Pet Owner Laundry Hacks: Keep Bedding Stain & Odor-Free!

Love cuddling with your pets but hate the mess? If your bed is covered in pet hair or has lingering pet odors, I’ve found the best routine to keep white linens fresh, clean, and pet-friendly—without endless laundry.

If you’ve got pets in your bed, you know the struggle of keeping your sheets fresh. In our house, cuddling with our pets is a must, which means Buddy sleeps in bed with us every single night—even though he has a dog bed in almost every room. And the cat? Kitty does whatever she wants, whenever she wants, usually from the comfort of her cat hammock.

Since our pets basically run the place, I’ve figured out a routine (and found some must-have products) that keep our bedding clean without making laundry a total nightmare.

My Go-To Products for Pet-Friendly Laundry

After trying just about everything, these are the products I swear by:

• OxiClean Odor Blasters – Seriously, this stuff is magic. If you’ve ever had an oops moment with pet stains, this makes them disappear.

• Tide Free & Gentle (Pet-Safe Detergent) or Tide April Fresh (if you want to use scented) – Cleans well but doesn’t have harsh chemicals.

• Downy Free & Gentle Fabric Softener (Pet-Safe) or Downy April Fresh (if you want to use scented) – Because I want my bedding soft without irritating Buddy’s skin.

• Dawn Platinum Dish Soap – Yep, for the washing machine! It helps break down any pet oils or detergent buildup.

• Cloralen Bleach (for whites only!) – Keeps my white bedding looking fresh instead of, well… pet-stained.

• Wool Dryer Balls (re-usable, unscented, and eco-friendly)– Helps keep fur from clinging to everything and removes static!

Mattress Encasement & Mattress Protector = MUST HAVE!

One of the best decisions we ever made was adding a mattress encasement that never comes off. This completely protects the mattress from any spills, accidents, or pet messes—nothing gets through it. It’s loose enough that it doesn’t change how the bed feels, and you honestly can’t even tell it’s there.

On top of that, we use a waterproof mattress protector that gets washed every time we do the sheets. This setup keeps the mattress like-new for life, no matter what our pets (or we) throw at it.

If you live in an apartment, a mattress encasement is a must—you absolutely do not want any bed bugs from neighboring units making their way into your home.

How Often I Wash Everything

With pets in bed, I try to stick to this schedule:

• Sheets & Pillowcases – Every 1-2 weeks

• Duvet Cover – Once a month

• Down Comforter Insert – Every 2-3 months

• Mattress Protector – Every time I wash the sheets

• Mattress Encasement – Never! This thing stays on forever, the mattress protector makes sure the encasement and the mattress stay in pristine condition for years and years! It's worth every penny!

How I Wash My Linens (for Fresh, Bright Results!)

I’m a little extra when it comes to washing my linens, especially because I love bright white bedding. Here’s how I do it:

1️⃣ Set the washer to Heavy Duty.
Add all of the detergents according to package instructions on the size of your wash load. Here are the measurements I use. 

OxiClean - level 1 or 2 on scoop

Tide Free & Gentle - level 2 on scoop

Downy Fabric Softener - level 1 on scoop

Dawn Platinum Dish Soap - 1/4 cup

Cloralen Bleach (for whites only!) - 1-1.5 cups

2️⃣ Let it fill with hot water, then pause the cycle and let everything soak for at least an hour.
3️⃣ Resume the cycle. That extra soak really helps get everything fresh and clean.
4️⃣ Use all the products above. If washing colors, just leave out the bleach.

Dry the linens with Wool Dryer Balls to prevent static and pull off any extra pet hair. When washing a comforter insert, I always stop the dryer a couple of times, pull it out, fluff it up, and flip it around so the center dries evenly. Otherwise, it can stay damp inside.

Always clean the lint filter every time you use the dryer—this is important for fire safety and helps remove pet hair more effectively. Sometimes residue builds up from fabric softeners, so rinsing the filter occasionally keeps your dryer working better and lasting longer.

🔹 Why White Bedding Is Actually Easier to Keep Clean 🔹

It sounds counterintuitive, but having a white duvet cover and comforter is actually easier! You can bleach it to get rid of stains and keep it looking brand new, which isn’t an option with colored bedding.

When washing a comforter insert, I always stop the dryer a couple of times, pull it out, fluff it up, and flip it around so the center dries evenly. Otherwise, it can stay damp inside.

How to Remove Pet Hair from Bedding Before Washing

Washing your linens often is important, but let’s be real—if you have pets, the hair never stops! Here are a few tricks I use to keep things cleaner between washes:

• 🐾 Use a lint roller or simply shake it out outside before tossing bedding in the wash – It helps remove loose pet hair so it doesn’t clump up in the machine.

• 🐾 Use a handheld Vacuum before washing your sheets – A quick pass with a handheld vacuum helps grab hair that’s stuck to the fabric.

• 🐾 Keep a pet blanket at the foot of the bed – It gives your pet a cozy spot and keeps most of the fur in one place.

• 🐾 Brush your pet regularly – Less loose fur on your pet = less fur in your bed!

• 🐾 Use pet stairs to reduce shedding on the bed – Instead of jumping up and down (which can shake off extra hair), a small set of stairs keeps things tidier.

My Favorite Bedding (We Loved It So Much, We Bought Two Sets!)

We tested a lot of bedding, and after finding the perfect setup, we loved it so much that we bought the exact same thing for our guest room. Now both beds feel equally amazing!

• 💙 Best Mattress Encasement – This protects our mattress for life! I's super soft and you won't even notice its there. Just make sure to get one that is a little bit deeper than your mattress height to prevent it from smushing the pillow top too much!

• 💙 Best Mattress Protector – Easy to wash and keeps everything fresh. It's a waterproof-backed terry cloth top so no crunchy sounds like some other mattress protectors.

• 💙 Best Duvet Cover – Jellymoni 100% cotton duvet covers have been the most comfortable duvet i have ever had! They are so fluffy they are like sleeping in a cloud. The cotton quality makes it much easier to wash and remove stains than other white duvet covers I have had. The duvet covers have a sturdy double-ended zipper and the pillowcases have an envelope enclosure to prevent the pillow insert from falling out. They are offered in multiple colors and styles:
  Duvet Covers: solids, solids with buttons, and stripes
  Extra Pillow Covers: solids, solids with buttons, and stripes

• 💙 Best Comforter Insert – This one from Whatsbedding is like sleeping in a cloud and pairs perfectly with the duvet cover! We bought two of everything because we loved it so much we wanted the exact same for our guest room!

• 💙 Best Mattress – If you want a super comfy pillow top bed, this one from Beautyrest is so comfy we bought two!

• 💙 Most Comfortable Sheets – These bamboo blend sheets are light, airy, and ridiculously soft.

• 💙 Best Feather Pillow – If you love fluffy, hotel-style pillows, this is the one I recommend.

Save & Share This Guide for Fresh, Fur-Free Linens!

Struggling with pet messes on your bed? Save & Share this guide and try these game-changing tips for fresh, fur-free linens every day!