Tag Archive for: dog bed

With over a quarter of the UK population owning a dog, it’s important for yours and your dog’s health that their dog bed is kept clean.

We all love dogs and love to stroke them hundreds of times a day, but I bet you didn’t know that your pets can carry germs everywhere they go and dog beds are the main germ collection culprit.

dog bed

How dirty can they be?

According to the Internation Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene, domestic pets carry disease-causing organisms including viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic species that can be transferred to humans. Don’t panic though, as zoonoses (a disease that is transferable from animals to humans) is rare.

Here are a few examples:

  • Campylobacteriosis
  • Tapeworm
  • Hookworm
  • Brucellosis

There are many more that can be transferred from dog to human, and you can have a read up about them all on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

If your dog has any of these diseases, they may not show any symptoms and just be a carrier, which means they will probably be living within the dog bed fibres as well.

How often should I wash my dog bed?

This entirely depends on different factors, for example:

  • Some breeds of dog shed a lot more than others and their beds need to be cleaned more often
  • If your dog or any of your family have allergies, a clean dog bed can help with keeping them at bay
  • Specific activities your dog may have taken part in, including rolling around in your garden or a large puddle
  • If your dog has fleas or has had a flea treatment
  • If your dog has recently been to the vets for a check-up or something else, as something may have been transmitted from another pet

Most of the time we would suggest washing your dog bed at least once, maybe even twice a week if any of the above points come into play.

How do I clean my dog bed?

Most of the time your dog bed will be machine washable, as most beds have a cover and an inner cushion.

Although, sometimes the cushion may be too large for your washing machine. If this is the case, you may need to wash it by hand, or you can call us to come and thoroughly clean it for you.

Ensure the cover, and cushion if possible, are washed on the highest temperature they can be (follow manufacturing washing instructions) and hang out to dry.

If your dog bed isn’t machine washable then you will have to use a bit of elbow grease and get scrubbing with warm water and a natural detergent. Rub until completely clean and then rinse at least twice before hanging out to dry.

After you have cleaned the dog bed, and it’s dry you’re going to have one happy dog on your hands as they can snuggle up in a nice clean bed!

 

For any cleaning services you need from carpet cleaning to upholstery cleaning contact your local ServiceMaster Clean here today.