Nobody likes a smelly dog bed especially if it is placed inside your bedroom next to where you sleep (like ours does). Most dog bed smells due to external factors like laying down after a wet walk, leftover food crumbs that gone bad or excess bodily fluids. In other case, it may be due to the growth of mold and fungus within the bed fillings which in this case the only possible way is to replace your dog bed.
If your dog bed stinks due to the above external factors, here are some ways you could do to get rid of those unpleasant smells.
First if the dog bed just has the odor and not dirty, laying or hanging it outside in the sunlight for a few hours would naturally deodorize and kill the germs in it.
If it’s dirty, then you will need to wash it using the following steps:
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Remove any loose debris & dirt from the bed
Vacuum the dog bed to remove unwanted dirt, food crumbs, hair, dusts and any other soiled materials. Run the vacuum throughout all the bed surface and bottom of the dog bed. If possible, after vacuuming, use a lint roller and roll over the bed, this would help to pull out any lints/ short fur that your washing machine may not able to get rid of.
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Wash your dog bed using high temperature water.
Not only high temperature washing can help get rid of the faulty smell, it could also kill germs & bacteria that may present in the bed. Do not forget to add a pet friendly detergent and quarter cup of white vinegar to help deodorize the smell during the deep cleansing.
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Dry your dog bed thoroughly
The most important step of all is to thoroughly dry your clean dog bed. If your dog bed can fit to a dryer, by all means, throw your dog’s bed in the dryer on a middle heat setting and let it tumble until it’s completely dry. However, if your dog’s bed is too large to fit into a dryer, air-dry & sun-dry for a few days until the inner filling is completely dry out to prevent the growth of mold and bacteria.
Additional Tips:
- Get dog bed that is washable be it covers or as a whole. At DreamCastle, all of our bed comes with removable and washable cover, making it super easy to maintain.
- Get a waterproof liner/ protector if your dog has a habit of accidentally peeing on where they sleep or if your dog is a senior a waterproof liner will make your life easier.
- Alternatively, place additional layer of soft & washable throw which you can launder weekly
