Elevated dog beds

Suspension or elevated dog beds use a vinyl bed material similar to a trampoline or an outdoor awning. The vinyl material is soft, flexible, and most importantly, it’s odour-free.

If you have a raised (trampoline) dog bed with vinyl material, you can spray the bed with “Simple Green” stain and odor remover. Wipe down the material and then let it air dry for a few minutes.

The frame of a trampoline dog bed allows you to remove the vinyl material so that it can be properly cleaned with a simple disinfectant spray. Of course, make sure the disinfectant spray you choose is safe for your dog.

Dog beds that sit on the floor:

The problem:

Padded materials hold on to odors longer. Almost all of the fluffy, padded materials used in dog beds have a tendency to retain smells.

You might have been unlucky in the past and had one of the dog beds that sit on the ground that can’t be washed in your normal washing machine. These dog beds are hand wash-only and are very difficult to get entirely clean. And although some of these claim to be machine washable often they lose their shape after going through the wash.

The solution:

Washable pet beds

We’ve sourced the washable Cubby pet bed for just this reason. It’s a quality product that’s hand-made by the Australian company Choozy. Being locally made from premium materials is your assurance that you’re buying the best.

We recommend the Choozy range of dog beds because the products are superior and made from premium materials that have been given the antimicrobial ‘Ultra-fresh’ treatment. This gives you a head start in the ‘trying to keep the bed clean’ challenge that we all face.

Properly clean dog bedding

In order to really get your dog bedding clean, you have to machine wash and air dry or tumble dry. The bedding can’t go into the wash with any other laundry, and you shouldn’t use regular laundry detergent. Apply dish detergent to the primary trouble spots, and use a mild odour-reducing spray before putting the bedding into the wash.

Most raised dog bed padding can be washed with the remainder of your pet’s laundry (like towels and toys).

• Regularly wash your dog and keep bedding clean to stay ‘flea free’ and your dog healthy.
• Brush your dog regularly to remove shedding hair.
• Regularly vacuum in and around the bed and pay particular attention to seams and the creases. A nail brush or old toothbrush works well to get into the really difficult areas to clean them out.  And a hand-held portable vacuum is ideal.
• Good old fashioned baking soda is a household cleaner that can get rid of bad odours and help in the clean up of accidents.

Because some dogs can be sensitive to ingredients, it’s important that all traces of any detergent or baking soda you use are thoroughly removed.

Remember the sunshine factor – sunlight is a natural antibacterial

The sun’s rays act as a natural antibacterial and have a disinfecting effect on fabric. Airing your pet’s bedding regularly, turning it over and placing it out in the sun helps cut down unpleasant odours and naturally kill bugs that are prone to breeding in your dog’s bed.

Stop dog from rolling in the dirt after a bath

I had the same problem. How to stop my dog rolling in the dirt straight after a bath. He loved it, much to my frustration. But my answer was simply to go with the flow and try a new strategy. I throw a few old clean towels down on the grass and lay them out. My dog seems just as happy rolling around in the towels as dirt when he’s just had his bath. Give it a try. It might work for you too.