Key Takeaways
- Wash your dog's bed every 2 weeks - more often if your dog is wet, muddy, or sheds heavily.
- Always remove the cover first and wash it separately from the foam insert.
- Use a pet-safe detergent on a gentle cycle with cold or warm water - never hot.
- Air dry Le Noof beds to preserve the boucle or flannel texture. Tumble dry low if needed.
- Spot clean stains immediately - the longer they sit, the harder they are to remove.
Washing a dog bed correctly takes less than five minutes of actual effort. Most of the work is the machine doing it. Here's the exact process, what to use, and how often to do it.
Shop Le Noof machine-washable dog beds here.
How Often Should You Wash a Dog Bed?
Every two weeks is the baseline for a healthy dog with normal activity. Wash more often if your dog swims or gets muddy regularly, sheds heavily, has allergies or skin issues, or has had an accident on the bed.
Between washes, vacuum the bed weekly to remove hair and debris. Spot clean any stains immediately - fresh stains come out in minutes, dried ones take real work.
Before You Start
Remove the cover from the foam insert before washing. Le Noof beds all have removable, zippered covers - unzip, pull the cover off, and wash it separately. The foam insert stays out of the machine entirely.
Vacuum the cover before washing to remove as much loose hair as possible. Hair in the washing machine drum can clog the filter over time.
How to Wash a Dog Bed Cover
Machine wash on a gentle cycle with cold or warm water. Never hot - heat shrinks fabric and can damage the boucle loop structure on Le Noof's teddy and boucle covers.
Use a pet-safe detergent. Skip fabric softener - it coats the fabric fibers and reduces absorbency over time, which matters for beds that need to handle moisture. No bleach.
For Le Noof's teddy boucle and boucle square covers specifically: gentle cycle, cold water, no softener. The looped construction that makes these covers so soft is preserved by following this cycle.
How to Treat Stains Before Washing
Don't put a heavily stained cover straight into the machine - pre-treat first.
Urine: Mix equal parts white vinegar and cold water. Apply to the stain, let sit 5-10 minutes, blot with a clean cloth. Don't rub - rubbing spreads the stain.
Mud or dirt: Let it dry completely first, then brush off as much as possible before treating with warm water and a small amount of mild detergent.
Vomit or food: Remove solids first, then treat with warm water and mild detergent. Let sit 5 minutes, blot, then machine wash.
After pre-treating, put the cover straight into the washing machine on a gentle cycle.
How to Dry a Dog Bed
Air drying is the best method for all Le Noof beds. Hang the cover or lay it flat in a well-ventilated space. The boucle and flannel textures come back to their full softness once fully dry - air drying preserves this where high heat can affect the fiber structure over time.
If you need to use the dryer: tumble dry on low heat only. Never high heat. High heat causes shrinking, can damage the boucle loops on teddy fabric, and shortens the lifespan of the cover significantly.
The foam insert should always air dry. Place it somewhere with good airflow and allow it to dry completely before putting the cover back on - a damp insert develops mildew smell that's very difficult to remove. Le Noof's waterproof inner lining means moisture very rarely reaches the foam during normal use, but if the insert does get wet, give it 24 hours to dry fully.
Keeping the Bed Fresh Between Washes
Sprinkle baking soda over the bed surface, leave it for 15-30 minutes, then vacuum thoroughly. This neutralizes odor without any chemicals and can be done as often as weekly without affecting the fabric. It's the fastest way to freshen a bed between full washes.
If you have two beds in rotation, the washing schedule becomes much easier - one in use while the other dries. Le Noof's matching teddy or boucle sets make this practical without cluttering the aesthetic of the room.
For more detail, we suggest watching this video:
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should you wash a dog bed?
Every two weeks for most dogs. More often if your dog swims, sheds heavily, has skin issues, or has had an accident on the bed. Weekly vacuuming and spot cleaning between washes keeps the bed fresh between full cycles.
How do you wash a dog bed without ruining it?
Remove the cover and wash it separately from the foam insert. Use a gentle cycle with cold or warm water and a pet-safe detergent. No fabric softener, no bleach, no hot water. For Le Noof's boucle and teddy covers specifically, cold water on a gentle cycle preserves the looped fabric texture.
How do you dry a dog bed?
Air dry is best. Hang the cover or lay it flat until fully dry. If using a dryer, tumble dry on low heat only - high heat shrinks fabric and damages soft fabric constructions like boucle. The foam insert should always air dry for at least 24 hours before replacing the cover.
How do you get smell out of a dog bed without washing it?
Sprinkle baking soda over the entire surface, leave for 15-30 minutes, then vacuum thoroughly. This neutralizes odor effectively between full washes and is safe to do weekly on any fabric type.
Final Word
Wash every two weeks. Remove the cover first. Gentle cycle, cold water, pet-safe detergent. Air dry to preserve the fabric. Baking soda between washes for odor. That's the whole process.
Le Noof's removable, zippered covers on every bed make this routine as frictionless as it should be - off, wash, dry, back on. A clean bed takes ten minutes of actual effort every two weeks. Your dog spends 12-14 hours a day on that surface. It's worth the ten minutes.
Browse Le Noof machine-washable dog beds here.
Blog cover photo from Hunting Pony!
