Though 45% of the US residents own a pet, 1 in 20 people never clean their pet’s bedding. Cleaning your pet’s bed is more important than cleaning your own. More frequent the better.

Studies show that pet bowls and beds collect a lot of bacteria, yeast and fungus. It is one of the dirtiest places in your house. Neglecting to clean your pet, pet products and pet bedding can result in your home being filled with dirt, bacteria, and allergens. This can be harmful to you and your pet as well.

Infection from your pet can pass to humans through their vomit, saliva and faecal waste.

How often should you clean the pet pillows/bed?

Cleaning as frequently as possible is recommended but it’s a must-do at least once a week. It can be more frequent if the pet is taken outdoors and plays outdoors a lot. It can be less frequent if the bed is less used.

Washing it regularly keeps dust, fur, dead skin, allergens, bad odor, bacteria, fungus and yeast at bay. This will help the people in the house if they suffer from any allergies.

How to clean pet pillows?

Its always advisable to have a removable bed cover which can be washed and cleaned more regularly. The removable cover can be easily machine washed. It is still advisable to wash the insert/cushion of the bed as it accumulates dust and germs as well.

Steps to wash the bed:

• Vacuum – Use a Vacuum with HEPA Filter to remove dirt and loose hair. It will also prevent the dust to be airborne and flying across the entire room.
• Remove Stains – Use stain removers to remove stains before wash. You can also use a mixture of vinegar, baking soda, water and salt
• Wash
  Read the tag of the bed/pillow to make sure if it is machine washable or has to be hand washed. Look for restrictions of water temperature.
  • Machine Wash -Ideally your pet pillow/bed should be machine washable. Wash it in a machine in hot water. Put it in the dryer until its completely dry. Allow it to sun-dry for some time.
  • Hand wash – if your pet bed does not have a removable bed cover and it is not machine washable, fill the tub with hot water and detergent. Make sure the detergent is completely dissolved. Soak the bed/pillow in the hot water for some time.
    
    After at least 15-20 mins, drain off the water and rinse the bed well. Rinse it at least 2-3 times which removes remaining dirt from the bed. Squeeze out the remaining water and let it dry in the sun.
• Fluff the bed – If the bed has become compact or pressed because of the process of washing, pull out those areas gently and fluff the pillow/bed.

Notes

Hot water will kill as many germs as possible.
For beds with bad odor, use detergents with a good scent booster.
If your pet is sensitive, use detergents that are hypoallergenic and avoid bleach.