Yard full of dog poop? What a full cleanup actually takes

How much is actually out there

The EPA says the average dog makes about three-quarters of a pound of waste a day, as the North and South Rivers Watershed Association reports. That is 0.75 pounds of waste per dog per day. Multiply it out for one dog: about 22 pounds after 30 days and about 67 pounds after 90 days. That is our arithmetic on the EPA number, and it grows with each dog.

Two dogs and three months of not getting to it is about 135 pounds of waste. That is why it feels impossible. It is a big job, but it is a finite one, and one careful pass fixes it.

What not to do

Skip the dissolving products. You will find plenty sold to melt dog waste in place, and we could not find independent testing for any of them, so we will not recommend one. Time and weather break waste down slowly, and you can read how slowly in how long dog poop takes to decompose.

Do not bury it or add it to compost. Penn State Extension says dog excrement should be picked up, bagged and disposed of immediately, and that dog waste should never be tossed into compost piles or used to amend soil.

Do not hose it into the street or a storm drain. The watershed association says storm drains do not go to wastewater treatment plants or septic systems, and the EPA says pet waste adds nitrogen, phosphorus, parasites and bacteria to water bodies when it is not disposed of properly. Bagged waste in the trash keeps it out of the water. The watershed association also says to put full bags in a trash can, not a recycling bin.

Why it is worth cleaning up, even in your own yard

The CDC says dog poop can carry germs that make people and animals sick, and that it should be picked up even in your own yard, especially where children play.

The CDC also notes that roundworm eggs are carried in animal feces and can get into people's mouths through contaminated dirt or unwashed hands, and that severe cases are more likely in young children who have been playing in or eating contaminated dirt. Dogs can catch roundworms by eating another dog's feces or by eating soil, per the University of Illinois Extension.

This is general information. If a person or a dog in your house is sick, call a doctor or a vet. More detail is in can you get sick from dog poop.

How to clean a backed-up yard, step by step

Set aside a block of time, because a backlog takes longer than a routine pickup.

• Walk the yard in rows so you do not skip a strip. Check long grass and under bushes.
• Wear gloves. Use a scoop or a bag over your hand for each pile.
• Double bag as you go, tie the bags, and put them in your regular trash can.
• Check the fence line, the side yard and under the patio.
• Rinse the scoop away from where people and pets walk.
• Wash your hands with soap and running water. The CDC says to do this even if you used a bag, and that an alcohol-based sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol works if you have no sink.

What to do with the bags

Put full bags in your regular trash can. The North and South Rivers Watershed Association says not to leave bags by the road or put them in storm drains, and not to use dog waste as fertilizer in yards or gardens.

Wash the scoop and the trash can lid if they touched waste. Then wash your hands, even though you wore gloves. The CDC advice on hand washing covers contact with waste, and it applies after a big cleanup too.

When it is not worth doing yourself

A large lot, several dogs or months of backlog is easy to underestimate. The time calculator shows how many hours a routine takes, and a yard that has never been cleaned takes longer than the routine.

Scoop King's one-time cleanup is $89. It works for Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Canyon Lake, Winchester and Sun City. If you want to stop it from building up again, the weekly plan is $89 a month with no contract, and new customers get the first cleanup free. See pricing for every plan.

Once the yard is clear, how often to pick up helps you pick a schedule that keeps it that way.

Questions people ask