When cleaning up a dog's mess, first remove your dog from the area. Don’t punish him for vomiting or having a bowel movement, simply remove him from the area so he is not in your way.

Put on some gloves to protect your hands, or plan on washing your hands thoroughly with hot, soapy water when finished.

Clean the solid off the carpet. If the excrement is firm, you may be able to simply pick it up and toss it in a plastic bag, and move to Step 4.

Remove the rest of the solid. If you are trying to remove vomit or excrement that is smashed into the rug, you will need to scrape it off. A dustpan works for this (you may want to have one on hand only for these types of jobs). Simply scrape as much as you can onto the dustpan and toss in the garbage.

Next, get a spray bottle filled with 100% white vinegar. Lightly spray (don’t soak) the area, and using paper towels (which you can throw away), blot and lightly rub to remove the rest of the vomit or excrement. If you are working with a large area, it’s best to just clean a small portion at a time.
There may still be a stain to be cleaned, but at this point you are still trying to remove as much of the solid as you can. The vinegar will also help remove the smell once it dries.

Dry the area. Get several towels that you use as rags, fold them up and soak whatever vinegar up you can by standing on the towels with your shoes on. Once a towel is wet, use another, until the area looks fairly dry. Then set a fan on the area and get it to dry completely. This may take several hours or overnight.

Rework the stain. If there is still a stain on the carpet, a great solution for light-colored carpeting is a paste of baking soda. Simply put a couple tablespoons of baking soda in a small cup or bowl and wet with water, so it forms a paste. Take an old toothbrush or any other type of brush and coat the area with the paste. Scrub it in lightly with the brush. Let it dry (with a fan if desired) and vacuum the baking soda when dried.
You can also try store bought carpet pet stain removers, which can work quite well. Urine Off works great and is carried in your hardware store. These should be used separately from a baking soda paste (one solution should dry before trying another one). Spray the stain remover on the carpet and use a brush to remove the stain. Follow the instructions on the bottle for removal.

T.J. Lindsey is the manager of Best Lumber and Building Supply in Mesquite, NV. You can see T.J.’s helpful home repair and maintenance column each Tuesday at www.mesquitelocalnews.com.