How to wash a dog bed, dry it and keep it fresh

How we do it in the workshop

A wet autumn walk, a dog with sand between his toes, and ten minutes later he is curled up in his bed. The smell of the woods is in his coat, and now in the lining too. That is when you start thinking about the washing machine.

Yet washing a dog bed is needed less often than you might think. And when it is, it is simple, as long as you know a few things. Below you can read how we do it ourselves: when airing and brushing are enough, how to put the bed in the machine without it losing its shape, and how to dry it afterwards. The dog sleeping bag and the dog blanket are covered too.

Why a washable dog bed makes the difference

Whether a dog bed is washable sounds like a simple question. Anyone looking for a washable dog bed often ends up with a bed that has a removable cover. A zip, a cover that comes off, a cushion that stays behind. The cover goes in the machine, the cushion usually does not. And that is exactly where smells and hair tend to linger.

The RSPCA is clear about this in its advice on choosing a dog bed: alongside comfort, a bed should be easy to wash. We could not agree more.

That is why our Pooch Pouch dog beds are made as one piece. No zip, no loose cover, no cushion to deal with separately. The whole bed goes in the machine, the upholstery fabric on the outside and the lining on the inside.

This has a consequence you might not expect. Because the whole bed can be washed, we dare to make light colours. An off-white upholstery fabric with a honeycomb weave, a sand-coloured teddy, a camel faux leather. Colours you would also choose for an armchair or a curtain, and that can simply stay in the room. You will find every version among the Pooch Pouch dog beds.

How often should you wash a dog bed?

Our answer may come as a surprise: as rarely as possible. Every wash asks something of the fabric, the seams and the lining. A bed that seldom goes in the machine stays as it is for longer.

There is another reason. A dog recognises his place by his own scent. After a wash, the bed smells of detergent, not of him. If you take the bed to a holiday cottage, a hotel or the guest room, that scent brings a little bit of home along with it.

So the washing machine is for the moments when it is really needed: dirt that no longer brushes off, a smell that stays after airing, or a little accident. For everything else there is a simpler route.

Cleaning a dog bed without a washing machine

Is the bed muddy after a walk? Let the dirt dry first. Dry sand and dry mud brush straight off, wet dirt only gets smeared around.

Then take the lining out of the bed and hang it outside for a while to air. Loose hair comes out with a clothes brush or the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner. A few minutes of work keeps the bed fresh, and it needs to go in the machine far less often.

Washing a dog bed in the washing machine, step by step

When it is time for a proper wash, the whole bed goes in the machine. These are the steps we follow ourselves, as they also appear on our wash and care page.

1. Brush or vacuum out loose hair and sand first. Otherwise dog hair stays behind in the drum and the filter.
2. Separate the inner and outer basket.
3. Choose a programme of no more than 30 °C.
4. Set the spin low, to 800 rpm at most.
5. Take the bed out as soon as the programme ends and hang it up to dry.

Why 30 °C and not hotter

The label on many dog cushions says 40 or even 60 °C. For our beds, 30 °C is the limit, for every version. That goes for the faux leather of the Dunes and for the teddy dog beds, just as much as for the plain and jacquard upholstery fabrics.

A low temperature and a gentle spin treat the upholstery fabric, the faux fur and the seams as softly as possible. That way the bed keeps its shape after washing.

Drying: by the handle or flat on a rack

A Studio Sif bed should not go in the tumble dryer, not even on a low setting. Hang it outside by one of its handles. The same handles you use to carry it from the living room to the bedroom or the car work here as a hanging loop. No space outside? Then let the bed dry flat on a drying rack.

Let the bed dry completely before your dog gets back in. Then put the inner basket back inside the outer basket.

A small tip: on the first evening, put his blanket or an old jumper of yours in the clean bed. His place will smell a little familiar again straight away.

Washing a dog sleeping bag and dog blanket

The sleeping bags and blankets follow almost the same rules, with one difference: some of them can also go on the wool cycle. The table puts them side by side.

The Pouch Roll is the sleeping bag that travels most. Rolled up with its strap, it goes under your arm to the terrace, the car or a day out, and sometimes comes back with a bit of sand. Shake it out, let the dirt dry and brush it off. Only when that is not enough does it go in the machine at 30 °C.

The Cocoon sleeping bags and the merino throws can also go on the wool cycle. Wash merino wool with a wool detergent, and here too: no tumble dryer.

A blanket in the bed also does something useful. It catches most of the dirt and hair. Washing a dog blanket is less work than washing a whole bed, so if you like to wash more often, wash the blanket and leave the bed alone as much as you can. All merino and teddy versions are among the dog blankets.

Five mistakes we often see when washing

Washing too hot. Washing a dog cushion at 60 °C is normal for many cushions. For a bed made of upholstery fabric and faux fur, 30 °C is the limit.

The tumble dryer. Even a short round on a low setting is not the idea. Hanging it up or laying it flat works.

A high spin. Do not leave the machine on its default setting. 800 rpm at most is enough.

Washing out of habit. A fixed weekly wash day costs the bed more than it gives. Airing and brushing are often enough.

Giving the bed back too soon. Wait until it is completely dry, inside too, before your dog curls up in it again.

Conclusion

For us, washing a dog bed is not a weekly chore. Let dirt dry and brush it off, air the bed with the lining out, and save the washing machine for the moments when it is really needed. Then the whole bed goes in at a maximum of 30 °C on a low spin, and dries outside by its handle. That way it stays as it was for a long time, even in a light colour. Still looking for a bed that suits your dog? Our article on which dog bed suits which breed will help you further.

Frequently asked questions

Can a dog bed go in the washing machine?

That depends on the bed. Studio Sif dog beds go in the washing machine as a whole, at a maximum of 30 °C with a spin of no more than 800 rpm. Separate the inner and outer basket before you put the bed in the machine.

How often should you wash a dog bed?

As rarely as possible. Let mud dry and brush it off, and hang the bed outside with the lining out to air. Only wash it when dirt or smell remains after that, or after a little accident.

Can a dog bed go in the tumble dryer?

A bed made of upholstery fabric and faux fur does not belong in the tumble dryer. Hang it outside by its handle or let it dry flat on a drying rack. Let it dry completely before your dog gets back in.

How do you get dog hair out of a dog bed?

Remove loose hair with a clothes brush or the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner, ideally before the bed goes in the machine. That way less hair stays behind in the drum and the filter.

How do you wash a merino wool dog blanket?

Wash a merino dog blanket on the wool cycle or at 30 °C, with a wool detergent. The blanket should not go in the tumble dryer.