Soap Water

After sweeping the concrete floors, grab your hose and let the water flow. Rinse every part of the kennel floors with water.

Next, add your favorite detergent, let it sit for a few minutes, and then scrub using a nylon brush or any other scrubbing tool at your disposal.

You can use dishwashing soap to get rid of dirt or any other detergent that lathers well.

Focus on areas with pee and poo stains and scrub those thoroughly until the area is spotless. Don’t rinse the floors just yet.

4. Disinfect

Wipe down the chain-link walls and gate handles with a disinfectant to keep germs at bay. Most people use a bleach solution as a disinfectant.

The ASPCA has given the green light to use bleach to clean dog spaces and stuff. Just make sure to dilute it with water using a ratio of 1: 32. This means adding one part bleach and 32 parts water.

You can also use white vinegar and water mixture. This solution doesn’t only disinfect the run but deodorizes it as well.

Spray the disinfectant on the floors as well and then rinse with water.

Finally, run the squeegee through the run and finish things off with the tough mop. Ensure that every corner of the kennel is dry before you leave.

Monthly Cleaning

Weekly cleaning takes most of the bulk of concrete kennel cleaning work but there are a few things to do on a monthly basis as well. These include the following:

• Go through your dog’s toy collection and sort things out. Throw away worn-out toys and repair those that need repairing. If you don’t clean the toys weekly, please ensure you do that monthly. You can soak them in a mixture of water and vinegar to disinfect them.

• Wash covers: first, vacuum the cover to remove fur and excess dirt then throw it in the washer. Use the highest temperature setting to kill bacteria and a non-toxic detergent to clean. If possible, run an extra cycle to eliminate the detergent completely. Air-dry it and low heat.

• Check your dog’s bed and bedding: outdoor beds are notorious for becoming ragged and dirty much faster than indoor beds. You want to make sure the beds remain clean and in a good condition always. Repair what needs to be repaired and replace what needs replacing.

Additional Tips

• Sometimes you don’t have to wait a week to clean your concrete kennel. Make a habit of passing by a few times a day. If the mess is too much, do a sweep as you wait to deep clean it.

•  There are a ton of dog-safe disinfectants out there. If you don’t want to use bleach or vinegar, grab one. Just follow the manufacturer’s instructions on diluting it and you and your dog will be fine.

• If the concrete kennel has a smell no matter your efforts to clean, don’t use harsh products to mask the smell. Some fragrances such as essential oils (specific ones) can be too strong for your poor dog. This is especially true if she has an allergy. Even if she’s outside, the smells can trigger allergies. To be safe, use white vinegar and baking soda and hope for the best. Most doggies are not affected by these two.

• Hang the bedding in the sun: When cleaning the kennel, you might want to hang the dog bedding and the bed in the sun. Sunlight is one of the best disinfectants out there.

To keep your dog’s health in check and maintain high sanitation standards, you have to clean her concrete kennel frequently. This requires work but it’s not anything laborious.

With the right tools and mindset, you can get the job done to perfection in record time.