The most crucial aspect of your pet’s surroundings that must be kept clean at all times is your dog’s bed.
How to Wash a Dog Bed?- Since it is the time where it spends the most time laying after a long day of physical exertion, as a responsible pet parent, you must ensure it is kept clean to keep your dog safe and healthy.
However, dog bedding is different from a mattress used by humans, and you may wonder how to wash a dog bed.
While it is important to keep your dog’s bedding clean, it is a difficult task to do, as they are always running off outdoors and have dirty feet. Hence, you can easily keep your dog’s bed clean by using regular household cleaning supplies and practising clean habits.
Keeping oneself clean is the easiest way to prevent the onset of diseases caused due to the growth of bacteria, the infestation of parasites, etc.
The same applies to dogs, which is why many owners are extremely particular regarding the cleanliness of their dog’s surroundings. And this article will help you solve the problem.
Cleaning Dogs Bed: Is it Okay to Wash a Dog Bed?
Keeping a pet dog clean is a primary responsibility for any dog parent. While dogs spend a lot of time licking themselves throughout the day, they are pretty good at keeping themselves clean.
However, it is not enough to leave their hygiene up to themselves, which is why shampooing and bathing your dog are recommended.
Keeping a clean dog in a dirty environment is a waste of time, energy and resources. Keeping your dog’s bed clean will not only help maintain your dog’s hygiene but also prevent the possibility of any diseases caused due to unsanitary situations.
Washing dog beds is not difficult, and it can be done using a washing machine if the bed has removable covers. Spot cleaning is also possible, and the usage of a vacuum is also encouraged, depending on the quality of your dog bed.
Washing dog beds can even help eliminate faecal stains, dead skin cells and odour, making it necessary to ensure that dirt, bacteria and parasites are effectively removed.
When Should You Wash Your Pet’s Bedding?
Regular washing is the easiest way to keep your dog’s bed clean. Your dog’s bed comes with instructions regarding wash and care that should ideally be followed.
Generally, it is recommended to wash dog beds once a week. If not possible every week, you must not delay washing for more than two weeks.
Issues Caused by Not Washing Dog Beds
While it is not compulsory to wash dog beds and simply dust off any built-up debris can be seen as acceptable depending on the owner, several issues can occur due to putting off washing for any longer than two weeks at most.
Increased Allergic Reactions
Allowing dead skin cells, dirt, pet hair and bacteria to grow and reproduce in the dog’s bed is an active invitation for allergic responses that may progress over time.
Stinky Odor in the House
Despite intensive training, dogs are not uncommon to urinate in the house. This may be due to marking behaviour, urinary tract issues, or old age.
The dog bed covered in urine can stink up your entire house when left untouched. This can become a breeding ground for bacteria and build an odour that regular air fresheners cannot mask.
Higher Susceptibility to Diseases
An unsanitary environment is home to rapidly multiplying bacteria that are bound to result in diseases in your pet.
Keeping your dog’s bedding clean may require extra effort from your end to toss into your washing machine, but it helps in saving your money and time that may have to be spent on taking your dog to the vet and saving it from the pain and suffering of being ill.
Equipment Safe for Washing Dog Beds
Washing dog beds is not a time-consuming activity. You only need a washing machine or a large sink, pet-friendly detergent and enzymatic cleaners to remove stains.
How to Wash a Dog Bed?
Washing dog beds is simple and can be broken down into simpler parts. The first step to washing a dog bed is to prep it.
Get Hair and Debris Out
Use a lint roller to get the accumulated hair, dead skin cells and dirt off the bed covers. Cutting down on some of the debris before putting it in the water can help speed up the process and ensure that your washing machine’s filters stay clean.
Since pet hair sticks to wet clothes, it is unlikely that your dog’s bed will come out clean if this step is skipped.
The tips are given in our article on How to Get Pet Hair Out of Your Clothes? can also be applied to the dog bed to get dry debris out of the covers.
Identify the Kind of Dog Bed
After getting rid of some of the accumulation on the bed, it is time to focus on the kind of dog bed covers to take the best possible steps forward.
Deal with Removable Bed Covers
If your dog’s bed has removable covers, it becomes extremely easy to clean. Cleaning just the covers once a week in the machine or hand washing under the tap is simpler.
Remove the covers and toss them into the washing machine or manually rub them under the tap using a large sink or basin. Ensure that your detergent is pet friendly to avoid irritation to your dog. The covers of dog beds must be washed separately from another load of laundry.
Wash the Bed
Now that the covers are removed, the bed underneath can be dealt with.
If the bed is machine wash safe, it can be tossed in at a high heat setting to kill all bacteria and parasites in any form. Check your bed after a cycle to ensure that the detergent has washed off, as any residual detergent can irritate your dog’s skin.
Air drying the bed is the easiest way, but if you have access to a dryer, run it on a gentle cycle with as low heat as possible without any dryer sheets or wool balls.
If the bed is not machine safe, it must be washed manually like a bed with non-removable covers.
How to Wash Non-Removable Bed Covers?
If your dog’s bed comes with non-removable covers, cleaning the covers and the bed itself is tackled in one process.
Keep a large basin with water if you don’t have access to a bath to do the same. This is to soak the bed. Before submerging it, add pet-safe detergent to the water. An average-sized bed can be soaked for 15 to 20 minutes.
Instructions regarding the soaking time can be provided by the manufacturer, which should be taken into consideration. Although difficult to handle, using hot water is the best way to ensure that bacteria and parasites are killed.
Getting any corners clean can be done using a soft-bristled toothbrush in a gentle circular motion.
Once you are satisfied with the cleaning, rinse off the bed in clean water. Follow up with air dry in a place that is not directly under the Sun.
Ensure that your dog’s bedding and bed covers are completely dry before allowing your dog to use them. A damp bed can cause a cold in dogs and promote the growth of bacteria, defeating the purpose of washing the bed.
How to Get Rid of Stains from Dog Beds?
While regular detergent can help in cleaning your dog’s bed, it may not necessarily help in getting stains caused due to faecal deposits or urination out of the bedding and covers.
For Regular Stains
Regular stains like dirt can be removed using the same nontoxic detergent on the specific spot. Stain removers like a DIY cleaner made using baking soda and vinegar can also be used. Gentle rubbing using a toothbrush, q tip, or using your fingers, which is not recommended, can easily remove such stains.
For Faecal or Urine Stains
These are stains that require more aggressive treatment to remove. Urine or faeces are bacteria-growing grounds that emit a foul odour.
Dealing with these requires a complete breakdown of the matter to prevent the bed from continuing to smell foul.
An enzymatic cleaner is a perfect solution for such stains that break down the urine or faeces, ending its foul smell.
How to Keep Dog Bed Clean?
Washing your pet’s bed is a necessary activity that must be undertaken at least once every two weeks. After washing the bed, it is also important to maintain it in good condition, which requires the following certain precautions to keep it as clean as possible.
- Use waterproof bed covers to keep any kind of organic matter defecated by your pet from penetrating the bed and causing a greater problem.
- Regular vacuuming can help keep hair shed from accumulating and being ingested or inhaled by your dog.
- Follow impeccable hygiene habits, especially after your dog returns from an outdoor play session. Keeping your pet’s paws and face clean is the most important aspect of keeping its bed from getting dirty.
- Air your pet’s bed regularly under the Sun. This does not necessarily have to be done after washing.
Following proper washing methods and using good quality toxin-free products can be the simple answer to how to wash a dog bed.
