Machine washable dog beds - machine washable everything!

With the British Autumn settling in, dog owners everywhere will be steeling themselves for months of dealing with mucky dog beds. We’re in the same boat with our four monkeys. They may be short coated and prefer to walk around a puddle than get their paws wet but they’re inevitably pretty mucky after a walk through the woods in the rain.

That’s why we design all of Charley Chau dog beds and dog blankets to be as practical as they are comfortable and stylish, working to a mantra of “machine washable everything”.

• All Charley Chau dog bed mattresses have removable covers that are machine washable
• The deep-filled mattresses inside Charley Chau dog beds are also machine washable and constructed with internal wall panels to stop the fibre filling from moving around so that your dog won’t have to put up with unwelcome lumps and bumps.

Take a look at how we put our machine washable Deeply Dishy Dog Bed together to make it as easy as possible to keep clean and fresh.

We also have a couple of simple but effective options to make life even easier when it comes to keeping your dog’s Charley Chau dog bed clean and fresh …

Machine washable Spare Dog Bed Covers

Spare Dog Bed Covers are available for all Charley Chau dog beds. Having a spare as a backup means you don’t have to rush a wash through on wash day – just take the mucky cover off, put the clean one on and wash & dry the mucky one at your leisure!

Machine Washable Waterproof Dog Bed Liners

Waterproof Dog Bed Liners are perfect for protecting a dog bed mattress and keeping the mattress much cleaner for longer. They obviously stop moisture from getting into the mattress but they also act as a barrier to the dirt that invariably comes off dog coats in the wet weather (think of your dog’s gritty feeling tummy after a wet walk), and also animal dander and general house dust.  And it goes without saying that our Waterproof Bed Liners are machine washable too!

Our new Waterproof Bed Liners are made with a waterproof and vapour permeable fabric that is commonly used to make pillow protectors in for hospitals. The fabric has a soft “handle”, it doesn’t make crinkly rustling noises and as well as being waterproof it’s breathable too. Perfect!

Waterproof Bed Liners pop onto the mattress and then the whole thing goes inside the smart outer bed cover.  Even really muddy dogs can have a smart looking bed!

And a few housekeeping tips ...

Wash your dog's bed regularly

Don't wait until your dog's bed is really mucky before washing. Plan to wash the dog beds in your home regularly just as you do your own bedding! This is particularly important if your dog's bed tends to smell a bit fruity. Wash the dog bed before any smells have the chance to "mature" and you won't have to live with a smelly dog bed in your lovely home.

Make sure your dog’s bed is well ventilated

In damp, cold weather it’s really important to make sure that your dog’s bed is well ventilated to enable the moisture in your dog’s bed to evaporate. If a dog's bed isn’t adequately ventilated it can lead to a damp dog bed, and damp dog beds mean a nice environment for bacteria to thrive – yuck!

One of the best ways to help with ventilation is to raise your dog’s mattress off the floor. Rattan Dog Baskets with woven sides are also fab for ventilation. Take a look at our Wood, Wicker & Rattan Dog Bed collection for raised bed frames and rattan dog baskets.

Note: dogs don’t sweat. If your dog’s bed is damp it's not because you have sweaty dog! We will post soon about how to deal with a damp dog bed so keep your eyes peeled for that one if it’s a problem that plagues you and your dog’s life. Or if you can’t wait that long, call us in the office and we'll do our best to advise!

Air your dog’s mattress regularly

This is one that many of our customers have told us they don’t do and yet it’s free and it's easy! Air your dog’s mattress regularly, particularly through the cooler weather when the air is inclined to being damp.  It really helps! Simply take off the covers and hang it up somewhere warm and dry – a linen cupboard is perfect, or a laundry rack near a radiator.

In summary, there really is no need for you or your your dog to have to put up with a smelly, damp bed, or for you to have to think too hard about washing your dog's bed! Just make sure that when you choose a bed for your dog it is designed to be as practical as possible - just like a Charley Chau dog bed!