So you’ve just given your best doggy friend a nice bath, and now she smells gorgeous. But what about her bed? You don’t want your lovely clean dog getting smelly again the next time she takes a nap!
Why do dog beds often smell so bad?
If your dog’s bed and your dog smell awful, the first thing you should do is to check with your vet. Your dog could have a health issue, such as a skin or ear infection that needs treating above all else.
Check out this helpful article for a list of reasons why your dog stinks.
If you are sure your dog is healthy, then there isn’t anything more you can do other than keep your dog and your dog’s bed clean. I recommend laundering your dog’s bed once per week.
But what if you don’t have time for that, or your dog’s bed just needs freshening up? Well, I have the perfect answer for you in this post!
Read on for the details.
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How to clean you dog’s bed without washing it
If you can’t wash your dog’s bed as often as you would like, or you can’t wash it at all, I recommend this simple four-step approach which will get the bed smelling fresh again.
Step 1 – Vacuum
Start by giving your dog’s bed a thorough vacuum so that you can remove debris, dander and hair.
For removing hair from a dog bed I always use the turbo mini attachment of my Miele Cat and Dog vacuum cleaner because the small rotating brush attachment picks up dog hair brilliantly.
I also recommend a pet hair roller because it is also great at grabbing onto hair. Then all you need do is open the back and tip the hair into the bin.
Step 2 – Deodorize with baking soda
(If your dog’s bed isn’t too smelly you can skip this step.)
If you can’t wash your dog’s bed or don’t have time, a very effective way at removing dog smell (rather than masking it) is to sprinkle it with baking soda or bicarbonate of soda.
Sprinkle the baking soda over the surface of the bed and leave it for thirty minutes or so. Then simply vacuum it off.
Step 3 – Spray with a homemade dog bed deodorizer spray
Now what I like to do is to make a simple spray using distilled white vinegar, water and a couple of drops of my favorite essential oil. Which happens to be lavender.
How to make it:
- Add 1 part vinegar to 8 parts of water to a spray bottle.
- Add a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil.
- Shake to mix.
- Spray on your dog’s bed and allow it to dry.
Step 4 – Air
Now let your dog’s bed air for a while. Direct sun will naturally sanitize it. So if you are lucky enough to have sunshine, lay the bed outside to air.
Now's a great time to bath your dog, but if it isn’t bath time yet, I recommend making up a bottle of this homemade dog spray. You dog will smell gorgeous!
How to keep your dog’s bed clean
The best way to keep your dog’s bed clean is to vacuum and wash it regularly.
I find it best to quickly vacuum my dog’s bed daily. That way there is always less hair and dander which tends to cause the most smell.
Once per week wash the whole bed if you can, or at least the cover.
Adding a cup of distilled white vinegar to the wash is brilliant for neutralizing smells on the bed. Avoid using too much laundry detergent as it can cause a build-up of detergent on the fabric which can make odors worse.
Is Febreze safe for dog beds?
You may be wondering why make your own deoderizing spray when you can use Febreze!
Febreze is safe to use on your dog’s bed or anywhere your dog sleeps.
However, make sure that you allow the spray to dry before you let your dog near the sprayed area and never spray it directly on your dog.
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