How to Clean and Care for Faux Fur Dog Bed Covers
By Dazy Dog | Published: 2026-09-22
Category: Tips & Care
A step-by-step routine for washing faux fur dog bed covers without matting the pile, plus daily habits that keep them soft and odour-free between washes.
Quick answer
Shake the cover out, brush the pile, then machine wash cold on a gentle cycle with a small amount of mild detergent and no fabric softener. Air dry flat or line dry away from direct heat, then brush the pile again while it is slightly damp. Most faux fur dog bed cover care comes down to three habits: brush before washing, skip the dryer, and keep a spare cover on rotation.
Faux fur is one of the few cover fabrics that looks and feels better the more carefully you handle it. The pile traps loose hair and dander near the surface rather than weaving it into the backing, which makes routine cleaning easier than most owners expect. The catch is heat and agitation: both can crush the fibres into a flat, matted finish that no amount of brushing fully restores.
This routine works for any plush faux fur cover, whether it is a spare you swap in weekly or the only cover on your dog's bed. It also covers what to do between washes, because how you store and rotate a faux fur cover matters as much as how you clean it.
Why faux fur needs a different routine
Faux fur is a knitted or woven backing with tufted synthetic fibres standing up from it. That structure is what gives the cover its depth and warmth, and it is also what makes it vulnerable. Hot water, high spin speeds and dryer heat can cause the fibres to tangle and lose their loft, so the cover ends up looking worn long before the backing has failed.
The upside is that faux fur releases dirt and hair readily when you work with the pile rather than against it. A pre-wash brush and a cold, gentle cycle do most of the work. You are not trying to deep-clean the fabric so much as lift what is sitting on top of it and rinse away what has worked into the base.
- Always check the care label first. If it specifies a different temperature or a hand-wash only instruction, follow that over any general advice.
- Wash covers separately from towels, blankets or clothing. Loose lint and zipper hardware from other items are the fastest way to rough up a plush pile.
How often to clean a faux fur cover
A weekly shake-out and brush keeps a faux fur cover presentable for most dogs. Wash it every two to four weeks, or sooner if your dog drools heavily, has allergies, or sleeps on the bed straight after muddy walks. Dogs with skin conditions or incontinence need a more frequent cycle, and in those cases a second cover is not a luxury, it is the practical answer.
If you keep a spare on hand, you can strip and wash one cover while the other is in use, which removes the temptation to rush the drying stage. A Bouclé Round Bed Cover - Pebble works as a style change for the same round bed, so you are not storing a duplicate of the exact same look.
- Wash more often in humid weather. Damp fur holds odour longer than a flat-weave fabric.
- If the cover smells musty while still on the bed, it needed washing a week ago.
What you need before you start
You do not need a specialty kit. A rubber grooming brush or slicker brush, a mild liquid detergent free of bleach and optical brighteners, and a mesh laundry bag if your machine has an aggressive agitator will cover it. Skip fabric softener and dryer sheets entirely, as both coat the fibres and reduce the softness you are trying to protect.
If the cover has a zip, close it before washing so the teeth do not snag the pile from the inside. If it has hook-and-loop fastenings, press them shut for the same reason.
- A pet-hair remover or rubber squeegee lifts embedded hair faster than a vacuum alone.
- Keep a lint roller near the bed for quick touch-ups between full washes.
The faux fur cover cleaning routine, step by step
- Step 1: Strip the cover and shake it outside: Unzip or unfasten the cover and take it outdoors. Shake it firmly from the corners to dislodge loose hair, grit and crumbs before anything touches water. Common mistake: washing a cover straight off the bed. Wet hair clings to the backing and becomes far harder to remove once it is saturated. Checkpoint: if hair is still visibly shedding off the surface after shaking, keep going before you move to the brush.
- Step 2: Brush the pile in one direction: Lay the cover flat and work a rubber brush or slicker brush across the pile in a single consistent direction, not back and forth. This lifts embedded hair and separates fibres that have flattened from your dog's weight. Common mistake: scrubbing in circles, which tangles the pile and creates the matted look you are trying to avoid. Checkpoint: the surface should look lifted and even, with no flat patches, before you wash.
- Step 3: Pre-treat stains and odour spots: Dab a small amount of mild detergent onto drool marks, accident spots or greasy patches and let it sit for five minutes. Do not rub aggressively. Common mistake: reaching for an enzyme cleaner or stain remover without checking it is safe for synthetic fibres, as some leave a residue that stiffens the pile. Checkpoint: blot with a clean cloth first. If the mark lifts, you can go straight to the wash.
- Step 4: Machine wash cold on a gentle cycle: Use cold water, a gentle or delicate cycle and roughly a quarter of your normal detergent dose. Place the cover in a mesh laundry bag if your machine has a central agitator. Common mistake: adding fabric softener. It coats the fibres, reduces loft and makes the cover feel slick rather than soft. Checkpoint: if your care label says hand wash only, fill a basin with cold water and press the cover gently rather than wringing it.
- Step 5: Skip the spin cycle where you can: A long, fast spin presses the pile flat against the backing. If your machine allows it, choose a low-spin or no-spin setting and let the cover drain. Common mistake: treating a high spin as a shortcut to drying. It is the single most common cause of a crushed, flattened faux fur finish. Checkpoint: the cover should come out heavy and dripping, not twisted into a rope.
- Step 6: Air dry flat or line dry, away from heat: Lay the cover flat on a drying rack or drape it over a line in the shade. Keep it away from radiators, direct sun and tumble dryers. Common mistake: putting it in the dryer on low, assuming low heat is safe. Even low dryer heat can set the fibres into a matted state over repeated washes. Checkpoint: if you must speed things up, use a fan or a well-ventilated room rather than heat.
- Step 7: Brush again while slightly damp: Once the cover is about 80 percent dry, give it a second brush in the same direction as before. This is the step that restores the loft, and it is far more effective on damp fibres than on bone-dry ones. Common mistake: waiting until the cover is completely dry, when the pile has already settled into its dried shape. Checkpoint: the cover should look close to its original depth before you put it back on the bed.
Covers that make the routine easier
- Bouclé Round Bed Cover - Pebble: Modern, cool and effortlessly stylish — the Pebble Bouclé Spare Cover is your go-to for a quick refresh. Keep one on hand for easy cleaning cycles or switch up your style in seconds with this versatile, contemporary neutral. A second cover lets you wash one while the other is on the bed, so you never have to rush the air-dry stage that faux fur needs.
- Crate Mat Quick Cover - Waffle Moss: Designed for convenience, it slips over your crate dog bed to add a layer of comfort and protection. The plush waffle fabric feels luxuriously soft, turning any crate mat into a cosy dog bed retreat. A slip-on protective layer takes the brunt of dirt and hair, which means fewer full washes of the cover underneath.
- Cooling Round Cover - Seaweed: The Round Cooling Cover fits your Round bed, made for dogs who curl up to sleep. NASA-developed Outlast Thermo-technology draws heat away and regulates their temperature all night, and the cooling never washes out. Removable and machine washable. If your dog runs hot, a removable machine-washable cooling cover gives you a warm-weather alternative to faux fur without changing the bed itself.
Faux fur rewards patience more than products. Shake, brush, wash cold, skip the dryer and brush again while damp, and the cover will stay soft through years of use. Keep a spare on rotation and the whole routine takes minutes rather than an afternoon.
