To wash a dog bed, first check the care instructions for each part: the outer cover, any liner, and the filling or foam. Remove loose hair, separate only the parts the maker says are removable, and use each part's permitted washing and drying method. A washable cover does not mean the whole bed can go into the machine.
This guide helps you choose the next step for the bed you already own. It includes a copyable care record so you do not have to work out the instructions again next wash day. No purchase, account, or email is needed.
Check the cover, liner, and filling separately
Look for the sewn-in care label, the exact product name, and the maker's current instructions. Keep a photo of the label for your own use. If the label and online instructions appear to conflict, ask the maker which applies to your model before washing.
- Outer cover: identify whether it comes off, how to close its fasteners for washing, and its allowed wash and dry settings.
- Liner or inner casing: check its own instructions. A protective layer can have different restrictions from the decorative cover.
- Foam, filling, and bolsters: identify the construction. Do not cut open a sewn compartment or empty loose filling merely to follow a generic tutorial.
Two manufacturer examples show why this matters. Ruggable's pet-bed instructions allow machine washing of its outer covers but prohibit machine washing, submerging, or machine drying its foam cushions and white water-resistant liners. That restriction belongs to those components—not every dog bed.
K9 Ballistics distinguishes its shredded-foam and solid-foam mattresses: its specified shredded-foam mattresses can be machine washed with the foam left inside their liner; its solid-foam orthopedic mattresses cannot. Appearance alone is not enough to transfer those instructions to another brand.
A removable cover is not automatically machine-washable. FurHaven says its soft indoor covers may be machine-washed as directed, but its removable coated indoor/outdoor covers must be wiped with dilute detergent and air-dried; machine washing or drying can damage that coating. This distinction applies to those FurHaven cover types, not every removable cover. Check the exact model and care tag before choosing a wash cycle.
Missing instructions? Pause the uncertain step, not your whole plan. Identify the model and ask: “Can this exact component be submerged or machine washed, and how must it be dried?” You can still arrange a suitable alternate resting place and gather the instructions for the other parts.
Plan the wash and the dry before you start
Have another suitable, dry resting place available while the bed is out of use. That may be something appropriate you already own; it does not automatically mean buying a second bed. Keep pets away from exposed filling, loose fasteners, and the cleaning area.
- Remove loose hair and dirt. Use an appropriate vacuum attachment or another method allowed for the fabric. Check seams and edges. L.L.Bean's dog-bed care video and transcript demonstrate routine cleaning and removing inserts before washing its covers.
- Separate the permitted parts. Match every part to its instructions. Check seams and closures before loading; a damaged casing needs the maker's advice, not a trial wash with loose filling inside your machine.
- Confirm the equipment can handle the load. Check the washer and dryer manuals as well as the bed label. The item must have enough room; being able to force the door shut is not a capacity check. Maytag's washing guide also makes care-label permission and avoiding overcrowding conditions for machine washing.
- Wash using the allowed method. Follow the component's instructions and the cleaning product's label for pretreatment, detergent, settings, and rinsing. Hand washing is an option only when that component's instructions allow it. “Not machine washable” does not automatically mean “safe to soak in the bathtub.”
- Complete the specified drying process. Use the permitted method for each component. Do not apply one universal air-dry, high-heat, or timed-dryer rule. K9 Ballistics, for example, specifies low-heat machine drying for its washable shredded-foam mattresses and warns against covering a still-damp interior.
- Check and reassemble. Follow the maker's assembly instructions, close the fasteners, and inspect for damaged seams or exposed filling. If you cannot confirm a component is fully dry, keep it out of use and ask the maker how to check it. A dry cover alone does not establish that the filling is dry.
Find the next step for your situation
The bed is too large for my washer
Check whether only a smaller removable cover needs washing. For a whole-bed load that the maker permits, confirm suitable equipment and the laundry facility's pet-bedding rules before travelling there. Do not assume a commercial machine makes an otherwise non-washable insert washable.
I have a foam bed or a bed with bolsters
Make a separate line in the record below for the core, each different bolster type, and any liner. If one part has a no-submersion instruction, keep that part out of the wash. An instruction for a foam bed's cover is not an instruction for its foam.
