Cleaning a cool pad

[dutchman]

I don't know if many of you have experience with the cool pads but I got one for Frank over the weekend and wouldn't you know it the first time I used it he had his second ever poop accident in the kennel. The cool pad is a quilted cloth pad with non toxic gel crystals sewn into pockets. You soak the pad in cool water the crystals take on water and this is suppose to help keep the kennel cool for up to four days.

These pads are suppose to only be hand washed. So far I started off with clean water till the rinse water looked clean. I then used some mild soap and more clean water rinses. When I tried to reuse the pad it still smelled like poop when I got home (I actually thought Frank had had another accident). I then tried a light spraying with natures miracle but that hasn't solved the problem. I guess my next step is to let the dry out then saturate it with nature's miracle and see it that helps. I don't want to use any thing too strong since the crystals that help keep the pad cool will also absorb any thing liquid that comes into contact with them. I don't want to be placing to toxic pad in Frank's kennel. I'm open to suggestions since our home is not air conditioned and the weather is getting rather hot I'd like to find a solution soon.

Tom and Frank

[wireweiners]

The pad probably absorbed some of the moisture from the poop. I would try spraying with Nature's miracle and then letting it dry in the sun .

[Penny's Aunt]

You might try contacting the manufacturer & asking for suggestions. This can't be the first time in history that it's happened.

[~8DachsieAngels~]

Have you tried using some strait carpet shampoo or a pretreater like shout of spray and wash to scrub out the stain. It may be worth a try http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

Jen

[Con&Finn'smom]

I have found that vinegar takes pet odors out of carpeting very well... maybe it would work for this, too. And it would not have any potentially dangerous chemicals.

[Wienergal]

Yes, Tom--but make sure it's WHITE vinegar, not balsamic or red wine or apple cider!!

Once again, let me recommend TECH, a great enzyme cleaner that remove odors. Looks and smells just like water--no toxic ANYthing, and works like a dream. You can buy it at the big chain drugstores and at stores like Target, Wal-Mart, etc.

Guess Frank was attempting to let the new pad know it belonged to him and him alone! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/lol.gif

[dutchman]

Hello everyone thank you for all the suggestions. The official word from the manufacture (I was waiting for a reply when I made my original post) is mild vinegar and water solution in a 1:6 or 1:7 mix. The other suggestion from them was baking soda. I just wanted to be sure anything I used was safe for Frank since the crystals absorb so many times their own volume of what ever liquid is applied and then do a slow release of that liquid. There is no easy way to do a fast flush of the crystals if you were to use something even mildly toxic. I also had two other concerns the first major one is to be sure I don't mix cleaners that cause a toxic reaction. Not that this would apply to cleaning the pad but remember in the old days when abrasive cleansers and bleach were both common bathroom cleaning items. Each was fine by itself but mix the two together and you had a deadly gas. The other concern was that some chemicals might adversely affect the crystals resulting in the pad no longer being able to absorb and then slowly release the water which it what makes it work.

Thank you all,

Tom and Frank