The Grossest Problem Solved: How to Clean Dog Poop Off Your Shoes the Easy Way

So, you stepped in it. Dog poop, that is. Yuck, it’s the worst! That smell and feeling are about as gross as it gets. In this article, we solve how to clean dog poop off shoes the easy way and make them look as good as new.

Plug your nose, and let’s tip-toe in! 

What Do You Do If You Get Dog Poop on Your Shoes?

First, if you get dog poop on your shoes, that’s much better than if you were bare feet. At least, we think so! 

If you get dog poop on your shoes, remove them so you don’t spread it around. Then, put the shoes in a plastic bag and tie it shut to avoid the smell until you can get them cleaned. Remember to remove the dog poop from the ground immediately to prevent someone else from stepping in it. And if it happened in your yard, remember to pick up dog poop regularly so you don’t have to worry about where you walk.

As soon as you have a chance to clean your shoes, do so. It’s easy to get fresh dog poop off than once it’s dried. And removing it sooner will prevent the stink from lingering too long.

How Do You Clean Dog Poop Off Shoes?

Knowing how to clean dog poop off shoes comes in handy, but hopefully, it’s not something you have to deal with often. Keeping your yard clean or being careful when walking where you know other dogs have been can reduce the likelihood, but we know it’s nearly impossible to avoid it completely. So, let’s look at five proven methods for eliminating one of life’s grossest problems.

Use a Stick or Back of a Spoon

Using a stick to clean most of the dog poop off your shoes is a good first step, especially in an emergency. But it won’t completely solve the problem. You’ll still need to implement one of the other methods in our list to get your shoes looking and smelling like they were before the incident. 

If you’re out and about and have no other option than to use the stick method, you can also scrape the bottom of your shoe over grass. Just be sure not to leave it where someone else can step in it. It will help get more of the dog poop off. And the stick can be used to get it out of grooves. 

Using the back of a spoon also works to get the majority of the dog poop off. Although, you’re definitely going to want to disinfect that spoon a few times after. And while the spoon will work if you’re desperate and have no other option, you’ll want to implement one of the next four methods as soon as possible.

Spray With an Outdoor Water Hose

Spraying your shoes with an outdoor water hose is a good way to clean off dog poop. It works best with fresh poop, but it can also work if it’s dried onto the shoe. Spraying with a hose can get the poop out of grooves that weren’t possible with a stick or spoon. Start with a gentle spray to get the majority off and then advance to a harder spray to get any poop stuck in the treads.

If you have any type of soap around, you can use that on the shoe to shield some of the odor. Also, use an outdoor scrub brush if you have one available.

Using an outdoor water hose may take a little time to clean your shoes, but it’s a good way to at least get the job started. If you move on to other steps, the water can soften the feces can make it easier to remove with sticks or spoons.

Disinfect With Bleach Solution

A water hose will clean dog poop off your shoes but doesn’t disinfect them. That’s where bleach comes in. 

To use this method, fill a shallow tray big enough to set your shoes in with a beach solution. Mix a splash of bleach with water and put it in about a quarter of an inch deep. Then, set your shoes in the solution and let them soak for 30 to 60 minutes. You can use an old toothbrush to get any dog poop out of the treads or grooves.

After they soak in the solution, rinse your shoes with water and dry them out in the sun. Your shoes should look like they did pre-dog poop or may look better.

Pro Tip: We would use bleach solution trays like this to disinfect the bottoms of our shoes at the animal shelter I worked for. This helped prevent the spread of germs from one room to another.

Put Them in the Washing Machine

We admit that for some, this might be a gross way to solve your grossest problem. So, if putting dog poop-stained shoes in your washing machine grosses you out, we recommend moving to the next method on the list. 

Putting your shoes in the washing machine is a way to clean them without handling them too much. However, we don’t recommend putting your shoes in the washer until you’ve removed most of the dog poop with a water hose outside or with a stick. Only put them in the washer once most of the feces have been removed.

We recommend setting the washer to a cold cycle and putting in detergent and some rags to help balance it. Sun drying the shoes after washing them will help disinfect them. 

Spray on WD-40

It’s incredible what WD-40 can be used for, but did you know it can clean dog poop off shoes? The product can effectively remove dog poop. 

First, remove as much of the dog poop from your shoes as you can with a water hose, stick, or spoon. Then, spray the soles of your shoes only with WD-40. Let it sit on for an hour or two. And then, wipe off the soles with a paper towel or spray them with a water hose. 

The WD-40 should remove most of the dog poop, but get any remaining out of the treads with an old toothbrush. And we always recommend drying your shoes in the sun for its disinfecting effect. 

Take a walk down memory lane: Do you remember white dog poop?

What Household Item Removes Dog Poop? 

While we recommend the five methods on our list for cleaning dog poop off your shoes, baking soda is also known to remove it. Baking soda is generally suggested for getting dog poop out of carpets, you know, when you didn’t realize you had stepped in it. But it can also work on the canvas or fabric portion of your shoe. The bonus of baking soda is that it absorbs scents.

If you use baking soda, you’ll want to use it after you have removed most of the dog poop off your shoes. To use baking soda on your shoes, mix it with water so it gets pasty and scrub it on a fabric or canvas area of your show. Let it sit for a while, and then rinse it off. You may want to also clean your shoes in the washing machine after using baking soda. 

And for stains, you can use club soda and dishwashing liquid. Just ask Oprah! (video below)

Does Putting Your Shoes in the Freezer Really Remove Dog Poop?

You may have heard the tale of how to clean dog poop off shoes by putting them in the freezer. While it wouldn’t be our first choice from a hygiene perspective, it does work for some people. And it’s a longer process than other methods on our list.

To use this method, you put your shoes in a freezer bag and seal the bag. Then, put the bag in the freezer. And keep it in there until the poop is frozen off the shoes. Once it is, you can remove the shoes and break off the poop. 

What Kills Dog Poop Bacteria? 

Lysol is the best dog poop bacteria killer. While it doesn’t clean, it disinfects and kills most bacteria it encounters. It can be used indoors and outdoors and on your shoes. And it can be used on carpets if you accidentally walk into the house with dog poop on your shoes. Keeping a can of Lysol around is a good idea for dog owners.

Prevent the Gross Smell of Dog Poop From Getting on Your Shoes

Now that you know how to clean dog poop off shoes and prevent that gross smell from lingering, hopefully, you won’t step in it anytime soon. And remember, as dog owners, we are responsible for keeping poop bags with us and picking up after our dogs in all public spaces. It makes life better and less fragrant for all of us. 

Have you accidentally stepped in dog poop before? How did you clean your shoes? Let us know any methods we didn’t mention in the comments below.