You should wash your pet's toys at least once a week. You can wash the plastic toys with hot, soapy water and throw the plush toys into the washing machine to clean them thoroughly. Cleaning your pet's belongings is important for their health and well-being. In most cases, it is recommended to wash pet bedding once every 1-2 weeks.
If someone in your home has pet allergies, your pet loses a lot of hair, or spends a lot of time outside, then you might want to wash the bedding more often. Use your best judgment and remember that the longer you spend between washes, the more difficult it will be to clean your bed linen. Rover spoke to Lisa Yakas, an expert at the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), about ways that dog parents can efficiently and safely disinfect their furry friends' belongings, items that she says may be full of bacteria and germs. Generally speaking, keeping pet supplies free of harmful germs starts with choosing items that can be easily cleaned and cleaned frequently.
Yakas advises against toys with cracks and crevices where bacteria can hide and grow. These items are often more difficult to disinfect, she says, so the NSF expert suggests opting for toys that are smooth and can be thoroughly washed. Yakas says most plush or cloth toys can be cleaned with a pet-friendly detergent in a washer and dryer. She says that following an NSF-certified disinfection cycle for your washer and dryer will help them work most efficiently to thoroughly clean your items and remove allergens.
As with our own bedding, maintaining our pet's sleeping space is essential. Fortunately, most dog beds can be cleaned with pet-friendly detergent in a washer-dryer cycle, according to the NSF. Pet bedding should be rotated at least once a week to eliminate bacteria and allergens carried away by dogs and cats, Petco advises. Cleaning your pet's bed and blankets regularly can minimize pet odors and keep your dog's skin and coat looking healthy.
Unlike cleaning supplies for human use, cleaning products for pets require more care to protect the health of people and pets.
