How Often Should You Wash Your Dog's Bed?
For the optimal health and well-being of your pet, as a general rule your dog or cat’s bed should be given a wash every 1-2 weeks. This means ideally finding a bed that is able to be taken apart and machine washed.
The frequency of washes may need to be higher than this, depending on a number of factors, including:
- How much your pet sheds their hair;
- How often their bed is used- they may have a few around the house or outside;
- If your pet or any family members have allergies - resulting in the need for more frequent washes;
- How clean your pet is kept.
Washable Dog Beds
There are all sorts of pet beds on the market- ranging from cheap, cute and fluffy, to novelty or trend designs, to higher price tags with design technology and high functionality. One thing to keep in mind is the bed’s durability - many are not made for washing but are destined quickly for landfill. To avoid this unnecessary harm to the planet and waste of money, find a bed that has washable covers AND fill, that uses durable furnishing-grade fabrics and high-quality workmanship, so the bed doesn’t fall apart in the wash.
This Calming Cuddler is a donut-shaped pet bed, fully machine washable, made in Australia and comes with a repair service and re-homing scheme. It is also rated with 5 stars, and is so popular due to its quality fabrication and calming, cosy nature, which pets absolutely adore.
Snooza have a wide range of washable dog and cat beds that suit the needs of any breed, size or life stage.
Airing & Sunshine
If your pet bed contains foam or other materials which can’t be put through the washing machine, you can keep these clean by spot-cleaning by hand as needed, and then placing outdoors in the sun to dry. The sun’s light is anti-bacterial and can help to kill off any bugs or dust-mites breeding in the bed.
This is a handy tip if you are time-poor (aren’t we all??) - in-between full washes, you can place the whole bed outdoors, or ideally, take out the inserts and place all parts in the sun. Even if it isn’t a sunny day, airing the bed can significantly reduce the odours.
Keeping Your Dog Clean = a Cleaner Bed
Of course, if your dog is outdoors every day and bringing the dirt back indoors, their bed is going to need extra attention. Keeping your pet as clean as possible before they come back inside to rest on their bed is going to reduce the need to wash it so frequently, which will also help to prolong the life of the bed.
Cleansing Wipes
Pet wipes are an excellent way to keep coats fresh quickly inbetween washes. These Skin & Coat Care wipes are great for cleansing the surface dirt of your dog's coat, their ears, paws and base of tail. Use wipes as soon as you arrive home from each outing, and then brush your dog for a shiny and clean coat.
Mats
Using an effective mat at your front door, or wherever your dog usually enters the house, or in the back of your car, is recommended to keep dirt from being tracked through the house and straight into their bed. Encouraging your dog to ‘paws’ and wait for you as they enter will set up a good habit, where you gently wipe their paw pads onto the mat to absorb extra moisture or dirt. The SupaDry Noodle Mat is amazing as it can absorb 8 X it’s own weight in water!
Mitts / Towels
Dry your pet down with an absorbent towel or mitts, such as the SupaDry Noodle Mitt, removing excess water and dirt before they get back into bed. Using an effective towel or mitt after their bath time is also crucial so there is no residual moisture left in their coat once they hop into bed,
Quick Tips
Protective Dog Blanket
A great way to prolong the life of your pet bed and your furniture is to invest in a durable, cosy pet blanket. You can drape it over your pet's bed, or your couch, bed or car seats for both their comfort and the protection from fur and dirt. Because they are easy to throw into the wash, they are a great way to maintain your dog’s favourite sleeping spot.
If your pet is more senior, convalescing or coming inside wet, you can use a waterproof blanket to protect your couch or their bed. This Dry Luxe waterproof blanket is extra comfortable for your pet made with double-sided plush fabric, and is fully machine washable.
Quick Tips to Keep Your Pet's Bed Fresher
- Bedding & linen refresh spray
- Portable vacuum (can sprinkle on bi-carb soda first)
- Pet hair removal brush
- Lint brush / Tape roller
- Shake dust off bed outside
Replaceable Covers & Parts
Buy a bed that provides replaceable covers, fill and foam, so that when one part wears out, it doesn't mean the whole bed is wasted. Having a spare set of covers is ideal for when the bed covers are going through the wash, your pet still has a complete bed to rest in while they wait.
Snooza provides spare cover sets for most beds, and extra Snoozafill, made from recycled PET drink bottles and Australian foam crumb, to top up the inserts if they need extra plumping.
Repairing
Your dog might be a bit of a chewer, or your pet's bed may be just old and worn. But before you throw it into landfill, ask yourself "Can this be fixed?'
Snooza offers a repair service for any Snooza bed, but it may be some simple hand-stitching that you can do yourself or a trip to the local alterations service that keeps your pet's bed going another year or two.
Together, we can help to reduce landfill while keeping your pet's bed fresh - caring for our planet and for our pets!