Surely you change and wash your sheets on a weekly or biweekly basis. And your clothes go straight to the laundry basket when you take them off at the end of the day. But what about your dog or cat's collar, harness, leash, and bed?
Just like humans, our pets also sweat, shed dead cells, secrete saliva, and lose a lot of hair. In addition, the dirt that comes from going out into the street is added, stepping on the ground directly with their paws, rubbing themselves through the mud or the grass...
All this results in an urgent need for hygiene both for their resting place and their clothing, be it a harness, collar, leash and even coats or raincoats. With this we will avoid the dirt of the animal and our home, stains, mites, parasites, fungi, bacteria and bad odors that can cause infections in our best furry friend and those who live with him.
The truth is that the frequency depends enormously on each particular circumstance. Dogs get dirty more than cats, since they go outside more and the kittens groom themselves on a recurring basis. In addition, it will depend on the breed and lifestyle of the animal.
To begin with, the habit of passing a wet wipe over your pet's paws when it comes in from the street avoids much of the dirt that it will leave on its bed. You can also do the same with the collar and leash after each walk.
If your dog usually travels through wild areas and frolics on the grass, rubs itself in the urine of other dogs, plays with other street animals and tends to lose a lot of hair, it will be necessary to wash its belongings more often. Also if it is an elderly dog with urinary incontinence, or a sick one that has vomited, in both cases the washing should be immediate.
So, when there are specific stains on any of your items, you should wash them without delay. But for maintenance hygiene, you can do it from once a week to a minimum monthly wash, depending on the dirt and bad smell they present. If you're going to extend it to once a month, at least wipe his collar and leash with a disinfectant wipe and vacuum his bedding weekly.
You must follow the washing instructions for each item. As a general rule, if they are cotton, nylon or polyester pieces, you can do it in the washing machine on a delicate program and using neutral soap. Put the collars and leashes in a mesh bag to prevent metal parts from colliding with the drum or getting caught. Avoid using very aggressive detergents, or strong odors, as well as bleach.
If they cannot be washed in the washing machine –as is the case with pieces of leather or the padding of some beds–, do it by hand, rubbing carefully and using a neutral soap.
