Quick answer

Wash the cover on a gentle 30°C cycle with a small amount of pet-safe detergent, then air-dry it flat or over a line. If the smell sits in the filling or the bed cannot be unzipped, spot-clean and air it instead of soaking it, because wadding and memory foam trap water and shrink or clump. Replace the bed when the filling itself smells after a full wash and dry.

Find out what is actually causing the smell

A stale, yeasty smell usually means dried saliva and skin oils have soaked past the cover into the filling. A sour, damp smell points to moisture that never dried, often after a previous wash or a wet dog lying on the bed. A sharp ammonia smell is urine and needs an enzymatic cleaner, not just detergent, or the residue keeps drawing the dog back to the same spot.

Before you wash anything, check the care label and whether the cover unzips. Beds with removable covers can be washed far more aggressively than a one-piece bed with a sewn-in filling.

How to wash a dog bed without shrinking it

Zip the cover closed so hair and loose filling do not wrap around the drum, then shake it outside first. Use a gentle or delicate cycle at 30°C with a mild, non-biological detergent and no fabric softener, which coats fibres and traps odour. An extra rinse helps flush out detergent residue that can irritate skin.

For a one-piece bed that cannot be unzipped, do not submerge it. Vacuum both sides, then sponge the surface with diluted pet-safe cleaner and wipe with a barely damp cloth. This lifts surface oils without saturating the filling.

  • Wash the cover alone or with towels of a similar colour, never with heavy items that bash the fabric.
  • Skip the dryer for anything with wadding, foam or a waterproof liner, as heat is the main cause of shrinking and clumping.
  • Air-dry flat or draped over a line in shade and turn it once so both sides dry evenly.

Washing dog blankets and bedding the same way

Fleece blankets and flat mats follow the same rules as covers: 30°C, gentle cycle, extra rinse, air-dry. Wash them weekly if your dog sleeps on the bed every night, and more often during shedding season or after muddy walks. A second, easily washed blanket on top of the bed is the simplest way to keep the main bed fresher for longer, because you are laundering the cheap layer instead of the whole bed.

If odour keeps returning within a day or two, the problem is usually the filling rather than the fabric, and no amount of rewashing will fix it.

Everyday habits that stop the smell coming back

Air the bed outdoors for an hour on dry days, brush off loose hair before it works into the weave, and put a towel down after wet walks. Keep the bed out of direct sun when drying, since strong sun can fade covers and make some synthetic fills brittle.

Treat food and chews as a separate job. Greasy treats eaten on the bed leave fat and protein in the fabric that smell worse over time, so give them on a washable mat or in a crate instead.

Diagnose the smell before you wash

  • Sour or damp smell: The filling stayed wet after a previous wash or a wet dog lay on the bed. Wash the cover again, dry it fully in air, and check the filling for clumps by squeezing it. If the filling still smells damp after a full air-dry, stop washing and replace the bed.
  • Sharp ammonia smell: This is urine. Use an enzymatic cleaner on the cover and the filling surface, let it dwell as directed, then wash at 30°C. If the smell returns within a day, the urine has reached the core and the bed is not salvageable.
  • Greasy or yeasty smell with no dampness: Skin oils and saliva have built up in the fabric. Wash the cover at 30°C with an extra rinse and air-dry flat. Wash weekly from now on, or add a washable blanket on top to slow the buildup.
  • Smell only on the dog, not the bed: Check diet, ears and skin with your vet before blaming the bedding, especially if the odour is fishy and your dog eats a fish-based food. Washing the bed will not fix a smell that is coming from the dog.

Products that help with the messy end of the job

  • Carnilove Sardines with Wild Garlic Dog Treat: Carnilove Sardines with Wild Garlic Dog Treat is a soft, tender treat with a distinct protein and matched herb, made without artificial additives, grains or potatoes. Soft treats crumble less and leave fewer greasy crumbs in the bed than hard biscuits, so they are a tidier choice for training on or near bedding.
  • Venison Training Treats for Dogs & Cats | 100% Venison: Venison Training Treats for Dogs & Cats are 100% venison, semi-moist, and packed in a certified compostable bag, at 38.5% crude protein and 31.8% crude fat. A novel protein is useful for reward training, and the semi-moist texture means you can break pieces small, which reduces how much food ends up mashed into the fabric.
  • Tribal Fresh Pressed Small Breed Fresh Salmon: Tribal Fresh Pressed Small Breed Fresh Salmon is a grain-free, cold-pressed complete food for small breed adult dogs with fresh salmon, green lipped mussel and joint care. If your dog's bed smells fishy rather than sour, check the food bowl area first, as a salmon-based diet can leave a strong scent on breath and paws that transfers to bedding.