How to Wash a Cooling Dog Bed Cover Without Damaging It

Quick answer

Wash a cooling dog bed cover in cold water on a gentle cycle with mild detergent, then air dry it flat or line dry away from direct heat. Avoid hot water, fabric softener and a hot tumble dryer, because heat is what damages the cooling layer and the fabric over time. A spare cover makes the whole process easier.

A cooling dog bed cover does more than look tidy. The cooling side is a functional layer, and how you wash it decides whether it keeps working next summer or quietly stops helping. The good news: most cooling covers are genuinely washable if you treat the fabric gently and skip heat.

This guide walks through the exact order of steps, from reading the care label to putting the cover back on. It also covers the one mistake most people make without realising, and how a spare cover turns wash day into a five-minute job.

Before you wash: check the label and the cover

Start by checking the care label on your specific cover, because cooling fabrics are not all built the same way. Some use a coated or gel-infused surface, others rely on a tightly woven performance fibre. The label tells you the maximum temperature and whether machine washing is allowed at all.

Then unzip the cover and look at the seams, zips and any elastic corners. If a seam is already splitting, a wash cycle can make it worse. If the cover has a stiff or shiny cooling panel, treat it as delicate and plan a gentler cycle.

• Checkpoint: if the label says hand wash only, follow it.
• If the label is missing, choose the gentlest cycle and cold water.

Step 1: Remove the cover and shake it out

Unzip the cover fully and lift it off the memory foam base. Do not wash the foam itself; most foam cores are spot-clean only and will break down in a machine. Shake the cover outside to remove loose hair, grit and crumbs before it goes anywhere near the washing machine.

This step matters more than it sounds. Loose debris in the drum acts like sandpaper against the cooling fabric, and pet hair can clog the machine's filter.

• Common mistake: washing the cover while it is still zipped to the foam base.
• Use a lint roller or rubber glove to lift stubborn hair first.

Step 2: Pre-treat stains and odours

For accidents, drool marks or muddy paw prints, pre-treat the spot with a small amount of mild detergent and cool water. Work it in gently with your fingertips rather than scrubbing hard, because aggressive rubbing can pill the surface of a cooling panel.

For odour, a short soak in cool water with a scoop of pet-safe laundry powder helps. Skip chlorine bleach, which weakens fibres and can leave a residue that irritates skin.

• Common mistake: using hot water to pre-treat, which sets protein stains.
• Test any stain remover on a hidden corner first.

Step 3: Wash on cold, gentle, and alone

Put the cover in the machine by itself or with similar light items. Choose a cold water setting and a gentle or delicate cycle. Add a mild, residue-free detergent and skip fabric softener entirely, because softener coats the fibres and reduces breathability.

If your cover has a cooling panel, an extra rinse cycle helps flush out detergent that could otherwise sit in the fabric and reduce airflow.

• Checkpoint: cold water, gentle cycle, no softener, no bleach.
• Use a mesh laundry bag if the cover has delicate trim or a zip.

Step 4: Dry flat or line dry, never hot

Heat is the main enemy of a cooling cover. Air dry it flat on a rack or line dry in the shade. Direct sun and a hot tumble dryer can shrink the fabric, warp the cooling layer and dull the colour.

If you must use a dryer on a damp day, choose the lowest heat setting and take the cover out while it is still slightly damp, then let it finish air drying. This reduces the risk of heat damage while preventing mildew.

• Common mistake: tumble drying on high heat to save time.
• Turn the cover inside out to speed drying and protect the outer surface.

Step 5: Refit and check the cooling side

Once the cover is completely dry, refit it over the memory foam base and smooth out any bunching. Run your hand over the cooling panel. It should feel smooth and flat, not stiff, tacky or wrinkled.

If the surface feels coated or slick after washing, you likely used too much detergent or softener. A second cold rinse without detergent usually fixes it.

• Checkpoint: the cover should sit flat with no lumpy corners.
• If the zip snags, ease it closed slowly rather than forcing it.

How often should you wash a cooling dog bed cover?

For most dogs, every two to four weeks is enough. Wash weekly if your dog drools heavily, has allergies, swims often or sleeps on the bed straight after muddy walks. In peak summer, more frequent washing also helps the cooling fabric perform, because dust and oils block airflow.

Between washes, vacuum the cover with a brush attachment and air it out. This keeps odour down and stretches the time between full washes.

• Spot clean accidents immediately to prevent staining.
• Keep a spare cover on rotation so the bed is never out of action.

What not to do

Do not dry clean a cooling cover unless the label explicitly allows it, because solvent-based cleaning can damage performance fabrics. Do not wring or twist the cover to remove water; press it between towels instead. And do not iron it, even on a low setting.

If you use a waterproof liner under the cover, wipe it down rather than machine washing it, and check that it has not trapped moisture against the foam.

• Avoid bleach, softener, hot water and high heat.
• Never leave a damp cover on the foam base.

Wash-day checklist

1. Read the care label first: Confirm the maximum temperature and whether machine washing is permitted for your specific cover. If in doubt, hand wash in cold water.
2. Remove the cover and shake it out: Unzip fully, lift off the foam base and shake loose hair and grit outside before washing. Never wash the memory foam core.
3. Pre-treat stains with cool water: Dab mild detergent onto marks and work gently with fingertips rather than scrubbing. Hot water sets stains, so keep it cold.
4. Wash cold on a gentle cycle: Use mild detergent, skip softener and bleach, and add an extra rinse if the cover has a cooling panel. Cold, gentle and alone is the safest combination.
5. Air dry flat or line dry in shade: Avoid direct sun and high heat. If using a dryer, choose the lowest setting and remove while slightly damp. Heat is what shortens the cover's life.
6. Refit and check the surface: Once fully dry, smooth the cover over the base and feel for stiffness or residue. A second cold rinse fixes most detergent build-up.
7. Keep a spare cover on rotation: Swap in a clean cover so the bed stays in use while the other one dries. Less rush means you can always wash it correctly.

Products that make wash day easier

• Cooling Dog Bed - Stone Grey Memory Foam: Australia's only Cooling Orthopaedic Dog Bed, with Thermo-technology designed for NASA. It cuts overheating by up to 48% for a cooler, more restful sleep, especially in summer, over a dual-layer memory foam base that supports their joints all year. Because the cooling performance is built into the bed, protecting that layer with correct washing keeps the temperature benefit working summer after summer.
• Bouclé Round Bed Cover - Ivory: Brighten your home with the clean, minimal look of our Ivory Bouclé Spare Cover. Soft, luxe and refreshingly crisp, this spare makes wash-day changes simple while keeping your dog's bed feeling elevated and new. A spare cover means you can strip the dirty one, wash it properly at your own pace and put the bed straight back into service.
• Bouclé Round Bed Cover - Forest Green: Give your bed a nature-inspired update with our Forest Green Bouclé Spare Cover. Earthy, calming and beautifully rich, it's the ideal backup for quick swaps, easy cleaning and keeping your dog's space fresh all year round. Rotating two covers reduces how often you wash any single one, which extends the life of the fabric and the bed.

Washing a cooling dog bed cover is straightforward once you know the order: remove, pre-treat, wash cold and gentle, air dry, refit. Skip heat and softener, keep a spare cover handy, and the cooling layer keeps doing its job for many summers to come.