Dog vomit on my travertine floors:

This Christmas season we received multiple inquiries concerning dog vomit and travertine floors. As an owner of a dog, who lives in door with us, I can readily appreciate the question. If you have an indoor dog you know they will put things in their mouths they shouldn't and will eat things they shouldn't. I have cleaned up my share of dog vomit on carpet, tile & grout, and linoleum. No it is not fun but it is one of those things in life we must be willing to put up with if we want an indoor pet.

To begin with a dog's digestive system is not the same as a humans. They do not have digestive enzymes in their saliva and because of this their stomach acid is far more corrosive. The pH level of a dog's stomach is around 1.0 similar to hydrochloric acid. The stomach acid of a dog can burn your skin if you came in contact with it. This is why dogs can eat raw meat and digest bones. The stomach acid pH level of a human is around 5.0. When your dog vomits onto your travertine floor some of the stomach acid is going to be in the puke and you could have a major problem.

Because travertine is a calcium based stone should it come in contact with acid the acid will etch the stone leaving a mark. Even if you have properly sealed your travertine floor the corrosive nature of the dog's stomach acid will eat through the sealer and eventually etch the stone. So what can you do?

First it is important that you properly clean and seal your travertine floors before the mishap takes place. The sealer will give you time to clean up the puke before it reaches the stone. Here at Liberty Floor Solutions we also like to apply a separate coating of protectant called Tile Cover. This special coating will give you even more protection and additional time before the acid breaks through to the stone. Second, clean up the puke using paper towels and a spatula. Get the chunks off the floor NOW. Third, rinse the area with some dish washing liquid and water. Dishwashing liquid is an alkaline and will neutralize the acid. Make sure you DO NOT spread the vomit around making a bigger clean up area. Fourth, rinse with clean water until all residue from the vomit and the soap is off the floor. Finally, test the floor to determine if the sealer is still present on the floor. If you do not know how to do this then contact me at paddle@frontiernet.net for instructions.

I hope this blog has been helpful to you. Until next time...

Michael Hull