How to Wash a Dog Bed: Covers, Foam, and Every Bed Type

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A dog bed looks like a pillow. It behaves more like a sponge. Hair, dander, saliva, paw dirt, and the oils from the coat settle into the cover and the fill. Leave that pile for a month and you are not just dealing with odor. You are giving dust mites, flea eggs, and everyday bacteria a warm, undisturbed place to sit.

This is a research-based wash guide, not a lab test of beds. The steps follow manufacturer care patterns, laundry guidance from appliance makers, and published advice from the American Kennel Club, PetMD, the CDC, and a Canadian Medical Association Journal review on pet-associated infection risk. Confirm current care tags and product pages before you wash. Brands change fabrics and liners.

Why washing a dog bed is a health job, not a smell job

The CDC’s pet-supply cleaning sheet tells households to clean pet beds, blankets, and habitats every week. A CMAJ review on reducing pet-associated zoonotic infections makes the same weekly laundry suggestion, especially in homes with people at higher infection risk.

That cadence is not about fussiness. The International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene, cited in PetMD’s wash guide, notes that disease-causing organisms from pets can persist in the environment, including on bedding, for up to 12 months without a host. Vacuuming hair helps. It does not replace a wash.

The AKC adds two numbers worth remembering. One study found fleas in 14% of pets’ sleeping places, even outside peak flea season. Fleas lay many of their eggs at night, so a dirty bed can keep an infestation going after you treat the dog. The AKC also points to bacteria that can move through contaminated bedding, including Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus.

Allergies sit on top of the germ problem. Board-certified veterinary dermatologist Dr. John Gordon, quoted by PetMD, calls house dust mite allergen the most common positive environmental allergen in skin-allergy-tested patients. The mites feed on shed skin cells that collect on foam and under fabric. Your dog does not shower before bed. The pile grows faster than a human mattress.

If someone in the house sneezes near the crate, or your dog chews itchy paws after a night on the same cushion, the bed is a reasonable place to start. For a broader look at itch causes, see our food vs. environmental allergy guide.

How often should you wash a dog bed?

Weekly is the public-health baseline. Stretch it only when the dog is clean, indoor-only, and low-shedding, and even then do not drift past two weeks without a cover wash.

The EPA flea-control advice summarized by the AKC is to deep-clean bedding every two to three weeks as part of flea work, and to throw the bedding out if a heavy infestation has reached the fill. If you are already treating the dog, wash the bed the same day. Our flea and tick guide covers the animal side of that job.

Wash immediately after urine, vomit, diarrhea, or a muddy soak. Enzyme residue and moisture in foam are what turn a one-time accident into a permanent smell.

Adjust up from weekly when any of these are true:

• The dog has skin allergies, hot spots, or a current skin infection.
• A person in the house is pregnant, very young, older, or immunocompromised.
• The dog sheds heavily or has an oily coat (many Labrador and spaniel owners know this smell).
• The bed lives in a crate or a small room with little airflow.
• The dog spends the day outside and comes in wet.

A removable cover plus a washable blanket on top is the practical cheat. You can launder the blanket weekly and the bulky insert less often, which is the setup the AKC recommends for heavy shedders.

Read the care tag before anything else

The tag is the rule. Maytag’s washer guidance for dog beds starts there for a reason. Some covers are machine-wash, gentle. Some are hand-wash only. Some inserts cannot be submerged at all.

If the tag is gone, treat the bed by construction:

• Zip-off cover + separate insert: Wash the cover. Handle the insert by material.
• Sewn-through fiberfill pillow: Often machine-washable if it fits. Slow to dry.
• Solid memory foam or orthopedic slab: Cover only. Spot-clean the foam.
• Donut or calming bed with a hidden zipper: Cover if it comes off. Do not force a sewn donut into a small home washer.
• Elevated cot: Wipe or hose the fabric. Wash a removable sling if the brand says you can.
• Hard plastic nest: Soap, water, and a sponge. No machine.

If the whole bed barely fits your washer, do not jam it. An overloaded drum does not rinse detergent out of thick fill. Use a laundromat’s large front-loader or wash by hand in a bathtub.

Do not wash pet beds in a kitchen sink. The AKC is blunt about this: you do not want bedding germs on a food-prep surface.

Step one that most people skip: get the hair off

Wet fur turns into felt. Felt clogs the drain pump and wraps around the agitator. Ten minutes of dry prep saves a service call.

Take the bed outside. Shake it. Vacuum the cover while it is still on, including the piping and the crease where the bolster meets the base. A rubber glove or a lint roller picks up what the vacuum misses. Then unzip the cover and vacuum the insert.

If you wash covers often, a mesh laundry bag made for pet bedding keeps hair in one place. After the cycle, wipe the rubber door seal and check the filter. Run an empty vinegar rinse if the machine smells like wet dog.

Pretreat visible stains before the wash. A dab of fragrance-free detergent or a 1:1 mix of white vinegar and water on drool and food marks, left for 10 to 15 minutes, is enough for most spots. Urine is a different problem. That section is below.

How to wash a removable dog bed cover

Turn the cover inside out. That puts the dirty lining against the water and protects any printed fabric on the outside.

