How to wash a dog bed
Looking to wash a dog bed? To start with, dogs need a nice and clean spot to sleep on—it’s good to keep the dog’s bed clean and tidy so that your dog and family don’t catch infections. Therefore, you’ll need to wash your dog’s bedding often. Many dogs drool and get their dirty paws on the bed, especially if you have one of those playful breeds that just won’t settle down. Dog hairs also cut loose every day and are usually deposited on the surface of the dog bed over time.
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When all the dirt and stains accumulate on the dog bedding, they begin to form bad odors that attract a number of pests and these may cause infections on your dog as well as your family. Cleaning dog beddings gets rid of the filth and makes the dog’s sleeping environment healthy and safe.
So, which is the best way to wash foam dog beds?
Before we even get on how to wash a dog bed, the big question here is “what material is the dog bed made of?”. Different dog beds are made of different fabrics and some of them may need special cleaning so as not to mess up the material in the process of cleaning it. For instance, there are fabrics that can be cleaned by washing machines while others are best cleaned by hand in warm water, you see? So, it is advisable to take a keen look at the manufacturer’s instructions on how to clean the dog bed before you start washing it to avoid damages on your memory foam dog bed.
Here are some tips on how to clean your Foam dog bed.
Basic tips
- Always read the manufacturers’ guide before washing.
- If the bed has bad odors you can add vinegar to the water.
- For tough stains, you can use a stain remover.
Items for washing your foam bed
- Pet-safe detergent
- Pet odor eliminator
- Washing machine
- Stain remover
- Warm water
On using a stain remover
You’ll need to remove all tough stains—if any; you can do this using an appropriate a pet-safe stain remover. After you’ve removed all the stains on the bed, you can begin the process of washing your bed.
- Remove the cover
If yours has a removable dog bed cover, it probably has a zipper that you can open to uncover the foam. If the cover is machine washable, toss it into the washer, if not, wash it by hand.
- On using a washing machine
If you have a washing machine you can use it to clean the foam and the bed cover. Add warm water and detergent and allow the bed to tumble back and forth in the washing machine. Just ensure the speeds are moderate to minimize the chances of wear and tear.
- Use clean-in-a-washer then clean by hand wash
After washing the bed in the washing machine for a few minutes or so, and the stains persist, you can switch to using your hands. Hands target specific spots better than the machine wash would. This will guarantee a spotless and near new look on your dog bed. Furthermore, you can entirely use your hands to wash the foam bed if you don’t have a washing machine and be sure to target the stains.
- Rinse the cover and foam
Before you dry the bed, you should always ensure there is no soap or detergent on the bed as this may cause damage to the fabric in the long term. Therefore, you should rinse the bed multiple times until there is no soap bubble forming on the water. Each turn you rinse the bed you should squeeze all the water out.
- Leave the cover and foam to dry
You can use a dryer or leave it out in the sun to dry naturally. If using a dryer, ensure the heat is moderate as excessive heat could damage the memory foam or stretch the cover excessively. On removing the dog bed from the dryer, leave it out in the sun for a day to dry out the damp edges. Then, put the foam back in to the mattress cover.
- Use a scent (optional)
To add some fragrance to your dog bed, use a scented detergent. The sweet scent will give your dog a safe and comfortable spot. You can use any type of fragrance as long as it matches your needs. If you prefer spraying some perfume that your dog loves, so be it—just take care not to spray too much of it.
Conclusion
Keeping your dog beds clean can be a daunting task especially if your dog sheds off a lot of hair or dirties up the bed often. Special care has to be taken to ensure that the bed is cleaned to precision. This will ensure that the dog is safe on the bed and that the bed stays around longer. We hope you found this post on how to wash foam dog beds helpful. For more information on dogs and dog beds, please feel free to get in touch with us.