# Cleaning up after a meal



## savex389 (Mar 15, 2012)

Hello all raw feeders!

I've been a stalker for a while now, but decided that it was time to post. I've been researching raw feeding for about 4 months now and finally took the leap to switching 1 of my 3 dogs over once his food was gone (I'll be doing the other two once their food runs out and I have an extra freezer to store the food in). 

Winston, my South African Boerboel, has been eating raw since Monday and doing really well. I'm just curious to how everyone cleans up after a meal. I'm worried that I'm going too extreme, but I also don't want bacteria spread through my house. I also worry that maybe I'll hurt my dogs with the chemicals.
Right now I put the chicken backs in Winston's bowl and let him take them out and use the floor as long as he stays by his bowl. After he's done I put the bowl in the sink and use my swifter mop on the floor. Then I spray concentrated bleach in the area (keeping Winston out), let it sit for 30 seconds like the instructions say and then mop it up. I don't let Winston walk through the area until it's dry. 
Then I wash out his bowl with hot soap and water and let it air dry. 

I'm sure I'm killing all the bacteria, but I'm worried about the bleach getting on my dogs paws and them licking it off or that there's a residue left and the next meal that he puts on the floor might have bleach on it. 

So is there a flaw in my cleaning? How do you clean? How can I make my routine better? 

Thanks all, and I'm so excited to go raw!


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## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

I never even worry about cleaning the floors, lol, I just let the dogs lick it up - they aren't going to miss anything! Some of their meals they eat outside to. I do meal prep on my kitchen counter, and the only thing I use to clean that off is a vinegar/water spray. 

If you are worried about germs, why not feed him outside?


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## Amy18 (May 17, 2011)

I feed on a towel, i have a few of them in rotation during the week and take out a new one as needed. At the end of the week i just throw them all in the wash, quick and easy.


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## Donna Little (May 31, 2011)

I have an area in my dog room to feed on and there's laminate down so I just wipe it occasionally. I worried about it much more in the beginning but we're all still alive so I don't sweat it anymore. I wouldn't want them eating chicken all over my house or on the furniture but I never use bleach except in the laundry for my whites. Vinegar and water is fine and totally non-toxic.


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

I feed my little dog on the kitchen tile followed by a lysol/paper towel combo. My large dogs eat outside. I usually put their food in bowls and promptly put them in dishwasher.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

I'm another that doesn't really give a $hit, I'm definitely not a clean freak by anyone's stretch of the imagination. (ask my mother in law).
I figure I cook raw meat, fish and chicken for the husband all the time, and have done for years and years and we've never, ever been ill through food poisoning. And, that includes cooking on sailboats out at sea, bouncing around and dropping stuff, most certainly cleaning like a madwoman is the last thought on your mind.
Have you thought about one of those Shark Steam Mops? I got one not long ago and I absolutely ADORE it. I've even washed my tile floors 4 weeks in a row which is unheard of round this joint. They are meant to sterilise the floor without chemicals, plus the floors dry almost instantly. Although sterilising the floor doesn't concern me in the slightest, the fact that it doesn't use chemicals, that it cleans really well without much effort means I will never be without one again!


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## VizslaMama (Feb 15, 2012)

I also do not worry too much. Nothing special here. I clean up the same way I would when handling our own raw meat. 

My counters get's a wipe down with a little dish soap or kitchen spray after use. The floors get washed when I remember to do it, when I have time or if there is a noticable stuck on dirt. Ie: Dirty Paw prints. I sweep more often a month then wash. My hubby is more worried about germs, but what he doesn't know won't kill him. :tongue1: We have never been sick so I just don't worry. Any messy meals are just fed outside.


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

We feed on the concrete out back and just hose it off once a week or, in the summer, two to three times a week depending on if flies begin to gather where they typically eat. We just use hose water there. 

I just recently started feeding Buck his bony, complex meals in the kitchen. Dude can eat out back because he stays on the concrete but Buck has to be tied up to our pillar because he will drag it into the dirt and get himself absolutely FILTHY and I worry about him tied up out back without me out there so I am either sitting outside FOREVER (he gets every last speck of meat... an already stripped beef neck can keep him entertained for 6+ hours) or I am checking on him every thirty seconds. When he is in the kitchen, I can hear him eating and I know he is ok. 

After he eats in there (which isn't very often... This is a recent development) I pretty much just look and see how dirty it is. Mine don't seem to clean up after themselves very well. If it's not too bad I just grab some ACV and some paper towels and wash it down with that. I only get out the scrub brush (I don't have enough linoleum to validate buying a mop) once a week or so. I don't use chemicals where my dogs eat.

