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There are lots of benefits of sharing your home with a dog, but the extra dirt they generate might not be one of them. While hoovering up hairs may become part of your daily routine, it’s not uncommon to overlook your dog’s bed and let it go weeks without a wash. However, given that these sleeping spots can be havens for fur, fleas, and undesirable germs, learning how to wash a dog’s bed properly and adding the task to your regular cleaning calendar makes sense.
Why You Should Wash Your Dog’s Bed
Washing your dog’s bed does more than remove funky odors—it can have health benefits for the whole family.
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Control allergies: Research shows a buildup of dander and dust mites in dog beds could exacerbate allergies, especially if your dog sleeps close to you in your bedroom or under your work-from-home desk.
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Keep parasites at bay: Dog sleeping spots can harbor fast-spreading fleas, roundworms, ticks, mange-causing mites and other external parasites. One study found fleas in 14% of pets’ sleeping places, even though it was conducted well outside the prime flea season. Fleas mainly produce eggs at night, so dog beds can quickly become heavily infested.
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Better for your dog’s health: Lying in a grimy bed increases the chance of your dog picking up an infection, especially if they have cuts or other open wounds.
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Reduce the risk of spreading disease: Studies show zoonotic diseases (those that can pass from animals to humans) and harmful bacteria can spread through contact with infected dog beds. These include Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus and Leptospirosis.
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Increase the bed’s lifespan: By ridding a buildup of coat oils, fur, odors, residue from treat toys or chews, and other grime.
How Often Should You Wash Your Dog’s Bedding?
There are no hard and fast rules regarding how often you should wash your dog’s bedding. However, the authors of a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal and the CDC recommend washing your dog’s bedding weekly to reduce the risk of spreading parasites or zoonoses. The guidance from the EPA is to deep clean dog beds every two to three weeks to help control flea infestations.
How often your dog sleeps in their bed, the material it’s made from, the type of coat your dog has, what they get up to outdoors, and whether any family members have allergies are some factors that can influence cleaning frequency. The fluffy bed of an oily-coated, heavy-shedding Labrador Retriever that loves to swim in muddy ponds and roll in fox poop will need more frequent cleaning than the water-resistant bed of a minimal-shedding Poodle that skirts around puddles to avoid getting their paws wet or dirty, for example.
How to Wash Your Dog’s Bed
How you wash your dog’s bed depends on its material, size, the manufacturer’s instructions, and how dirty it is. Here are a few easy ways to clean a dog bed:
Remove Excess Hair
Mixing dog hair with water causes it to clump up and clog your machine, so before and in between washings, vacuum the surface, crevices and sides of the bed with a pet hair vacuum or a pet hair remover tool. Use a lint roller or masking tape, or wear rubber or latex gloves, and wipe the bed to lift the remaining hair.
Put It in the Washing Machine
Dog blankets and soft beds are typically best put in a washing machine—if they fit and the label allows it. High-temperature programs can kill germs and parasites and provide a deep clean.
Use a fragrance-free, pet-friendly detergent. If you have concerns about hair causing washing machine clogs, purchase a dog bed laundry bag to keep them contained. After the program is complete, check the filter and wipe the rubber seal to remove any debris or hair.
If the bed is very dirty, consider running an empty cycle afterwards to remove lingering odors. Put 1 or 2 cups of white vinegar and a 1/2 cup of bicarbonate of soda into the dispenser.
Air drying is usually best, as some bed fillings can clump in the dryer. Wait until thick, fiber-filled beds are fully dry before allowing your dog to snuggle back into them. A damp bed encourages mold and mildew formation.
Clean With Soapy Water
For plastic beds or other materials that can’t go into the machine, wash them with warm, soapy water. Place the bed in a bathtub (if that isn’t big enough, try an outdoor children’s pool). Fill the container with warm water, pet-safe laundry detergent, and a cup of vinegar. Squeeze and knead soft beds in the water repeatedly or scrub plastic beds thoroughly with a sponge. Empty the tub and rinse the bed until the soap is gone, then thoroughly disinfect the tub.
Where possible, avoid washing pet beds in sinks as this can spread germs to this food prep area.
What Dog Beds or Bedding Are Easiest to Keep Clean?
Choosing the right dog bed or bedding can make the washing process easier. Some options include:
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Plastic dog beds, which are probably the easiest to clean option and won’t harbor hairs, smells, or parasites the way fiber-filled, fluffy beds will. However, some dogs don’t find them snuggly enough, even with cozy blankets or a cushion lining their base.
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Elevated dog beds. These beds are typically built on a metal frame and featuring a wipe-clean fabric that stretches across the frame like a taut hammock.
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Dog blankets, which are ideal for covering a bed, especially if your dog sheds heavily or has an oily, smelly coat. They offer extra protection, meaning you can often wash the blankets weekly and the bulky bed slightly less frequently.
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Beds with removable covers. Removable bed covers are another option that might allow you to wash the main bed less frequently, especially if you opt for a waterproof type. You can easily pop these in the washing machine and can often go in the dryer. Even if they require air-drying, a cover won’t take nearly as long to wash as a thick, fiber-filled cushion.
When Is a Dog Bed Too Dirty for Cleaning?
Over time, washing might not vanquish ingrained dirt, stains and odors as well. If your dog’s old bed still smells funky after washing and doesn’t look its best, it might be time to invest in a new one. The EPA also recommends discarding your dog’s bedding if it’s heavily infested with fleas.