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How often do you wash your dog’s bedding? Research has found that (in most households) the dog’s bed is one of the top 10 germiest places in the entire home!
With about 44% of American and 23% of UK residents sharing their homes with dogs, and an average of 1 in 20 of those dog owners never washing their dog’s bedding, it’s no surprise that the dog bed is considered one of the dirtiest places in the home!
Dr. Kelly Reynolds, Associate Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Arizona found that dog beds are one of the top 10 germiest spots in the house due to the hundreds of germs, MRSA and fecal matter that they can harbor.
Added to all the dirt, pollen and dead skin cells, it”™s not surprising that dog bedding is a breeding ground for germs. Reynolds therefore recommends that pet parents remove the cover from their dog”™s bedding at least once a week and wash it in hot water, followed by drying it on a high heat – something that only 1 in 5 of the dog owner population do.
Additional research by Vamoosh, an in-wash solution for hair-free and hygienically clean pet bedding and washing machines, has found that almost two thirds of dog owners have let their children get cozy with the dog in his bed, where many dangerous bacteria, bugs, and fungi, along with salmonella, ringworm, listeria and MRSA could be lurking.
During their study, Vamoosh discovered that 22% of dog owners think that the dog bed takes 2 weeks to become unhygienic, yet 23% still leave it a month between washes. When you think about the amount of exploring dogs do when they”™re out and about, they will collect a lot of bacteria and germs, which can germs spread quickly around the home.
How often do you wash your pet’s bedding? At the very least, dog owners should remove the cover from the dog’s bed and toss it into the wash once a week, followed by a very hot drying cycle. (As a general rule, make it a habit of washing or changing your dog’s bedding the same day you wash your own!)
Janet Windeknecht
May 5, 2021 at 10:55 am
This is a great article and too many dogs are sleeping on dirty beds. Using a fitted dog bed sheet makes it easy to change the dog bedding weekly. I used PawSheets as they make it easy to keep a dog bed clean.