How to Wash Your Dog Bed, Cat Bed, and Cover
The FurHaven Way to Wash Dog Bed Covers
We know that caring for any dog requires a lot of time and dedication. Daily training, walks, love, and affection. However, one often overlooked, yet one of the easiest components of caring for a dog is washing their dog bed. They sleep on it every night, tracking in dirt, dust, and smells from around your house, the yard, and their walk, making it a hot spot for germ collection. Washing the dog bed could be the key to improving your dog's quality of life and helping them to smell great between baths. But, do you know the best way to wash your Dog's bed? FurHaven's got you covered! (see what we did there?)
Why You Need to Wash Your Dogs Bed Cover
The germs your dog tracks in are probably getting brought to your pup's favorite place to snooze: their dog bed. Just like you bathe your dog on a regular basis or vacuum your home, your pup's dog bed cover needs to be cleaned as well
How often have you or a family member curled up in a soft and comfy FurHaven bed and then sat on your couch or climbed into bed for the night? Ever stopped to think about how many germs you might have transported out of the dog bed? From the number of tags we get on our Instagram, it happens daily. A regularly scheduled wash will help put a stop to the cloud of germs emanating from your dog's bed.
What Is The Best Way To Wash A Dog Bed?
The ideal way to wash your dog's bed is simple - especially with a FurHaven bed. Most of our beds have covers that you can unzip to remove the foam inserts from the inside, and most of our beds also come with a removable bolster, to make cleaning your cover and foam a breeze. FurHaven has two types of pet bed covers, indoor covers with soft and cozy fabrics, and indoor/outdoor covers with a water proof coating on a more durable canvas fabric. Each type has different care instructions.
Step-by-Step Dog Bed Cover Cleaning Guide for Indoor Dog Beds
- Unzip the cover and remove the foam and bolster
- Shake the bed cover outside to remove large dirt particles/hair
- Zip the bed cover back together
- Put in the washing machine on cold with unscented detergent. Never use bleach.
- Air dry, or tumble dry on low.
- Unzip and add back in the bed foam and bolster
- Voi La! Your pet bed is now clean
- BONUS: Add a water resistant liner to the foam to protect it for longer
We recommend that you give the covers a shake outside, making sure the cover is downwind so you don’t get a cloud of dog dander, dust and dirt whisked back toward you. This will remove large particles and most of the dog hair so you don’t put all that through your washing machine. We recommend washing your dog's bed cover in your washing machine using cold water every two to three weeks.
Pro Tip! If your bed bolster is looking a little tired or deflated you can remove it from the cover and gently massage it back to life. Do not ever place our bed bolsters in the dryer to 'fluff up'.
It’s incredibly important that before washing, you zip the cover back up to make sure it holds its shape. No need to turn inside out. Tumble drying the cover on low is okay, but we strongly recommend line drying. The extreme heat of your dryer can shorten the cozy fabric's life span.
Pro tip! Washing your dog's bed cover with baking soda is a great way to help absorb persistent odors.
Step-by-Step Dog Bed Cover Cleaning Guide for Outdoor Dog Beds
- Unzip the cover and remove the foam for inspection
- Shake out the bed cover to remove large dirt particles/hair
- Zip the bed back together
- Grab a towel and bucket of dilute detergent
- Wet the towel and wipe down the outside of the bed cover
- let air dry completely
- Voi La! Your pet bed is now clean
- BONUS: Add a water resistant liner to the foam to protect it for longer
You should never put our outdoor dog bed covers through the washing machine or the dryer as it will compromise the pet safe water proof coating applied to the canvas fabric. Only wipe down the outdoor bed covers with dilute detergent. Check out these two articles if you're looking for other cleaning alternatives, or want some more suggestions on what's safe and not safe around your pets during spring!
If your pup is extra dirty and you need to spot-treat the foam, we recommend using a dilute detergent solution and applying it with a damp cloth. DO NOT saturate the foam, and you should air dry the foam until it is 100% dry. For bathroom accidents, you can use a urine neutralizer, and spot-treat with a damp cloth. Our Orthopedic Foam will require the most drying time, where as our egg-crate and full support foam will dry the quickest.
What Detergent Should I Use To Wash My Dog's Bed?
FurHaven recommends using unscented detergent on anything belonging to your pup, as some essential oils can be harmful. The same goes when you throw it in the dryer. Do not use any scented dryer sheets, scent beads, or essential oils on wool dryer balls. We recommend using whatever brand of soap is available to you that matches your washing machine's specifications. You don’t have to use fancy tech washes or specialty dog bed soaps.
Furhaven Has the Easiest Dog Beds to Wash
The most common washing issue we see with other dog beds is the lack of a removable bolster. This makes washing and drying a hassle; FurHaven has fixed that problem! Most of our beds feature a soft and comfy removable bolster. This allows them to hold their shape, prolonging their life and the investment you have made for your pup. FurHaven’s mission is to provide the highest quality products to budget-friendly pet paw-rents.
We also sell extra liners and extra covers for most of our beds! These are a great way to refresh any bed you own, and keep the foam lasting as long as possible.
Our Extra Liners are made to be water-resistant and fit different mattress types, so we're bound to have an option that fits your Furhaven bed! New Covers are a great way to keep your bed lasting longer, and an easy way to refresh your space.
Check out our quiz to see which pet bed would be right for you and your pup!
Is Washing My Dogs Bed All I Need To Do?
If you want to go above and beyond in prolonging the life of your Furhaven bed, we recommend using our dog bed liners. Our water-resistant dog bed liners help reduce any moisture passed from your pup to the soft and comfy foam we use in our dog beds. We recommend using one of our water-resistant liners on any sofa, chaise, or luxe-style dog bed.
To prolong the life of the foam used in our dog beds, we recommend replacing the liner of the bed every 3 months, as dirt and dander from your dog will sift through the soft and comfy fabric.
We also recommend replacing your cover every 6 months or so, to ensure you still have a cozy spot for your furry friend!
If you are unsure what kind of FurHaven bed you have, please reference the care instructions on the hang tag of your product, or contact us at Hello@FurHaven.com.