No removable cover? Can the whole dog bed go in the washer?
The cover not coming off is not a washing instruction. Look for the care label and exact model guidance for the entire bed, including its filling. Do not decide from the outer fabric alone.
- The maker explicitly allows machine washing the whole bed: check that your washer has room for the bed to move, then follow that model's wash and dry settings. Keep the bed out of use until the inside is fully dry.
- The maker says spot-clean only or keep the filling dry: clean only the permitted surface areas. Do not turn “not machine washable” into an unapproved bathtub soak.
- The label is missing or unclear: pause the wet-cleaning decision and ask the maker about that exact model and filling. You can remove loose hair and arrange a dry alternate resting place while you wait.
If you need to ask, send: “I have your [exact model or photo of the label]. Its cover does not come off. May I machine-wash or submerge the whole bed, including the filling? If not, which areas may I spot-clean, and how should I dry it?”
This is a decision aid, not a universal method. The manufacturer examples above show why rules differ; the instructions for your exact bed take priority.
The care label is missing
Try the order confirmation, model label, packaging, or the manufacturer's product archive. Ask the maker using the exact model and component description. Do not use a similar-looking bed's instructions as proof that yours tolerates the same water or heat.
Another person will finish the laundry
Leave the part-by-part record with the load. Say which pieces have been washed, which are still drying, and who will check them before reassembly. “The dog bed is done” is ambiguous when only its cover is ready.
I need the resting area back tonight
Plan around the permitted drying process, not an assumed finish time. Keep the alternate resting arrangement available if drying takes longer. Do not raise the temperature beyond the care instructions to meet a household deadline.
Copy a dog-bed care record
Copy these lines into a note or onto paper. Repeat the component section for every part with different instructions. Keep photos, order details, and personal information in your own records; there is nothing to submit here.
Bed and wash-day plan
Exact brand/model: ____
Instruction link or label location: ____
Alternate resting place while the bed is unavailable: ____
Person starting the wash: ____
Component — repeat as needed
Part name and identifying detail: ____
Allowed washing method/settings: ____
Allowed drying method/settings: ____
Washer/dryer capacity or facility rules confirmed: ____
Question still awaiting the maker's answer: ____
Current status — not started / washed / drying / ready after checks: ____
Return to use
All relevant parts checked fully dry: ____
Seams, filling and fasteners checked; reassembled as instructed: ____
Final check completed by, and when: ____
Common dog-bed washing questions
How often should I clean a dog bed?
CDC's pet-supply guidance gives weekly cleaning of beds and blankets as an example, with more frequent cleaning when needed. Use a method compatible with the bed's instructions. Illness, contamination, or a vulnerable household member may require additional guidance from your veterinarian or healthcare professional.
Does removing the smell mean the bed is disinfected?
No. CDC distinguishes removing dirt through cleaning from killing germs through disinfection. A fresh smell does not demonstrate disinfection. This guide does not prescribe a disinfectant mixture or certify a bed as germ-free.
Should I use vinegar, bleach, or a hotter cycle?
Do not improvise a mixture or override the bed's care limits. CDC says to follow cleaner and disinfectant labels and not mix bleach with other cleaners. If disinfection is needed but the method conflicts with the bed's instructions, get advice for that situation instead of guessing.
Do I need a new bed or a special cleaner?
Not just because it is wash day. Identify the parts, condition, and permitted method first. If replacement is necessary, check exact component compatibility, care instructions, dimensions, and return terms before paying. This guide does not recommend a particular bed, appliance, or cleaning product.
What if this is a mat inside a crate?
Use the mat's own washing instructions. If you are replacing it or changing its thickness, our dog crate measurement guide helps compare the remaining usable interior. That measurement tool does not determine washability or certify a crate setup as safe.
Sources and scope
Written by BoxToHeart from the linked manufacturer and public-health guidance, with an original household care record. Sources checked September 15, 2026. The household examples are illustrative, not customer case studies. The exact product instructions remain the authority for material care.