How to Wash a Dog Bed: Covers, Foam and Stuffing

Vacuum or shake off the hair, then machine-wash the removable cover (or the whole bed, if its care label allows it and it fits without crowding the drum) with a mild, fragrance-free detergent in the warmest water the label allows (Maytag). Wash pet beds every week (CDC). Keep foam inserts out of the washer: too much water can break foam down (Maytag).

A bed without a removable cover can be soaked in a bathtub, and a bed too big for your machine can go to a laundromat's large washers (Maytag).

Key takeaways

Wash dog beds and blankets every week, and sooner if they look dirty or smell.
Vacuum or shake out the hair first, then zip the cover closed before it goes in the washer.
Use the warmest water the care label allows and add an extra rinse if your dog has sensitive skin.
Spot-clean memory foam; soak a bed with no removable cover for 10 to 15 minutes in a tub.
After an accident or an illness, dry on the highest heat for 30 minutes if the label allows it.

Can you wash a dog bed in the washing machine?

Yes, most removable covers can go in the washer, and some whole beds can too if the care label allows it and the bed fits without overcrowding (Maytag). Read the label first: some covers and inserts are hand-wash only (Maytag).

What to do depends on how the bed is built. These are the common types and the safe method for each, based on the makers' instructions (Maytag; West Paw; L.L.Bean):

Bed type	Washer?	How to clean it
Removable cover	Yes, if the label allows	Unzip, remove the insert, re-zip, machine-wash
Fully washable bed (cover sewn on)	Yes, if it fits and the label allows	Wash whole on a gentle cycle; dry low or air dry
Fiberfill or stuffed pillow insert	Often, per the label	Wash inside its cover in a rough machine, separately on gentle in a gentle one
Memory foam or orthopedic foam	No	Vacuum, spot-clean, deodorize with baking soda
No removable cover, not machine washable	No	Hand wash in a tub, or take it to a laundromat if the label allows

Pet beds can go in the same washer you use for your clothes, and even in the same load (CDC). Remove as much hair as you can first so it doesn't end up on everything else (see how to get pet hair out of laundry).

How do you wash a dog bed with a removable cover?

Take the hair off, treat the stains, then wash the cover on the cycle its label names (Maytag; L.L.Bean):

Remove the hair. Vacuum the surface and the bolster seams with the hose attachment, or shake the bed outside and then vacuum (L.L.Bean).
Deodorize if it smells. Sprinkle baking soda on the bed, leave it a few hours, then vacuum or shake it off (Maytag).
Pretreat stains. Work a mild stain remover or a little laundry detergent into the spots so they don't set in the wash (Maytag).
Unzip and re-zip. Pull out the insert, then close the zipper again: open zipper teeth snag and break (West Paw).
Choose the detergent. Use a mild detergent with no dyes or fragrance, which is gentler on sensitive skin (CDC).
Set the water and cycle. Use the warmest water the care tag allows and a cycle that matches the tag or the soil level (Maytag).
Add an extra rinse if your dog has sensitive skin, so no detergent stays in the fabric (Maytag).
Dry it. Tumble dry on low if the label allows, and take the cover out promptly so it doesn't shrink; otherwise hang it or lay it flat (L.L.Bean; Maytag).
Reassemble when fully dry. Close the zippers and tuck the pull into its fabric "garage" to discourage chewing (L.L.Bean).

Makers disagree on water temperature. Maytag says the warmest water the tag allows, while West Paw and L.L.Bean wash their own beds cold. The label on your bed wins; if it allows warm or hot, use it for a soiled bed.

Can you wash a dog bed that has stuffing in it?

Often, yes, if the label says the insert is washable. West Paw suggests leaving a stuffed insert inside its cover when your washer is rough on fabric, and washing the parts separately on a gentle cycle in a gentle front-loader.

In the dryer, a large stuffed bed must tumble freely: if one spot sits against the heat for the whole cycle, the fabric gets damaged (West Paw). If the bed fills the drum, tumble it with no heat or air dry it. A clean shoe in the dryer helps re-fluff a pillow-style insert, with the cover left on (West Paw).

How do you clean the foam insert of a dog bed?

Don't put memory foam in the washer or soak it: excess water can break the foam down (Maytag). Clean the foam on its surface and wash only its cover.

Vacuum the foam on both sides (L.L.Bean).
Spot-clean stains with a damp cloth and a little mild, pet-safe detergent; a pet stain remover handles the stubborn ones (L.L.Bean).
Deodorize with baking soda left on for a few hours, then vacuumed off (Maytag).
Let it dry completely before the cover goes back on (Maytag).

How to wash a dog bed without a washer

A bed with no removable cover, or one you can't machine-wash, can be washed by hand if its label allows it (Maytag):

Vacuum or shake off the hair (Maytag).
Fill a bathtub or large basin with enough warm water to submerge the bed, and add a pet-safe detergent (Maytag).
Soak it for 10 to 15 minutes, moving and squeezing it gently through the water (Maytag).
Scrub remaining stains with baking soda and a scrub brush or old toothbrush (Maytag).
Rinse until no soap, baking soda or dirty water is left, then press out the excess water (Maytag).
Air dry it, in the sun if you can, until it is dry inside and out (Maytag).

Use a laundry sink or bathtub rather than the kitchen sink, and clean and disinfect the tub right after (CDC).

