How to clean a dog bed

Your dog is likely your best friend. At least, they’re the only friend that's always happy to see you, greeting you with a smile and a few wags of their tail. As a responsible pet owner, it's important that you return the love by curating the perfect home environment for them to enjoy. 

This means taking on some tasks that they are unable to do themselves (unless you’re a master pet trainer), such as cleaning their filthy dog bed. You must clean your dog's bed regularly as it could otherwise become a breeding ground for bacteria, dirt, fleas, tics, and of course, dog hair. It could also begin to smell rather bad. 

Despite this, a recent study has found that “one in 20 dog owners never wash the dog bed.” This is particularly alarming when you consider the different kinds of bacteria that can be found there, such as e. Coli and salmonella.

How to clean your dog's bed

If you’ve decided it's time to clean your dog’s bed, this guide will talk you through every step of the process.

What bed type does your dog have?

The method for cleaning your dog’s bed is dependent upon the type of bed you’ve purchased. After all, in most cases, you will need to deconstruct the bed ahead of time by carefully removing cushion covers. Of course, you should assess the wear and tear on the bed to decide whether it's in a cleanable condition, or if it’s time to do a little bit of shopping. 

If you aren’t sure where to get started when cleaning, take a look at the care label that is affixed to the bed. This should give you an idea of the steps you can take moving forward, such as whether (or not) the covers can be placed in the washing machine and dryer, or if you need to hand wash the materials. If you’re worried about damaging the bed, or can no longer read the label, take your dog’s bed to a trusted dry cleaner who can do the dirty work on your behalf.

Pre-treatment & Stain Removal

The first step of cleaning your dog's bed is the pre-treatment phase, which will work to remove any deep stains, such as dirt, urine, or other bodily fluids, from the bed. This gives you a better chance of an excellent clean overall. 

You should begin by vacuuming or dusting the bed, as this will clean away a lot of the dust so you have a better idea of what you are working with. Dust removal is also important as it can make your dog sick, leading to “coughing, runny eyes and nose, and difficulty breathing.” It could also make any allergies they may be dealing with worse, particularly during peak allergy seasons. 

Once you’ve vacuumed, it's time to target those difficult stains. In some cases, you may need to buy specialist products to achieve this goal, especially if the stains have been present for a while. However, you may also be able to use natural products that already have lying around your home. For example, you could rub or massage a small amount of white cider vinegar into the fabric to lift stains. Ideally, you should opt for fragrance-free products, as dogs often have sensitivities to certain scents or smells.

You may also want to purchase some other products to make the cleaning process a little easier, such as brushes that are specially designed to pick up fine dogs' hairs and fur. This will make it much easier than trying to remove these hairs alone -as any pet owner can attest they are EVERYWHERE. You may also want to purchase cleaning sponges which can be used to help you when dealing with tougher stains.

Cleaning the bed cover

The next step of the process is cleaning the bed cover itself. 

To do so, carefully remove the cover from the bed and place it in the washing machine. Ideally, you should wash the bed cover at a relatively high temperature, so that you can kill off any of the bacteria present. However, as mentioned above, while you may want your bedding to smell of flowers and fruits, it's best to use unscented products on your dog’s belongings.

How to wash a dog bed

1. Read the label carefully to see whether or not your bed or bed cover is machine washable.

2. Choose a fragrance-free or lightly fragranced detergent, ensuring that all ingredients are present.

3. Choose a fragrance-free or light fragranced softener (though this isn’t a necessity).

4. Wash at a warm temperature, on the cycle, you usually wash your own bedding or cushion covers on.

5. Check to ensure all soap is removed, and place the bedding on the line to air-dry, or in the dryer if you’re short on time (and your bedding is dryer-friendly).

If you’re looking for information on how to clean washing machine after washing dog bed, don’t worry. Your washing machine will be ready to use right away, though for peace of mind you could add a small amount of white cider vinegar or soap to the machine and put this through on a simple rinse cycle. This will work to remove any potential contaminants from the machine before you put your own laundry in.

How to hand wash your dogs bed

If you’re trying to learn how to clean dog bed without washing machine, you could always try hand-washing the bed.

1. Read the label carefully to see whether or not your bed or bed cover is machine washable.

2. Add in any detergent, softener, and cleaning products.

3. Place the bedding or bed covers in the water, and leave to soak for around 15 minutes.

4. Use specialist products and brushes to remove tough, gritty stains.

5. Rinse with cold water, ensuring that all soap and detergent is completely removed.

6. Place bedding on line to dry.

How to dry your dogs bed

There are two ways to dry your dog’s bedding. For example, you could place it in the dryer to save time and energy. However, you should check whether your bed is dryer-friendly, as it could otherwise cause the cover to shrink, making it unusable. Alternatively, you could dry your dog's bedding on the line.

Tips for an excellent clean

Ready to start cleaning your dog bed? Here are some top tips that you can use to make the process a little easier! 

• Ask fellow pet parents for tips on which products to use. 
• Buy lightly scented or unscented cleaning products with pet-friendly ingredients. 
• Avoid products with potentially hazardous ingredients, such as ammonia, or scents such as tea tree, cinnamon, and peppermint. 
• Try to make use of products you already have at home, such as white wine vinegar and baking soda. 
• Don’t forget to clean any blankets or towels you use for your dogs too.
• Focus on keeping your dog’s bed cleaner for longer by keeping your dog clean too. 

Need some help?

As you can probably tell, the process of cleaning a dog bed isn’t straightforward, and can even be a little time-consuming. As a result, if you need to fit this task in alongside the rest of your daily duties, it's easy to feel a little overwhelmed. That’s where we come in! 

At Five Elms Dry Cleaners, our dry cleaning services are not only for our human friends but our four-legged ones too! Get in touch today, and we’d be happy to come by and collect your bedding and return it to your door.

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