Use a small amount of fragrance-free detergent. Softener is a no. It coats fibers, holds odor, and bothers a lot of dogs with thin skin. If the tag allows bleach and the fabric is white or color-safe, a measured amount of chlorine bleach is the laundry-science preference for microbes. Sally Bloomfield of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, quoted by PetMD, points to at least 140°F plus detergent and bleach when the fabric can stand it.

Many modern covers cannot stand that heat. Waterproof liners, faux suede, and elastic edges shrink or delaminate in a hot cycle. If the tag says cold or warm, obey it. An extra rinse does more good than a hotter wash the fabric was not built for.

Gentle or bulky-bedding cycles are the usual match. Do not wash a sandy, muddy cover with your clothes. Hair migrates.

Air-dry the cover when you can. If the tag allows a dryer, use low heat and pull the cover out while it is still slightly damp so you can stretch it back over the insert. High heat kills elastic and can warp a waterproof backing.

The cover must be fully dry before it goes back on. Dr. Gordon’s PetMD advice is specific: a damp cover on foam is how you grow mold in the one place you cannot easily wash.

How to clean memory foam and orthopedic inserts

This is the mistake that ruins expensive beds. Solid memory foam and most orthopedic slabs should not go in a washing machine or a dryer. Water sits in the open cells. The outside feels dry while the core stays wet. Mold follows.

Take the cover off. Vacuum the foam. For surface dirt, wipe with a barely damp cloth and a drop of mild soap. Blot. Do not soak. Stand the foam on its side in a room with airflow, or set it outside in shade if the weather is dry. Give it a full day. Press the center with a towel. If it still feels cool and wet, wait longer.

Urine that reached the foam is harder. Blot what you can. Apply a pet enzyme cleaner only if the label says it is safe for the material, then blot again and air-dry for as long as it takes. If the slab smells after two full dry-outs, replace the insert. You will not bleach that odor out of foam.

This is why a washable cover plus a waterproof liner is worth money on an orthopedic bed. You protect the foam you cannot wash. Our orthopedic vs. memory foam comparison explains the fill types, and the orthopedic bed roundup flags models with removable covers, including the Big Barker (machine-washable cover, 10-year foam warranty in the product listing) and the Furhaven orthopedic line (removable washable cover and a water-resistant liner).

How to wash fiberfill and stuffed beds

Polyester fiberfill pillows and many “sofa” beds can go in the machine if the tag allows it and the bed actually fits. Use a large-capacity washer, a gentle cycle, and warm water unless the tag says otherwise.

The hard part is drying. Fiberfill holds water. If you stop when the shell feels dry, the middle is still wet and will smell like a basement in two days. Run an extra spin. Then air-dry flat, flipping every few hours, or tumble on low with dryer balls if the tag allows heat. Keep going until the center has no cool, heavy spots.

If the bed is too big for a home washer, wash it in a bathtub. Fill with cool or warm water and a small amount of pet-safe detergent. Knead the fill so water actually moves through it. Drain. Refill and rinse until the water runs clear. A leftover soap film is a skin irritant. Wring gently. Do not twist a wet bed like a towel; you can tear baffles and shift the fill into one sad lump.

Sun and wind are your friends here. A full outdoor dry on a rack beats a cramped dryer.

How to wash donut and calming beds

Donut beds look simple and then refuse to unzip. Many have a hidden zipper under a fabric flap. Find it before you commit to a bathtub.

If the cover comes off, wash it like any other cover. The foam base, if there is one, follows the memory-foam rules: wipe, do not soak. The shredded or fiber fill in the bolster is the part that mats if you machine-wash the whole sculpture.

If the donut is sewn shut, check the tag. Some brands say the entire bed is machine-washable. Use a large washer and a laundry bag, then dry with more patience than you think you need. If the tag is silent and the bed is a dense faux-fur ring, hand-wash or take it to a laundromat rather than betting a home agitator against a 20-pound wet donut.

The Best Friends by Sheri calming donut is one catalog example with a machine-washable cover. For more of that shape, see the calming bed guide.

How to clean elevated cots and hard beds

Elevated cots are the easy wash in this category. The Coolaroo elevated bed and similar Amazon Basics cots use a taut sling over a frame. Hose the fabric, scrub with mild soap, rinse, and let it dry on the frame. Most HDPE or Textilene slings also wipe clean indoors with a damp cloth.

If the sling is removable and the brand allows a machine wash, use a gentle cycle and air-dry so the fabric does not shrink off the rails. Do not leave a wet cot in a closed garage. The frame rusts and the fabric mildews at the corners.

Hard plastic nest beds get a bathtub or outdoor wash: warm soapy water, a sponge, a rinse, and a wipe-down with a pet-safe disinfectant if the dog has been ill. They do not hold hair the way fleece does, which is why the AKC calls plastic the simplest option for hygiene. Some dogs refuse them without a washable pad on top. That pad is the thing you launder weekly.

Brachycephalic dogs often live on cots for airflow. If that is your setup, the elevated beds for flat-faced dogs guide is the buying counterpart to this wash routine.

