Cleaning up poop: Potty training accidents happen so arm yourself

Poop happens when you're potty training. At the beginning, it happens a lot more out of the potty than it does in the potty.  That means you're left cleaning up poop and pee stains as you navigate your way toward one of the biggest toddler milestones there is.

Since potty training my two kids, I've been asked quite a few times - what products are best for cleaning up poop and pee?  The answer is:  it depends.

Cleaning up accidents depends a lot on the type of flooring in your house.  When my daughter was learning to go on the potty we lived in a town house that had white wall-to-wall carpet in every room but the kitchen and bathrooms.  Our new house has hardwood and tile in every room except the newly finished basement and a few area rugs. (I'll give you one guess where my son's had most of his accident...uhh.)

Use Clorox wipes to clean up poop

Hardwood and tile are obviously a lot easier to clean up.  I simply wipe or pick up with a paper towel and then sanitize with entire area with a bleach spray cleaner like Clorox or Clorox wipes.  I will also use my Haan steam floor cleaner to go over the entire floor every few days.

Cleaning up poop on carpet is a whole different beast.  My suggestion is to treat it like a pet stain.  Clean up the area as best you can with paper towels or towels first (remember, to pick up the poop and put it in the potty to show your child where it's supposed to go).  If you get it right away -- and why would you let it sit there -- I've had very good luck using a damp towel and liquid dish soap to get the area clean looking -- in other words it's no longer brown!  This doesn't mean it's actually clean though. I then use something like Spot Shot (my favorite) or Resolve to further clean the area.

Haan Slim & Light Steam Floor Sanitizer

If you don't want to use chemicals you can clean the area with equal parts vinegar and water or sprinkle it with baking soda then wait a few hours and vacuum it up.

Some steam cleaners, including the Haan Slim & Light Sanitzer and Steam Floor Cleaner that I have, also come with a carpet attachment.  This is a great feature when it comes to cleaning up poop on carpet.