


There are a lot of advantages to living with pets in our homes, as well as the physical, emotional and social benefits, scientific studies have proven that children who live with pets at a young age are less likely to develop asthma and allergies.

And living with multiple pets creates a lot of fun interactions among them, but keeping your multiple pets beds clean can be a major challenge. In our small house, Dog beds are part of the furniture and line the floor from TV to couch,
one or two of the dogs will have favorite spots, but generally any bed will do. As long as there are enough beds for all, then all is good.
The Secret to Keeping the Beds Clean..
For years I went through lots of pet beds.. one would get soiled and would soak through into the padding of the bed, which resulted in lots of hosing, scrubbing and product application.. Eventually, I ended up with a lot of covers and no interior padding..
Then, my children returned from college with their foam mattress pads and no need for them.
I quickly learned that once cut to size, ( you can double the foam for old or heavy dogs) placed in a large trash bag, and inserted in one of the empty covers, I had a very comfortable, easy to maintain and clean bed that was better and more durable then most high dollar dog beds.

The cover can easily be washed and the trash bags can be wiped off or replaced.
And If you are lucky enough to live near a college when the students are moving out, you can get mattress pads before they go into the dumpster, making them super affordable!
So now, when ever I buy a new dog bed, one of the most important things I look at is the quality of the Zipper and the stitching, as the cover is the part of the bed that is now going to last the longest.
Where do the Cats Sleep…?
Two of my smallest dogs sleep on my bed, but generally my dogs are not allowed on the furniture. Cats on the other hand, well, try to tell them where they are not allowed…
With the exception of the kitchen counter, where I have employed a “scat mat” and a spray bottle, the cats sleep where ever they want. There are plenty of cat beds in places where the dogs can’t get to, but it was always aggravating to have a cat soil a perfectly good dog bed. Be it a hair ball or a sign of defiance against the new kitten… the cats took a lot of blame.
Trash Bag to the Rescue…
Once I started bagging my own dog beds a surprising thing happened… The cats seem to dislike the initial noise that the trash bags make and started staying off of the dog beds. Win Win Win!
So here are some final tips to help you with the now simple task of keeping your dogs beds clean and comfortable;
- Use heavy duty trash bags or better yet, Leaf bags
, you may even want to double them, and tie them closed well.
- Try to work the air out of the trash bag before putting on the cover .
- If the foam/bag fits tightly into the cover, the beds are easier to shake out and/or vacuum.
- Enjoy the cash your not spending on new dog beds, buy your dogs some new toys
instead!
That’s a great tip with the trash bag. I never thought that it would be effective like that. Who knew cats don;t like them but dogs don’t mind. But you bring up some great points that I never considered for pet beds. They get soiled easily and with how rough some dogs are, they certain don’t last long if the quality isn’t there. Thanks for sharing this useful article!
Hi,
That’s a good idea. I have gone through tons of dog beds as well and they just don’t get any now. Hmm..Only thing is my dogs like to chew too! My older dogs likes to swallow fabric and what a headache it was to get that out. Any ideas to prevent from chewing?
Thanks,
Sofia
HI Sofia, Thanks for the comments.. I hate it when the dogs eat their beds! I have a foster hound that will eat a bed if I don’t watch him… he can only have towels in his kennel … or he unstuffs them. You bring up an interesting point that I hadn;t thought about.. my dogs will shred a stuffed toy in a few minutes, but it seems they have, for the most, part stoped unstuffing the beds.. I bet you have tried most of the bad tasting things like bitter orange, hot sauce etc. I wonder if mine stopped chewing on beds because I make an effort to make sure they have lots of antlers and bones to chew on.. What kind of dog is the bed eater? has he done this all his life?.. thanks for the thoughts.. I will do some research..
My dog already has quite a number of beds, but I love seeing her comfortable so I have beds for her all over the house and yard. I’m always looking for new ones for her and your suggestions are cool and budget friendly. I love the photos in your post too. Very cute. I love dogs and spoil mine no end.
Thank You Darren, One cannot have to many dog beds… can they? A friend just gave me a memory foam mattress pad that she did not like.. boy are my pups going to be comfortable lying in front of the wood stove this winter! Sounds like you need more dogs for your beds!.. Maybe Santa will send one your way!
Thanks for giving some nice recommendation regarding dog beds. I was thinking of buying a dog bed for my pet and I want it within a very cheap rate. I like the ideas provided here.
Thank You Ashley. Yes Dog Beds can be very expensive, I say if its good enough for me, its good enough for my dogs, and I certainly can’t be buying new beds every time one gets soiled. I am so glad you appreciated my tips!