What is the best way to wash a stinky dog bed, or one with pee or poop on it?

Remove the mess, wash with extra baking soda, and rewash with an enzyme cleaner if the smell survives (Humane World for Animals). Treat it as a germ problem too: dog poop can carry parasites and germs that make people sick (CDC).

How to clean dog poop or pee out of a bed

Remove solids with a bag or paper towels and blot up urine. Wash your hands afterward (CDC).
Wash with baking soda. Add a 1-pound box of baking soda to your usual detergent and wash as normal, air drying if you can (Humane World for Animals).
Rewash with an enzyme cleaner if you can still see or smell the soiling; enzymes break down the compounds in pet waste (Humane World for Animals).
Disinfect. Items that touch poop or pee should be disinfected, not just cleaned (CDC).

To disinfect fabric, the CDC says to dry it on the highest heat setting for 30 minutes. Check the care label first: covers labeled tumble dry low, or foam, shouldn't get that heat, so wash them in the warmest water allowed and air dry them.

For bleach-safe fabric only, the CDC disinfects pet items with 1/4 cup of household bleach per gallon of water, soaked at least 10 minutes after cleaning, then rinsed and fully dried. Many dog bed covers say no bleach (L.L.Bean). Never mix bleach with ammonia: it releases toxic gas (CDC).

Skip vinegar and ammonia on urine. Humane World for Animals warns their strong smell may encourage a dog to mark the spot again, and the CDC says there is not enough research on how well vinegar cleans or kills germs. For clothes and bedding with the same problem, see getting urine smell out of fabric.

If your dog keeps having accidents on its bed, have a veterinarian rule out a medical cause (Humane World for Animals).

How often should I wash my dog bed?

Every week: the CDC puts pet beds, blankets and habitats on a weekly cleaning schedule, and sooner if they look dirty or smell. Pets carry bacteria and other germs even when they look healthy, and those germs spread to their bedding (CDC). Maytag gives once a week to every other week, depending on how soiled the bed gets. Vacuum it weekly between washes (L.L.Bean).

Wash and disinfect more often in these cases (CDC):

Your dog is sick: disinfect the bed each time you clean it.
Someone at home is at higher risk: children under 5, adults 65 and older, pregnant people, or anyone with a weakened immune system.
The bed has touched pee or poop.

Fleas: why the bed matters

Flea eggs are laid in the dog's fur, then fall off wherever the dog rests and sleeps (University of Kentucky Entomology). A female flea lays 30 to 50 eggs a day (National Pesticide Information Center), and pet bedding is the most likely place indoors to find flea larvae (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension).

During an infestation, wash and dry pet bedding regularly on high heat (National Pesticide Information Center) and vacuum where your dog sleeps (University of Kentucky Entomology). Washing alone won't end it: the dog needs a flea treatment, so ask your veterinarian which one (University of Kentucky Entomology).

Can you wash a dog bed at a laundromat?

Yes. A bed that is too big for your machine, or that would crowd the drum, can be washed at a laundromat (Maytag). More than 4,000 laundromats in the LaundroMaps directory list large-capacity machines, as of October 2026 (LaundroMaps directory data). Find a laundromat with large-capacity washers before you load the car.

Big commercial dryers also help a bulky bed tumble freely, which keeps one spot from sitting against the heat (West Paw). Use the low or no-heat setting the label calls for.

The next customer uses the same drum, so a few habits keep it fair:

Check the posted rules or ask the attendant before you load pet items; rules vary from one laundromat to the next.
De-hair at home. Vacuum or shake the bed outside before you go (L.L.Bean).
Scrape off and pre-rinse any mess at home, never in the laundromat's sink.
Wipe the drum and door seal afterward and empty the dryer's lint screen.

A self-service laundromat lets you run the cycle yourself, so you control the water temperature and the detergent. For the rest of the house rules, see our laundromat etiquette guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best way to wash dog beds safely?

Follow the care label, use a mild detergent with no dyes or fragrance, and add an extra rinse so no detergent stays in the fabric. Keep foam out of the washer, and let every part dry completely before your dog uses the bed again.

Can you put a dog bed in the dryer?

Yes, if the label allows it. Use low heat for most covers and take them out promptly. A large bed must tumble freely; if it fills the drum, use no heat or air dry it.

Can you wash a dog bed with your clothes?

Yes. The CDC says pet items can go in the washing machine with your clothes. Vacuum or shake off as much hair as you can first.

Does vinegar clean a dog bed?

Not reliably. The CDC says there is not enough research on how well vinegar cleans or kills germs, and its smell may encourage a dog to mark the bed again. Use detergent to clean, baking soda for odor, and an enzyme cleaner for urine.

Do dogs like it when you wash their bedding?

We found no research on whether dogs prefer a freshly washed bed. A fragrance-free detergent and an extra rinse avoid leaving strong smells or residue that can bother sensitive skin.

How we researched this

We read the CDC's guidance on cleaning and disinfecting pet supplies, flea guides from the University of Kentucky, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the National Pesticide Information Center, Humane World for Animals' guide to pet stains and odors, and the care instructions of Maytag, West Paw and L.L.Bean for washing dog beds. We cited 9 sources plus LaundroMaps directory data, and we say where makers disagree. We did not test any method ourselves. Researched October 2026.