Everyone who owns a pet treats them as a family member, and keeping their beds cleans a simple way of showing your love for them. A clean dog bed is not only important for your dog, but it is also very important for your health.
Unlike humans, dogs cannot be bathed every day, and they get dirty very quickly. The only place that a dog spends most of its time is the dog bed. Over time the dog bed collects different germs and bacteria that are harmful to the dog and you.
Sure, you rarely come into contact with the dog bed, but your dogs carry the same germs and can prove to be harmful. Washing a dog’s bed is very easy, and you can easily clean it with a few simple steps.
Are Dog Beds Washable?
Fortunately, the answer to your question is yes. Washing a dog bed is very important, and it should be washed every other week, if not every week. Cleaning a dog bed is very easy, especially dog beds that have removable covers.
Here is a guide on how to clean different types of dog beds.
Guide for Cleaning a Dog Bed:
When it comes to bog beds, they are divided into two types: beds with removable covers and ones with non-removable covers. In this article, we will discuss how to clean both types of dog beds.
How to Clean a Dog Bed With Non-Removable Covers?
Unlike dog beds with removable covers, these types of dog beds can become a bit of a challenge. Some people might be thinking that a simple vacuum cleaning is enough and don’t think about invisible germs.
Here is a step-by-step process of cleaning a dog bed.
Vacuum Cleaning:
Clean the dog bed by using a vacuum cleaner to clean hairs and dirt that have accumulated on the bed. It is very important that you do this process thoroughly and removes as much dirt and hair as possible from the bed.
When vacuuming a dog bed, it is highly recommended to use a head attachment as spaces between seams and padding can be hard to get to. In some cases, the dog hair gets tangled with the fibers, so use a brush to help loosen up the hair and other dirt and debris and vacuum the bed.
Cleaning Stain Spots:
Before you soak the dog bed in warm water, it is advised that you wash off major stains. Unlike hairs and dirt, stains caused by drool and Pee can be hard to remove and need cleaning at a deeper level.
More often than not, people don’t really bother cleaning the stains, and they end up becoming that much harder to remove later. For cleaning these stains, use a towel and an enzyme cleaner to rub the affected area thoroughly.
NOTE: When using any kind of cleanser, make sure to follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
Soak in Warm Water:
Once you have cleaned major stains, submerge the dog bed in warm water. Use a pet-friendly soap to clean the bed thoroughly to kill all the bacteria as well as ticks that might have found their way into the fibers.
Make sure that you have a large tub and fill to the point where the whole dog bed will be submerged. When it comes to how strong the leather should be, that depends on how dirty the dog bed is and what kind of cleaning it requires.
Once the soap leather has been formed, submerge the dog bed in it for 10 to 15 minutes. You can also use your hands to press the dog bed that helps in releasing trapped dirt. If the dog bed is very dirty, the water will turn brown at this point, remove the old water and replace it with clean soapy water.
Dip the dog bed for another 5 minutes in the fresh batch for a perfect clean.
Scrub the Dog Bed With Baking Soda:
Even out of the kitchen, baking soda has a lot of useful features, one of which is getting rid of any bad smell that might have remained on the bed. Take the bed out of the warm water and scrub it down with baking soda.
Baking soda helps remove any foul smells as well as reduces strong fragrance, which might cause trouble for some dogs.
NOTE: Make sure that you keep a toothbrush handy when cleaning with baking soda as some spots are hard to get to, and they can also be used to scrub.
Dry:
Once you have thoroughly cleaned the dog bed with baking soda, rinse it with water and make sure that you get every last bit of baking soda out of the fibers. Now squeeze a section of the dog bed with your hands to remove excess water.
Repeat this process until almost all the water is squeezed out (the more you can squeeze out the water, the faster it will dry). After squeezing out excess water, place the dog bed on a mat somewhere where it gets a lot of air and sunlight.
How to Clean Dog Bed With Removable Cover?
There are a lot of dog beds that have a removable cover on them that protects the inner stuffing from stains and makes cleaning easy. These covers are easy to clean in a washing machine with non-toxic detergent.
When washing a cover in the washing machine, make sure to follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer. In most cases, the instructions are provided on a tab that is attached to the cover.
NOTE: Not all removable covers are safe to be washed in a washing machine; in such cases, you must wash the cover by hand. Though it takes longer to wash the covers at the same time, it is more effective at removing bacteria and dirt.
How to Wash Removable Covers That Cannot Be Washed in a Washing Machine?
Here is a simple step-by-step guide on how to wash a removable dog bed cover that cannot be washed in the washing machine.
- Before removing the cover from the bed, thoroughly clean it with a vacuum to remove any hairs and loose dirt particles.
- Fill a tub with warm water and add a fourth of a cup of baking soda. Baking soda helps in removing bad odors from the cover.
- Mix up the baking soda in warm water and soak the cover for 10 to 15 minutes.
- For stains that are harder to remove, use a non-toxic stain remover. Simply apply the remover to the effects area and rub it with a towel.
- Rinse the cover with warm water and clean it with a laundry cleaner.
- Rinse the cover again to remove all the leather chemicals from the cover.
- Squeeze out as much water as you can from the cover and hang it on a sunny and windy area.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can you quickly wash a dog bed?
If the bed has a removable cover that can be washed easily in a washing machine, but for non-removable cover dog beds, you will have to clean them by hand.
Can dog beds with memory foam be washed?
Yes, you can wash dog beds with memory foam. Use a lint roller for removing dog hair and wash the removable cover in a washing machine.
Conclusion:
Cleanliness is very important for not only keeping your pet healthy but you as well. Over time the dog bed collects a wide number of bacteria and dirt which can cause serious problems if not cleaned.
Follow the above-given guide to clean a dog bed easily and effectively.
