When it's time to wash your pet's bed and how to do it - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Our pets' beds are likely to carry the same germs we are exposed to when we hug them, experts say. (Unsplash)

Have you ever run a pet bed through the family washing machine and found your favourite jumper covered in hair after a later wash?

About 64 per cent of Australians live in a household with at least one pet — mostly dogs and cats — and most of them have their own comfy beds that can get pretty funky.

Our experts say it's generally OK to clean pets' bedding in your washing machine, but there are simple ways to make sure the bed, the machine and your clothes are not ruined in the process, as well as detergent considerations for your fur baby's comfort. 

Cats self-clean, so their bedding can require less washing. (Unsplash)

While pet bedding can get quite dirty and smelly, associate professor Rietie Venter, who works on the traditional lands of Kaurna people at Adelaide University's School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, says running it through the home washing machine is low risk from a hygiene perspective.

Rietie Venter is Adelaide University's antimicrobial resistance lead with the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science. (Supplied: Rietie Venter)

"If you wash it separately [from your clothing], by itself, that should be absolutely fine," she says.

"If you have a heavy-shedding dog … you will have to remove the hair first, otherwise it just clogs up your machine."

Dr Venter says most of the oil, dirt, dead skin cells and microbes on the bedding go down the drain, so you're unlikely to pick up any problematic nasties if you wash your clothes in the same machine.

And while pets carry lots of microbes, she says when you cuddle them or allow them on your bed, you're exposed to the same germs anyway.

Before putting pet bedding through your washing machine, Ngunnawal and Ngambri country/Canberra-based appliance repairer Tait Leaney agrees you should brush as much hair and debris off as possible.

He also recommends doing your own washing before your pet's.

And while it may be tempting to use scented washing products to cancel out odours, University of Sydney veterinary dermatology lecturer Tina Baxter urges pet owners to avoid them, particularly when laundering dog bedding.

"[Dogs'] noses prefer smells that are often quite off-putting for us," says Dr Baxter, who also works as a vet at the university's teaching hospital at Camden, on the traditional lands of the Dharawal, Gundungurra and Dharug peoples.

Dr Baxter recommends using enzymatic washing powders designed for humans that are "very mild" in smell.

Pet beds with removable shells can simplify the process, Dr Venter says, as the covers can be washed and dried regularly with ease.

But some beds can actually be put into the machine whole.

Our experts recommend low-fragrance washing detergents when cleaning pet beds. (Unsplash)

"Our dog … has one of those foam ones that you can just put in and … actually, it works quite well," Dr Venter says.

If you're washing a whole pet bed and you don't have a dryer, Dr Venter recommends doing it on a warm, sunny day with no rain, as the bedding needs to dry quickly so germs can't multiply in it while it is still wet.

In terms of what washing machine settings to use, Mr Leaney says it is best to follow the instructions on the bedding.

"As long as the pet bedding can withstand a hot wash, that's always going to be more hygienic," he says.

"But the hotter the wash … the harder it is on the [item being washed] and the less energy efficient it is."

Tina Baxter says cat and dog bedding generally only needs washing when it smells. (Pexels)

Putting your pet's bedding through the home washing machine is generally fine, Mr Leaney says.

But he has had one or two pet bed-related repair jobs during his time in the trade.

Tait Leaney is the director of a Canberra-based appliance repair business. (Supplied: Ginger Beard Repair Service)

"The main ones are … bedding with stuffing inside," he says.

"The washing machine will rip those up a little bit and then the stuffing ends up all through the machine."

However, if you follow the bedding's washing instructions, Mr Leaney says this scenario is unlikely.

When putting pet bedding through the dryer, as with human washing, it's important to clean the lint trap afterwards to avoid creating a fire hazard, particularly in older machines.

If you want to keep your washing machine sparkling between pet washes, Mr Leaney recommends wiping out any seals, throwing in two basic dishwasher tablets (yes, dishwasher tablets) and running a cleaning cycle (or the longest, hottest cycle you can), followed by an empty cycle to flush it.

If you've got big dogs or lots of pet bedding, he also warns not to overpack your machine, and says to check its capacity (usually in kilograms in the user guide), as it can become unbalanced, stop running, and leave you with a wet, smelly mess to deal with.

And for people who don't fancy sharing a washer with their pets, some laundromats have machines specifically for pet bedding.

Like humans, dogs can also be allergic to the dust mites that can accumulate in their bedding. (Unsplash)

If nobody in your family, including your pets, is immunocompromised or has allergies (for example, to dust mites, which are everywhere but can accumulate in bedding), Dr Baxter says dog bedding only needs washing "when it smells", but this will vary between animals.

She says the sniff test can also be applied to cat bedding.

"Cats are, by nature, fairly clean creatures," Dr Baxter says.

"It can probably sit there for some time without that causing any health problems."