How to Wash a Dog Bed | Steps For A Deep Clean

A clean dog bed does more than stop smells — it cuts down on the dander, dust, and bacteria your pet sleeps against every night. Most dog beds need a full wash every two weeks to a month, and the process is simple once you have the right routine down.

Prep The Bed Before You Wash It

Run a vacuum with a brush attachment across every surface of the bed. Pay attention to seams and corners where hair settles. If the bed has a removable cover, unzip it now. Beds without removable covers will need the whole structure washed, so check the care label for size limits on your washing machine — some heavy orthopedic beds exceed a home drum’s capacity.

Pre-treat any visible stains with a small amount of detergent or an enzymatic cleaner if the label permits. Rub gently, don’t scrub hard enough to distort the padding.

Machine Washing A Dog Bed

If the care label says “machine washable,” use the highest temperature that label allows — at least 140°F is ideal for killing bacteria, according to research on pet bedding cited by PetMD, assuming the fabric can handle it. Use a fragrance-free pet-safe detergent. Strong scents and optical brighteners can irritate sensitive skin, and dogs tend to lick fabric, so skip anything with dyes or perfumes.

• Set the machine to a delicate or gentle cycle to protect padding from clumping.
• Add an extra rinse cycle to make sure all detergent residue is removed.

For beds without removable covers, take the bed directly from the washer and do not wring it. Squeeze water out instead — the Whole Dog Journal notes that twisting heavy stuffed beds can shift or clump the filling, which ruins the cushion shape.

Hand Washing For Beds That Can’t Go In The Machine

Fill a tub or large basin half-full with warm water and a small amount of pet-safe detergent. Submerge the bed and let it soak for 15–20 minutes. Agitate the fabric with your hands every few minutes. Drain the soapy water, refill with cold water, and press down on the bed to force the soap out — repeat until no bubbles appear. Squeeze the water out by pressing against the side of the tub; do not twist or wring the bed.

The drying step is critical for hand-washed beds because the inner foam or padding holds far more moisture than a machine-spun one would. Press out as much water as you can, then roll the bed in a dry towel and stand on it to absorb remaining moisture before air-drying.

Drying And Common Mistakes To Avoid

Air-drying is the default safest route for most dog beds. Lay the bed flat outdoors in the shade or indoors near a fan. Flip it halfway through drying to reach both sides. Tumble drying on low is only safe if the care label explicitly permits it — and even then, check every 15 minutes to avoid melting synthetic fill or shrinking the outer fabric.

The most common errors seen across expert guides are:
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• Putting a bed back in service before it is bone-dry, which causes odor and mildew inside the padding.
• Using a full cycle on a heavy bed in a small machine, which can unbalance the drum and damage both washer and bed.

If you prefer a removable cover design that simplifies the whole routine — unzip, wash the cover, wipe the insert — our roundup of the best washable dog beds covers models that hold up through repeated cleaning.