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One of the many interesting things about dogs is that they naturally keep their crates nice and tidy. After a while, however, even the most tidy looking crate can begin to smell bad. On top of that, there are always the occasional “bathroom accidents” which can happen, and those need to be dealt with as well.
Whether you are doing a routine cleaning or washing up after an accident, you should make sure that you are using the safest method possible when cleaning your dog’s crate. This not only ensures you are getting it as clean as possible but also in a way that is healthy for your dog.
You should clean your dog’s crate every two to four weeks or immediately after you discover there has been an accident in the crate.
How To Safely Clean A Dog Crate
Step 1: Remove toys, blankets, beds, and other objects from the crate.
First, you need to clear out the crate. You should wipe down your dog’s toys and clean them with disinfectant if they have any urine or feces on them. Set the toys aside so you can focus on your dog’s bedding.
Step 2: Wash the dog’s bedding
It is a good idea to routinely wash your dog’s bedding or blankets (and especially if they had an accident in the crate). Usually, you will be able to wash the bedding in your washing machine in warm or cold water, with a mild detergent. If you want to remove really tough odors, you can add baking soda to your wash load.
If the bedding cannot be machine-washed, you may need to hand wash it in the
sink or tub. Using cold water, simply spot treat the bedding with mild detergent, hitting all the affected areas.
Step 3: Take the crate outside or to a well-ventilated room
Washing a crate can be messy. The best place to wash the crate is outside, with a hose. If you are unable to go outside, though, choose a room with tile floors, such as a kitchen or bathroom. It should be well-ventilated so that the cage can dry without mildewing. Make sure that the dog is nowhere near the crate as you clean it. Keep them in a separate room.
Step 4: Choose your cleaning solution
Believe it or not, dogs are not harmed from exposure to most cleaning solutions. The important thing is that you don’t want them to come into contact with the crate until it is dry.
Also, not all solutions are OK to use. You should definitely avoid cleaning the crate with ammonia. Ammonia sometimes smells like urine to dogs and this could actually encourage them to urinate in the crate.
Here are a couple of great cleaning solutions that you can actually mix up at your own home and put in a spray bottle to make cleaning easier:
- Half a cup of bleach to a gallon of water
- One part dish detergent to ten parts of water
- Half a cup white vinegar to one-gallon water
Sometimes a crate is just too old or soiled and you need a new one. When that’s the case, check out our great collection of dog crates!