ETA: When they have an RMB that requires feet, I do wipe up their feet with either the baby wipes we keep by the backdoor or ACV if we don't have wipes handy. We keep the baby wipes by the backdoor because Buck is a hound and his ears get in every meal. And the lips get a good wipe too since they are floppy. Heehee


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## MissusMac (Jan 6, 2011)

You already have some great suggestions, I'm just going to require that you post a picture of your pup! I love Boerboels!


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## mwplay (Oct 10, 2010)

Personally, I feed my dogs in their crates on an old sheet for RMB meals. I can then just throw the sheets in the washer/dryer. 

To wipe up my counters and crates, I spray some peroxide and follow with vinegar and wipe up. Dogs get a quick facial wipedown with vinegar/water mix, since their facial hair can grow longer between grooming.

If the dogs have eaten outside on the patio, I spray down with peroxide/vinegar, let site for a few minutes, then rinse. If I don't clean up patio after, we end up with tons of ants.


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

We have tile floors so the dogs lick it clean. Then my regular vacuuming and mopping takes care of any more left. As far as counter tops go, it just like when I prepare food for us. I usually wipe them down with a pine sol & water mix. Original pine sol kills all the bad stuff left behind. So far, none of us have gotten sick.


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## Hadley (Jan 6, 2011)

I feed my dog's boneless meals in stainless steel or ceramic dishes. Bony meals go on a towel that I just wash afterward. If for whatever reason, raw food comes in contact with the floor, I just spot clean with water and vinegar.


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

I am a hideous housekeeper. So far no one's gotten sick from contamination (knock on wood), my dogs eat pretty much anywhere in the house and I don't clean after every meal. Hades, it's lucky if I clean house every other week. And it's usually a "spit and a promise" kind of cleaning.


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## savex389 (Mar 15, 2012)

Thanks for all the suggestions! I'll take the bleach out of my cleaning routine now. I'm a clean freak and very worried about bacteria, but it seems like I don't have to be as worried as I am. 

Winston is a sweetie, he's about 9 months old and probably around 85 pounds. I'm expecting him to be about 160 pounds when he's full grown.








Here are my two Alaskan Klee Kai that will be switching to raw ASAP


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## VizslaMama (Feb 15, 2012)

mwplay said:


> If the dogs have eaten outside on the patio, I spray down with peroxide/vinegar, let site for a few minutes, then rinse. If I don't clean up patio after, we end up with tons of ants.


Ah, yes ants!! Once the warmer weather comes, we spray where he ate outside down with water. Bugs just love to crawl over where raw meat has been eaten. The water seems to keep them from hoarding. I'd rather not have an ant infestation!!


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

please don't use bleach. the fumes alone are worse than any bacteria 

first. i want your dog. please deliver him to me as ap 

here's the thing.....bacteria is everywhere, including salmonella....no matter what you use, unless you live in a bubble, once you've used the bleach, air hits the surface, your hands, your arms, your body, your children, rugs, floors and within a very short time, you've got bacteria.

you'd have to autoclave your entire house every hour on the hour.....or get someone to make you a sterile OR and i use that scenario kind of tongue in cheek.

wipe things down, using friction, a little diluted vinegar if you can stand the smell....and that's it. won't hurt you or the dog or your kids.....

did i say that i want your dog?


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## VizslaMama (Feb 15, 2012)

savex389 said:


> Thanks for all the suggestions! I'll take the bleach out of my cleaning routine now. I'm a clean freak and very worried about bacteria, but it seems like I don't have to be as worried as I am.
> 
> Winston is a sweetie, he's about 9 months old and probably around 85 pounds. I'm expecting him to be about 160 pounds when he's full grown.
> View attachment 6881
> ...


They are beautiful! 

I never liked bleach, it is too harsh for me. A good kitchen cleaner, vinegar, dish soap etc. have all worked well for me. 

Just go about your daily routine... as long as your not leaving raw meat laying around LOL there is no need to worry in my mind :smile:


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## Georgeyporge (Dec 30, 2011)

I'm not bothered about cleaning too much, but my two aren't great at clearing up after themselves. They are also still bringing whatever they've eaten back up, and although they eat it up again it leaves a horrible slimy patch. Sorry probably too much information  I must admit I thought it would be me that was squeamish with mess, being almost veggie, but my OH is the one that moans when they're devouring carcasses I love watching them enjoy their meals. I really need to invest in some vinegar, I keep hearing good things about using it to clean!


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

you can give them vinegar too.....bragg's organic raw acv (apple cider vinegar). would not be a bad idea for your bullies....

regular distilled vinegar, the cheap kind is good for cleanup.


