Okay, so I’ve got a pretty big dog, a golden retriever named Max. He’s awesome, but his kennel? Not so awesome after a while. It gets… well, you know… stinky. So, I had to figure out a good cleaning routine and find some products that actually work. Here’s what I did.
First, I moved Max and all his stuff – toys, bedding, bowls, everything – out of the kennel. Gotta have a clear space to work with, right?
Then, I grabbed my trusty garden hose. Yep, just a regular hose. I sprayed the whole inside of the kennel down, really getting into the corners and along the bottom. This loosened up all the… well, the stuff that accumulates. You wouldn’t believe how much hair and dirt came out!
My Cleaning Arsenal
- Regular dish soap:Yep, the same stuff I use for my dishes. Cheap and effective.
- Baking soda:For the smelly spots.
- A stiff-bristled brush: Not a wire brush, just a good, sturdy plastic one. An old toilet brush works great, to be honest (obviously, one I dedicated just for the kennel!).
- White vinegar:For disinfection.
Next, I mixed up a bucket of warm water with a good squirt of dish soap. I dumped some baking soda on the really bad spots, the ones that looked…extra gross. Then I scrubbed! I went to town with that brush, getting every surface. It took some elbow grease, but it was worth it.
After scrubbing, I hosed everything down again, really making sure all the soap and baking soda were gone. You don’t want your dog licking that stuff up.
Then comes the vinegar,I mixed white vinegar with water about a 50/50 solution. I put that in a spray bottle and sprayed the inside of the kennel down one more time. Vinegar is a great natural disinfectant, and it helps with the smell too.
Finally, I just let it air dry. I opened the kennel door wide and let the sun do its work. Sunshine is another great disinfectant, and it helps everything dry faster.
Once it was completely dry, I put all of Max’s stuff back in, with a freshly washed blanket, of course. He seemed pretty happy to have his clean space back! And honestly, so was I. It’s a bit of work, but a clean kennel is a happy kennel (and a much less smelly house!).
