The process of cleaning a luxury dog carriers is pretty simple but it also depends on you. You can complicate the process by thoroughly cleaning the carriers. But for the most part, there is a simple set of rules that you can use to clean dog carriers in the most effective way. With that being said, let us see the most effective way to clean dog carriers.
How often should you clean dog carriers?
Dogs are very lovable pets. They are loyal and are fun to be around but they can make a mess sometimes. So, cleaning the carrier depends on how often your dog will make a mess. There are many instances when you have to clean the carriers every week. While sometimes, you might not have to clean them for a month. Speaking in terms of Average, it is advisable to clean dog carriers every two weeks.
What is the correct way of cleaning dog carriers?
It depends on the kind of carrier you have. There are different types of dog carriers but we are going to divide the carrier type into mainly two: Hard Carriers and Soft Carriers. So, let us see how cleaning these two types of carriers can differ.
Hard Carriers
Hard Carriers are difficult to clean. As the name suggests, they have metal or hard plastic coverings, the carriers are pretty sturdy and they are not machine washable. So, you need to apply force for cleaning these types of carriers.
The whole cleaning process can be described with the following steps:
- First of all, empty the interior of the carrier. Remove all the solid and liquid waste from it.
- Remove any cloth or any fabric present inside the carrier and wash these clothes with detergent and machine.
- For the actual carrier itself, the first step is disinfection. Use any disinfectant that you can find and just thoroughly clean the whole carrier, both the interior and the exterior.
- After this, the next step is to just let the carrier dry under sunlight properly.
- Once the carrier has dried, use soap/detergent and a dish washer to manually clean the carrier. Apply a decent amount of soap and clean it thoroughly.
- When you are done cleaning it with soap, rinse with water and let it dry under sunlight again. And there you have it. This is how you properly clean a hard carrier.
Pro tip : Using hot water for rinsing the carrier will be even better.
Soft Carriers
Soft carriers have fabric so, they do not require that much of a thorough cleaning but there is a way to clean them properly. Here are the thing that you can follow while cleaning a soft carrier:
- If there are any solid wastes inside the carrier, remove it. For liquid stains, you need to disinfect the carrier.
- Remember, a soft carrier is made out of fabric so, there are rules for cleaning them. A cotton carrier will require a different detergent than a polyester carrier. Just use the everyday laundry rule and you should be okay.
- Only disinfect the carrier if it smells or if your dog has left a stain that is hard to remove.
- Never wash multiple items together if you are washing the carrier on a machine. Colors can be exchanged and the carriers can seem like they have been stone washed. Always keep this in kind.
- Dry the carriers properly before using it again.
What to do if your carrier smells even after cleaning it?
This is one of the most frequent questions that people have with dog carriers. Dog Feces can smell bad and even after you clean a carrier, the smell can persist. To remove this smell, there are two things that you can do, use an artificial odor elimination spray or use a homemade solution.
If you want to use a homemade solution, then follow the following steps:
- Mix 1 part of white vinegar with 1 part of lukewarm water. For a 500 ml solution, it’s 250 ml each of vinegar and water.
- Now, fill a spray bottle with this solution and spray it inside the carrier.
- If the smell of vinegar is too much then, rinse the carrier with water again and let it dry.
But not everyone has the time to make their own solution. In such condition, you can easily take help from an artificial odor remover. There are many good quality odor removing solutions readily available in the market so, do give them a search.
What about Dog Crates? Is cleaning a dog crate similar to cleaning carriers?
Not entirely. Dog crates are normally hard, they come with wired grills or fences that have a hard body. Cleaning a dog crate is normally pretty difficult even if you have cleaned the hardest carrier. Crates have big size so, they require a much thorough cleaning simply because of their size.
The process, however is same, just like carriers you need to disinfect, wash with soap, rinse and dry. You may need to do it multiple times though, depending on the overall state of the carrier.
Which disinfectant to use?
As far as the disinfectant goes, you can use any good disinfectant with less chemicals. You will of course need some simple cleaning chemicals in your disinfectant so, you can clean every stain present on your carriers and crates. Always buy a disinfectant that is rated well and has less amount of chemicals. Also, some disinfectants also work as an odor eliminator so,if you buy these kinds of disinfectants, you will save money. You won’t have to buy an odor eliminator separately.
Conclusion
Well, there you have it folks. This is how you clean dog carriers in the most effective manner. There are quite a few things to remember. Do not forget to disinfect the carriers, always use good quality disinfectants and wash the carriers with soap and water for much better cleanliness.
