You change your own sheets regularly, but when was the last time you washed your dog’s bed? If it’s been a while, you’ll want to start the washing machine. Although easy to overlook, a clean bed is important for a healthy pup, a clean household, and a healthy family.
Dirty Beds & Health Risks A dirty dog bed can pose a health risk by harbouring bacteria and potentially other parasites, like fleas or mites.
Once snuggled into the bed, pathogens and parasites can become a bigger problem. For example, flea eggs can fall out of your dog’s coat and into his bed where they hatch and mature. Intestinal parasites, like tapeworm segments, can end up in a dog’s bed, as can the fungal spores that cause ringworm.
A dirty dog bed can negatively affect the humans in your home, as well. Any bugs that attack your pet will have no problem sucking your blood, too.
When to Wash Your Dog’s Bed Dog beds need to be washed routinely to keep them clean and smelling fresh. The exact frequency will depend on how much your dog sheds, how much dirt he brings into the house with him and if he has a health problem that requires environmental decontamination. In general, removing the cover from your dog’s bed and washing it every few weeks should suffice.
If your dog spends a lot of time outdoors or has a love for mud puddles, plan to wash his bed more frequently. You may need to have a few extra dog beds on hand to rotate, as you will need to clean the bed as often as every few days.
Dog Bed Cleaning Tips & Tricks Always check the label of your dog’s bed for washing instructions, as to not ruin the fill or the fabric. Once in the washer, crank up the heat. Wash and dry your dog’s bed on the highest temperature setting possible to kill germs and parasites. If you dog’s bed smells practically bad or if you have missed a few washes, consider adding Eucalyptus oil in the wash. A cap full should do the trick. Furthermore, if your pup has sensitive skin, consider using an unscented or hypoallergenic detergent.
Benefits of using Rinse & Repeat for Animal Linen If this seems too hard for your household washing machine, or if you don’t want to wash in the same machine as your clothes, consider using Rinse & Repeat to get the job done. Onsite you will find a dedicated 10kg & 14kg washing machine for animal garments only. This ensures none of our other machines have pet hair in them. As recommended above, using a hot wash in the animal machine will cost $9 & $12 respectfully. Our pricing also includes auto injected hypoallergenic detergent, so it is perfect for all sensitive skin types. Then use a hot tumble dry cycle to kill any remaining bacteria.