Day-to-day routine
Brush the cover once a week
Run a stiff-bristle brush or a lint roller over the cover in straight strokes. This pulls out fur, dander, and outdoor debris before they have a chance to settle into the weave. Five minutes; do it while your coffee brews.
Spot-clean as needed
For drool, mud, or a small accident: a damp cloth with a drop of pet-safe enzyme cleaner (Nature's Miracle, Skout's Honor, Folex). Dab; don't rub. Let dry before your dog gets back on the bed.
Flip the cover every few weeks
Both sides are cooling and quilted. Flipping evens out compression and keeps the cooling gel layer from settling toward one corner. A simple cover flip every 2–3 weeks meaningfully extends bed lifespan.
Washing the cover
The cover zips off completely. Machine-washable, cold water, gentle cycle, mild detergent. Do not bleach. Bleach attacks the cooling thread and will leave permanent yellow streaks.
Dry low + slow
Tumble dry on the lowest heat setting, or air-dry on a rack. High heat warps the cooling fiber and shrinks the cover so it no longer fits the foam core. Allow 60–90 minutes for full dry on low heat; 6–8 hours for air-dry.
The cover goes back onto the foam easiest if you turn it inside-out, slide one corner of the foam into one corner of the inverted cover, then peel the cover over the foam like a sock. Zip closed last. Trying to push the foam into the cover right-side-out almost always pinches a seam.
Cleaning the foam (rarely)
The foam core is sealed inside a waterproof inner liner. Under normal use it never needs cleaning. If something has gotten through the cover and the inner liner (a major accident, prolonged moisture, a chewed corner), you can:
- Vacuum the surface to remove any solid debris.
- Wipe with a damp cloth and a drop of mild pet-safe detergent. Don't soak.
- Sprinkle baking soda over the affected area, let sit for 30 minutes, then vacuum thoroughly.
- Air-dry for 24–48 hours in a well-ventilated room before reassembling. Foam dries from the surface inward; trapped moisture grows mildew.
Do not put the foam core in a washing machine. Memory foam absorbs water by orders of magnitude more than ordinary fabric, and the spin cycle will tear the cell structure apart. The bed never recovers.
Odor management
Weekly
Sprinkle baking soda on the cover, leave 15 minutes, vacuum off. Cheap and works.
If the bed starts smelling between washes
Most often this is bacteria getting through the cover to the inner liner. Wash the cover, vacuum the foam surface, sprinkle baking soda on the foam, leave 30 minutes, vacuum off. Reassemble.
If the smell persists after washing
The inner liner may have a tear. Email [email protected] with a photo of the liner; a damaged liner is a warranty replacement.
The cooling gel layer
The gel pad sits between the cover and the memory foam. It's permanently bonded to the foam top and doesn't need to be cleaned separately. The gel cools by drawing heat from your dog into the surrounding foam mass; the bed feels noticeably cool to the touch when first lain on, warms slightly under sustained body heat, then re-cools when the dog moves off.
If the gel layer ever starts to feel stiff or cracked through the cover, that's a warranty issue — email warranty.
When to think about a replacement cover
The cover is the part that wears. Reasonable expectations for cover lifespan:
- Light use, occasional washing: 3–5 years.
- Heavy daily use, monthly washing: 18–24 months before the quilting flattens.
- Multiple dogs or a chewer: 9–18 months.
Replacement covers in all three sizes and both colorways are kept in stock. Email [email protected] with your order number; we keep your original purchase on file so the replacement matches.
The "do nothing" list
- Slight foam compression under your dog's regular sleep spot. Normal. The foam re-expands when the dog gets up. If it stops re-expanding (a permanent indentation more than 1″ deep), that's a warranty claim.
- A faint chemical smell for the first 48 hours. Off-gassing from the foam being vacuum-sealed for shipping. Air the bed in a well-ventilated room for 24–48 hours before letting your dog use it; the smell dissipates fully.
- The cooling sensation feeling slightly different on hot days vs cool days. The gel works by absorbing temperature differential, so on a 95°F day the cooling effect is more pronounced than on a 60°F day. This is the bed working as designed.
Questions?
If your bed is doing something unusual and this guide didn't cover it, email [email protected] with a photo and a sentence about what's happening. We've seen most things.