Maintaining a clean pool can be one of the toughest tasks, especially when you have a pet. You may be able to keep the pool hygienic and clean, but we all know accidents can happen.
When you and your dog are spending time in the pool, he may feel the urge to poo, with no warning. He might then poop in the pool. It could also be due to fecal incontinence (lack of bowel control in dogs)[1]. You know it’s not his fault, so let’s start with the cleaning process after your dog pooped in the pool.
Steps to Clean the Swimming Pool
Total Time: 1 hour.
There are ways you can easily clean your pool. We will tell you about a few simple steps that will make your pool clean and hygienic.
- Close the pool and immediately get out of the pool
This will help prevent the poop from spreading into the pool further.
- Arrange disposable gloves, wear them and take out the poop gloves with the help of a bucket or net
Make sure to wear disposable gloves, this is necessary to avoid any contamination of pathogens present in dog feces.[2]
- Do not try to vacuum the poop from the pool
You may spoil it if you clean the poop in the swimming pool using a vacuum cleaner.
- Try to clean as much poop as possible with the help of a bucket and net only
Even a trace amount of dog feces may contain pathogens that would be harmful if not cleaned or treated properly.
- Disinfect the item used to clean the poop
Again, disinfecting is important to avoid any further contamination with pathogens present in the feces.
- Remove your gloves and wash your hands properly
One of that most significant steps is after you have finished up the cleaning process.
- CDC advises raising the chlorine levels in the pool immediately and try maintaining it at 2 PPM and maintain the pH level up to 7.5
Even after the cleaning is complete, your job is not over. Remember, in step 4, I told you “even a trace amount of dog feces may contain harmful pathogens if not treated…“. So this is why you need to increase the chlorine levels, in order to kill the harmful pathogens, if any, present in the pool.
- Maintain pH level at 7.5 or less for at least 30 minutes
It is important to maintain a pH level of 7.5 or less for 30 minutes so that the pathogens present in the pool get killed effectively.
- Check that the filtration system works properly
The filtration system helps to further clean the water and remove any solid matter present in the pool. Make sure to clean it again once this process is done.
- Try not to use the pool for the next 24 hours
The cleaning process has now been completed. But wait, before you use the swimming pool. It is best We recommend keeping the pool idle for 24 hours before anyone uses it.
Follow the same steps if it happens in a public pool and also keep the pool closed for 24 hours as it takes time to get cleaned and the chlorine level is also high in the water.
After 24 hours it is safe to use the pool again. Before you allow your dog to enter the pool again make sure he is done with his pee and poop session if you feel your dog might pee or poop in the pool don’t let him in.
Train your furry friend properly so you don’t have to repeatedly clean the pool.
Don’t forget to train your pet right from the initial stage itself for the poop and pee sessions. Once he gets trained properly you don’t have to worry about him jumping in the pool with you.
If you notice certain patterns, like your pet’s poop or peeing every time he comes in the pool with you, you should stop letting him come inside the pool. Instead, get him a private dog pool that is much easier to clean and maintain.
The Final Note
Lastly, we hope you had a great time with your dog in the pool and if anything goes wrong; you know how to clean the pool properly.
Read and follow the above steps to make sure it’s safe to enter the pool again. Train your pet beforehand to make sure it is safe for you to let your pet in the pool. Share your view with the team of DogLovesBest.
References:
- Marron, J. A., & Senn, C. L. (1974). Dog feces: a public health and environmental problem. Journal of Environmental Health, 37(3), 239-243.
- Guilford, W. G. (1990). Fecal incontinence in dogs and cats. Compendium on Continuing Education for the Practicing Veterinarian, 12(3), 313-326.
- Enteric Organisms Detected in Feces of Dogs With Bloody Diarrhea. (n.d.). Retrieved November 24, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1938973621000428?via=ihub
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Dwana is our best team member when it comes to taking care of pets on daily basis. This is because she used to be a full-time pet sitter before joining DogLovesBest. Besides contributing her precious knowledge on dog care tips and everyday-use pet products, she still does dog walking as part of her hobby in her free time.
Hello, Thank you for giving us these ideas for cleaning the dog poop from the pool. It is a very helpful way to keep us hygienic. If we ignore cleaning the poop, it will be dangerous for us as well as it can be very harmful to the whole atmosphere. Of Course, we should train our pet right from the initial stage itself for the poop and pee sessions. Keep posting these helpful ideas, Thank you.
Thank you for the detailed instructions. Excellent results! Thanks to the community and the folks who contributed to the solution, it worked for me. This site is quite informative and is written in an easily comprehensible way. Keep sharing these beneficial suggestions, please.
Following an incident where one of my terrible neighbors dumped dog poop in the pool, I used the suggested approach to quickly and efficiently clean the pool.
There’s nothing like a nice, clear pool of water. So, when I found my dog poop in my swimming pool floating, I was more than a little annoyed. I value the knowledge and guidance you have provided. Keep sharing information like this.
Thank you for the idea to clean dog poop from the pool. It is a very good way to keep everybody hygienic and safe from all diseases. Keep posting these helpful ideas, Thank you.