ortho sprayers hose sprayer

Comment

Comment by Debb, Lucy & Oscar on January 20, 2011 at 3:03pm

These are the parts needed to put together a virtually hands-free dog bathing system for under $50. Most/all parts can be found at a Home Depot or Lowes. Some parts may be more readily available in spring/summer, but other home improvement stores may carry them year round.

10' coiled garden hose

Multi-spray garden nozzle

2 Ortho Dial 'n Spray fertilizer bottles (new ones only, please)

Quick-release hose connectors (enough for both Ortho bottles, garden sprayer and garden hose)

Water source fixture with garden hose thread (we used a spigot)

 

The trick to using the Ortho bottles is to use very little shampoo. I use about 1 TBLS of shampoo and fill with water. It doesn't matter if your shampoo is concentrated or not. Same with conditioner. If you use more product it will just be wasted, and could damage the Ortho nozzles. You can experiment with the Ortho's dial to get the dilution rate to your liking. I like the least amount of dilution setting as anything more takes forever to empty the bottle. The spray action alone is enough to get down to the skin. Its not necessary to rinse the coat before shampooing, as the shampoo is so diluted anyway. One thing that is necessary is to wait several minutes after shampooing (letting it soak) before rinsing or using conditioner to allow the dirt and oils in the coat to break down. Its just like washing delicate fabrics. I use this time to spot shampoo trouble areas like beard, sanitary area and feet.

More tips:

I use the 'shower' setting on the garden nozzle for rinsing, although you can use the 'flat' setting for more power. The concensus on groomers' forums is that the flat setting won't hurt the dog (use a gentler setting on face, though), but can be messier.

The temp of the water should be cooler than is comfortable for us humans, as dogs are more sensitive to heat.

Start out with a freshly mixed batch of shampoo and conditioner each time you bathe your dog. I use a wire whisk and small amount of hot water for mixing, right inside the bottle.

Use the quick release connectors to easily change from nozzle to bottle.