Dog and pet beds are covered in stains, dirt, and fur, and are a breeding ground for odor-causing bacteria. Many pet owners actually forgo pet beds entirely as they can become too cumbersome to maintain. Indeed, washing and cleaning pet beds is often confusing, difficult, and time-consuming.
But before doing away with a bed for your furry friend, check out this quick guide on how to wash your dog and pet beds, and keep them clean. We’ve made it clear, easy, and fast – just the way we like it!
Note: Before proceeding with the advice below, always check your manufacturer’s labels for cleaning instructions related to your specific products.
1. Remove all loose dirt and fur by vacuuming.
Make sure your pet or dog bed is still dry when you are vacuuming. Alternatively, you could take it outside and shake it out, then use a lint roller or tape to pick up the remaining fur.
2. Treat and clean the stains.
Treating stains prior to washing your dog bed is important. Once the fabric becomes wet, stains may become more stubborn and difficult to remove. Use a HEX Performance Stain & Stink Remover Spray. It’s designed to penetrate the synthetic fabrics used in most dog and pet beds. Simply spray on or around the stain and gently work the solution into the fabric. Let it rest for 15 minutes, and then move onto the next step.
3. Wash your pet or dog bed.
If your pet or dog bed has a removable cover, this is the time to remove it. Turn the cover inside out and place it in the washing machine. If your washing instructions permit, put the whole bed in the washing machine. Wash on gentle cycle in warm water with 1 oz. of HEX Performance Laundry Detergent. It’s made to penetrate and clean the tight-knit fabrics used in pet and dog beds with no harsh chemicals or skin-irritants. Plus, nothing works better at killing pet bed odors.
If you need to hand-wash your pet or dog bed, create a mixture with the ratio of one tablespoon of HEX Detergent per 1 Gallon of warm water. Submerge the pet bed for 15 minutes, agitating the materials to get out all of the dirt and bacteria. Be sure to rinse thoroughly.
4. Air Dry or Tumble Dry
In general, we recommend air drying pet and dog beds to eliminate the risk of hurting the fabric and fit. With air drying, squeeze all of the excess water. Lay out until completely dry. Do not dry in the sun or near a heat source as this could damage the pet bed materials and affect it’s look, fit, feel, and longevity.
If your manufacturer instructions allow for tumble drying, hallelujah! Toss your pet bed in the dryer with a fragrance-free HEX Performance Wet Dryer Sheet to make it softer and provide an extra layer of protection from odor-causing bacteria to help it smell better, longer.
5. Keep Your Pet Bed Fresh & Clean
It’s often said that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” We recommend washing pet and dog beds bi-weekly or at least monthly. Vacuuming your pet bed at least weekly is ideal to keep things tidy. Use HEX Performance Deodorizing Spray to keep your Pet Bed smelling fresh and clean between washes. To use it, simply spray on your pet bed and let it dry. Yup – it’s that easy.
Cleaning and washing your pet or dog bed with HEX Performance products makes life easy and better for both you and your pets. Pets love their beds longer with HEX!