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## Ivy (Mar 16, 2011)

Like the others have said, bleach should not be used where your dogs eat or anywhere when dogs are concerned. I feed my boys outside, no bowls to clean, nothing. I guess it depends on where you live, but I even feed them outside in the winter. They eat, they go off to do thier business and they come back to the door. That way you won't feel obligated to use bleach or any other chemicals that are too harsh.
Diluted vinegar works wonders, it's the only thing I use at home for the purpopses of dogs.

Your dogs are all beautiful. Don't see any Klee Kai around my area, stunning. Any your Boerboel....oh my...i'm in love!


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## pogo (Aug 28, 2011)

I chuck food on floor, dog eats food, dogs clean up et volia!


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

Lol, I'm with pogo. My dog right now is eating in her pen due to injury but she drags it on her blanket or normally on the rug. My ferrets drag their food everywhere in their room, my cat is fairly good at keeping it to her mat but sometimes on the carpet as well, I honestly don't do anything special, vinegar/water the ferret room once a week or so, maybe a spray down if there's a bloody spot, cat's eating mat and dish I just rinse off with soap/water when I think about it, couple times a week at most. Wash the dogs dish a couple times a week. There's probably nasty bacteria everywhere in my house lol.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

I feed both of mine in their crates and they pretty much clean up after themselves. When I let them out they run in each other's crates just in case there is anything left over. Once in a while I use a Lysol wipe to wipe out the crates but they really do stay clean with just the dogs licking after they eat.


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## Georgeyporge (Dec 30, 2011)

magicre said:


> you can give them vinegar too.....bragg's organic raw acv (apple cider vinegar). would not be a bad idea for your bullies....
> 
> regular distilled vinegar, the cheap kind is good for cleanup.


They do have ACV daily, never thought about cleaning with it tho! I'll look for cheap distilled for cleaning, thanks


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

savex389 said:


> Thanks for all the suggestions! I'll take the bleach out of my cleaning routine now. I'm a clean freak and very worried about bacteria, but it seems like I don't have to be as worried as I am.
> 
> Winston is a sweetie, he's about 9 months old and probably around 85 pounds. I'm expecting him to be about 160 pounds when he's full grown.
> View attachment 6881
> ...


We're picture freaks here and there seem to be lots of big dog people here so you will probably have lots of people demanding pictures from you once they hear you've got a Boerboel... Hahaha. It might be safer for you if you just start his very own picture thread in the picture section. Hahahaha



kathylcsw said:


> I feed both of mine in their crates and they pretty much clean up after themselves. When I let them out they run in each other's crates just in case there is anything left over. Once in a while I use a Lysol wipe to wipe out the crates but they really do stay clean with just the dogs licking after they eat.


Personally, I wouldn't use Lysol on the crates since they like to lick every morsel of food off the crates. I used to use Lysol on our floors and dog stuff too but then I thought about the fact that they were actually licking it.


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## savex389 (Mar 15, 2012)

I have WAY TOO many pictures of my dogs, so I'm more than willing to share!!


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

I feed outside. Last night they ate in a light drizzle of rain. 

I wash their bowls when they get nasty sticky and I spray off the table when it gets a little juice on it. 

No worries :smile:


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

Aaww, on the leaving meat laying around thing...Scotty, my hoarder, likes to "bury" his bones. One night, I gave the boys beef ribs, had to deal with a minor emergency. After the emergency was handled, looked around for the boys, found Blaise (pretty easy as he was barking at his rib. Yup, he's a little bit crazy), then found Scotty curled up in his bed, no bone in sight. I searched around the house, under blankets/pillows, in corners, etc couldn't find it anywhere. Three days later, caught sight of him acting "suspicious"; looking around to see if he was being watched. He didn't see me, so he went under the computer desk, and behind the curtain in the back, then came out waggin' his tail. To see me watching him, instant hang dog look as I crawled under the desk and moved the curtain to find the "dry aged" beef rib.


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## NewYorkDogue (Sep 27, 2011)

I avoid bleach, as well. Vinegar and water in a spray bottle works beautifully.

By the way, my dog met and played with a South African Boerboel in Central Park last week. He outweighed Mateo by about 40 pounds, but they were still a good match in terms of playing "style." Very cool dog.

Also, his owner was from South Africa as well. So there you go...


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## sozzle (May 18, 2011)

Brilliant suggestions.
Personally I feed outside as much as possible on the grass, if I do feed inside it's in the conservatory which has a wooden floor and if there is a mess I have a spray bottle with neat white vinegar that I spray and wipe up with paper towels.
If some blood gets left on the concrete I do throw a bucket of water over it just to wash away as it does atttract flies and ants (still very warm here) and Stanley isn't very good at licking everything up.


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