Read the label, then read this
A dog bed gets more use than almost any other textile in the house, and it is washed less often than it should be, mostly because people are not sure how. Here is the routine we use for our own covers and inners. It is slow and slightly boring, and the bed lasts for years.
Before it goes in the machine
- Shake the cover outside or over a bin. Hair that goes into the drum ends up in the filter, the pipes and your next load of shirts.
- Run a rubber glove or a damp hand over the fabric to lift what the shake left behind.
- Check the zip is closed and the corners are not folded inside themselves.
- Spot-treat muddy patches with a little diluted washing liquid and a soft brush. Give it ten minutes.
Cold water, gentle cycle
Cold or thirty degrees is enough for a routine wash. Hot water sets some stains, fades the colour and, more importantly, shrinks the cover so it no longer fits the inner. A gentle or delicates cycle keeps the seams from being worked loose by the drum. Use about half the detergent you would for a normal load, and skip fabric softener altogether, which coats the fibres and makes them hold hair more, not less.
If your machine has an extra rinse option, use it. Dogs lie with their nose pressed into the fabric and a lingering detergent smell is something they notice before you do.
Never the dryer
This is the one rule we would ask you to keep even if you ignore the rest. Tumble drying is where covers lose their shape, where the foam inner warps and where zips get the kind of heat that makes them stick. Hang the cover on a line or over a rack, inside out, out of direct sun. It will be dry by the next morning. Lay the inner flat on a towel and turn it once.
The inner
The foam or fibre inner does not need washing every time the cover does. Air it outside on a dry day every few weeks and wash it only when it actually smells. When you do, use the same cold, gentle cycle, then press the water out between two towels rather than wringing. Make sure it is fully dry before it goes back inside the cover, which can take a day or two.
How often
- Cover: every one to two weeks, more in muddy months.
- Inner: every two to three months, or when it needs it.
- A second cover means the bed is never out of service while one is drying.
Signs you are washing it wrong
The cover is suddenly hard to zip, the colour looks tired after a few washes, or the inner has a permanent dent. All three usually trace back to heat somewhere in the process. Drop the temperature, drop the dryer, and the next cover will outlast the dog's interest in it.