How to Wash a Dog Bed (and Cat Bed) Without Ruining It

To wash a dog bed without ruining it, check the care tag first, then vacuum or shake off loose hair, spot treat stains, and machine wash the removable cover on a cold or warm gentle cycle with a mild, fragrance-free detergent. Wash the inner cushion only if the tag allows it; otherwise spot clean it and air it out. Skip fabric softener and bleach, and dry on low heat or air dry completely before reassembling the bed. Woven and rattan nests should never go in the machine: brush them out, wipe them with a damp cloth, and dry them in the shade. Wash bedding every one to two weeks.

We're a cat household, so most of our bed washing happens on cat beds. Ai has a plush nest that collects an astonishing amount of hair in a week, and Dudu's bed is where every bit of litter dust ends up. The dog side of this comes from helping friends whose dogs have destroyed a few beds in the wash. The principles are the same; a dog bed is just bigger, dirtier, and much heavier when wet.

Why do pet beds get ruined in the wash?

Almost every wrecked pet bed we've seen died of one of four things:

• Hot water and a hot dryer. Heat shrinks plush covers, melts foam, and clumps polyester fill into hard lumps that never fluff back out.
• Washing the whole bed when only the cover was washable. Foam and fiberfill soak up water, tear when the drum spins, and take days to dry, which is how a bed ends up smelling worse than before.
• Too much detergent or fabric softener. Softener coats the fibers and traps odor; excess detergent leaves a residue that pets lick and that attracts dirt.
• Not drying all the way. A cushion that's still damp in the middle grows mildew fast, especially in humid weather like ours.

How do you wash a plush dog bed step by step?

This is the routine for a plush bed with a fabric cover, like the soft plush pet bed or the plaid pattern plush sofa pet bed.

1. Read the tag. It tells you whether the cover comes off, what temperature is safe, and whether the inner cushion can be washed. When in doubt, treat it as cover-only.
2. Remove the hair. Vacuum with an upholstery attachment, or go over it with a rubber glove or a pet hair remover. Hair that goes into the washer clogs the drain and ends up on everything else in the load.
3. Spot treat. Dab urine, mud, or drool stains with an enzyme cleaner made for pet messes and let it sit for ten to fifteen minutes. Enzyme cleaners break down the smell instead of covering it.
4. Wash the cover. Zip it closed, turn it inside out, and run a gentle cycle in cold or warm water with a small amount of mild detergent. Add an extra rinse if your machine has one.
5. Wash the cushion only if allowed. If the tag says the insert is machine washable, use a front-loader or a large top-loader without an agitator, cold water, gentle cycle. If it isn't, spot clean and set it in the sun for an afternoon.
6. Dry gently. Tumble dry on low with a couple of clean tennis balls or dryer balls to keep the fill from clumping, or lay it flat in the shade. Make sure the center is fully dry before reassembling.

How do you wash a bed that doesn't have a removable cover?

Many small beds and mats are one piece. A flat mat like the cute paw shape plush pet mat is usually the easiest kind to handle because there's no thick cushion to soak through.

• Thin mats and pads: shake out, then machine wash on gentle in a mesh laundry bag or a pillowcase, cold water, and dry flat or on low. Reshape while damp.
• One-piece plush beds with sewn-in fill: hand wash in a tub of cool water with a little detergent, squeeze (don't wring), rinse until the water runs clear, press out as much water as you can with towels, then air dry over a rack so air reaches both sides.
• Memory foam or thick foam: never machine wash. Sponge the surface with diluted detergent, rinse with a damp cloth, and air dry completely. It can take two days.

How do you clean a woven or rattan nest?

Woven and rattan beds are a different job. Water soaks into the fibers, makes them swell and loosen, and they can go moldy from the inside. A basket-style bed like the woven pet nest gets cleaned, not washed.

1. Remove any cushion or liner and wash that separately following the steps above.
2. Vacuum the weave with a brush attachment, working in the direction of the strands. A dry toothbrush gets hair out of the corners.
3. Wipe with a barely damp cloth and a drop of mild soap. Wring the cloth out well. Don't soak the basket.
4. Deodorize by sprinkling baking soda inside, leaving it for an hour, and vacuuming it out.
5. Dry in a shaded, airy spot. Direct sun for hours can make natural fibers brittle; a breezy lanai is ideal.

How often should you wash a dog bed?

Every one to two weeks for the cover, and monthly for the inner cushion if it's washable. Wash sooner if the dog swims, gets muddy, has fleas, or if the bed starts to smell. A quick shake-out and a pass with a hair remover every few days stretches the time between full washes. If you're shopping for a new bed and want one that's easy to keep clean, look for a zip-off cover, and check what size dog bed do I need so the cover fits the machine as well as the dog.

FAQ

Can you put a dog bed in the washing machine?

The cover, almost always, on a gentle cold cycle. The inner cushion only if the care tag says so and your machine is large enough for it to move freely. Foam inserts and woven or rattan beds should never go in the machine; spot clean them and air dry instead.

What detergent is safe for washing pet beds?

A mild, fragrance-free, dye-free detergent used at about half the normal amount, with an extra rinse. Skip fabric softener, bleach, and heavily scented products. Strong fragrances can put a pet off their bed, and leftover residue is something they'll end up licking. Enzyme cleaners are good for spot treating stains and odor.

How do you get the dog smell out of a bed?

Wash the cover with an enzyme cleaner or a half cup of white vinegar added to the rinse, dry it fully, and air the cushion in the sun for an afternoon. Baking soda sprinkled on and vacuumed off helps with foam and woven beds. If the smell comes back within days, the cushion is holding moisture and needs replacing.

Quick recap

To wash a dog bed or cat bed without ruining it, read the tag, remove the hair, spot treat with an enzyme cleaner, wash the cover on a gentle cold cycle with mild detergent, wash the cushion only if the tag allows, and dry on low or in the shade until it's completely dry. Woven and rattan nests get vacuumed and wiped, never soaked. Find plush beds, mats, and woven nests in our home & bedding collection. Orders over $75 ship free.