Summary
Keep your dog healthy and their bed fresh by washing it regularly! Aim for at least bi-weekly washes to remove dirt, hair, allergens, and parasites. For machine-washable beds or covers, use a pet-friendly detergent on a gentle cycle. Hand-wash non-removable covers in a tub with pet-safe detergent. For tough stains like urine, pre-treat with an enzymatic cleaner. Always check care instructions and ensure thorough drying to prevent bacteria growth. Regular vacuuming and using waterproof covers can also help maintain cleanliness. A clean bed contributes significantly to your dog’s hygiene and overall well-being.
Cleaning Dogs Bed: Is it Okay to Wash a Dog Bed?
Keeping a pet dog at the vet’s clean is a primary responsibility for any dog parent. While dogs spend much time licking themselves throughout the day, they are pretty good at keeping themselves clean.
However, more is needed to leave their hygiene up to themselves, so shampooing and bathing your dog are recommended.
Keeping a clean dog in a dirty environment wastes time, energy, and resources. Keeping your dog’s bed clean will help maintain your dog’s hygiene and prevent diseases caused by unsanitary situations.
Washing dog beds is not tricky; it can be done using a washing machine if the bed has removable covers. Spot cleaning is also possible, and a vacuum is encouraged, depending on your dog’s bed quality.
Washing dog beds can even help eliminate fecal stains, dead skin cells, and odor, 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 has instructions regarding washing and care that should 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 dust off any built-up debris, which 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 only sometimes urinate in the house. This may be due to marking behavior, 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 odor 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 save your money and time that may have to be spent on taking your dog to the vet and keeping it from the pain and suffering of being ill.
Equipment Safe for Washing Dog Beds
Washing dog beds is a relatively easy activity. You only need a washing machine, 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 cleaning 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 some debris before putting it in the water can help speed up the process and ensure 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.
Our article on How to Get Pet Hair Out of Your Clothes gives tips. It can also be applied to the dog bed to remove dry debris from the covers.
Identify the Kind of Dog Bed
After removing 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, cleaning is effortless. Cleaning the covers once a week in the machine or hand washing under the tap is more straightforward.
Remove the covers, 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 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 can access 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.
The manufacturer can provide instructions regarding the soaking time, which should be considered. Although difficult to handle, using hot water is the best way to ensure that bacteria and parasites are killed.
Clean corners can be cleaned using a soft-bristled toothbrush in a gentle circular motion.
Once you are satisfied with the cleaning, rinse off the bed with clean water. Follow up with air dry in a place not directly under the Sun.
Ensure your dog’s bedding and covers are completely dry before using 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 clean your dog’s bed, it may not necessarily help get stains caused by fecal 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 DIY cleaners made using baking soda and vinegar can also be used. Gentle rubbing using a toothbrush, q tip, or 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 feces are bacteria-growing grounds that emit a foul odor.
Dealing with these requires a complete breakdown to prevent the bed from continuing to smell foul.
An enzymatic cleaner is a perfect solution for stains that break down the urine or feces, 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 essential to maintain it in good condition, which requires certain precautions to keep it as clean as possible.
- Use waterproof bed covers to keep any organic matter defecated by your pet from penetrating the bed and causing a more significant problem.
- Regular vacuuming can help keep hair shed from accumulating and 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 critical to 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’s bed.