What to do when the bed has urine or vomit on it

Speed matters more than product brand. Pull the cover as soon as you can. Blot, do not rub, so you do not drive liquid into foam.

Rinse the cover in cold water first. Hot water can set protein stains. Then wash on the warmest setting the tag allows, with detergent. For urine, an enzyme cleaner on the stain before the wash breaks down the urea that regular detergent leaves behind. That leftover urea is why a “clean” bed still smells on a humid day.

If the accident reached the insert, treat foam as above and be honest about the result. A fiberfill pillow that is soaked through can sometimes be saved with two washes and a very long dry. A memory-foam slab that sat in a puddle overnight is often a loss.

Never mix enzyme cleaners with bleach in the same step. Follow each product label.

Keep the dog off the bed until every layer is dry. A damp accident bed is how you get a repeat marking in the same spot.

Drying is half the wash

Mold is a drying failure, not a washing failure. Thick beds lie about being done.

Air-dry when the fill is dense. Flat on a rack, not hung from one corner, so water does not drag the cover out of shape. Outdoors in sun helps with odor. Bring the bed in before dew.

If you use a dryer, low heat only, and only if the tag agrees. Stop and feel the core. Add time. An extra hour on a rack after the dryer is cheaper than a new bed.

Do not zip a cover onto a foam insert that still feels cool in the middle. That pocket of moisture is the smell you will fight for months.

A light routine between full washes

You do not need a laundry day every time a dog walks across the bed.

Vacuum the surface once or twice a week. Shake the bed outside. Flip it so the underside gets air. A cotton sheet or a waterproof dog bed cover on top catches hair and the next muddy collapse. Wash that layer more often than the bed itself.

Bath day and bed day pair well. If you bathe the dog, put the clean dog on a clean bed. Otherwise you move dirty coat oils straight back onto fresh fabric.

When washing is not enough

PetMD reports a veterinary university study that found a significant increase in house dust mite allergen in pet beds older than one year, regardless of how often they were cleaned and regardless of bed type. Dr. Gordon’s practical take: consider buying a new pet bed at least annually, because dogs do not wash before they lie down and most owners will not hit a perfect weekly schedule forever.

Replace sooner if:

• Odor survives a complete wash and a full dry.
• The foam has a permanent body crater and no longer springs back.
• The cover’s waterproof liner is cracked, so every accident now hits the fill.
• You found a heavy flea infestation in the stuffing. The EPA, via the AKC, says discard in that case.
• The dog suddenly avoids a bed they used to claim. Smell you cannot detect still reads as “wrong” to them.

For large dogs that flatten cheap fill in months, the large-breed bed guide is the better next click than another wash cycle on a dead cushion.

What makes a dog bed actually washable

If you are tired of this process, the bed is the problem. Shop for a zipper you can find without a hunt, a cover that is truly machine-washable, and a liner that keeps accidents off the foam. Tightly woven cotton, hemp, or microfiber is the fabric group ASPCA Community Medicine’s Dr. Hyunmin Kim, quoted by PetMD, prefers for lower allergen load. Loose shag feels fancy and holds mites.

Brindle-style memory foam beds are a common middle path: real foam, a water-resistant liner, a cover you can pull. Elevated cots skip foam entirely. Plastic plus a washable pad is the lowest-effort hygiene setup in the AKC’s list.

Keep two covers if you can. One is in the wash. One is on the bed. That single spare is what makes a weekly schedule survivable.

Frequently asked questions

Can I wash a dog bed with my regular laundry? Better not. Hair and dander spread through a mixed load, and a bulky bed keeps clothes from rinsing well. Wash bedding in its own cycle, then wipe the machine seal.

Does vinegar disinfect a dog bed? White vinegar helps with odor and mineral film. It is not a hospital disinfectant. Use it as a rinse add-in or a pretreat, not as your only step after a contagious illness. Ask your veterinarian which cleaner to use if the dog has been sick.

Can I dry a dog bed in the sun? Yes, and it is often the best option for thick fill. UV and airflow cut odor. Do not leave dark foam in harsh midday sun for hours if the brand warns about heat damage. Shade plus wind still dries well.

What if my dog pees on the bed on purpose? That is a behavior or medical problem, not a laundry one. Rule out a urinary issue with your vet. Then look at house-training and marking. A waterproof cover stops the foam from becoming the reward for the next accident.

Are “hypoallergenic” dog beds worth it? Dense foam and a tight-weave cover are the features dermatologists describe, not a magic fabric name. Easy washing still does most of the work. If itch continues after weekly laundry and a newer bed, get a veterinary workup rather than buying another cover.

The short version

Wash the cover weekly. That is the CDC and CMAJ line, and it is the one that actually changes what grows in the bed. Get the hair off first. Use fragrance-free detergent and an extra rinse. Never machine-wash solid memory foam. Dry until the core is warm and light, not merely dry on the surface. After urine, reach for an enzyme cleaner and be willing to retire foam that still smells.

If the bed is a year old, flattened, or still funky after an honest wash, replace it. A washable cover and a spare are the two purchases that make the weekly habit possible. The rest is patience at the drying rack.