Washable Dog Beds: Removable Covers and What Actually Goes in the Machine

Most people discover the laundry question about three weeks after the bed arrives. The dog has slept on it every night, dragged it across the floor twice, and possibly been sick on it once. At that point, "hand wash only, dry flat" is not the answer you want to read on a care label. If you're choosing a bed now, sort this out before you buy. Here's exactly how our products wash across the MiaCara range of luxury dog beds, so you're not guessing later.

Which MiaCara dog beds have machine-washable removable covers

The short answer is most of them, but the mechanism varies, and that matters more than you'd expect.

The Senso Dog Bed has a bouclé cover that lifts off the foam base in one piece. The cover goes in the machine on a gentle cycle at a low temperature, then air dries; the base does not. If your dog sleeps 14 to 16 hours a day (which, according to the PDSA, is what most dogs need), that cover is working hard every single day, so a straightforward lift-off cover is exactly what you want. The Senso comes in five sizes, and the washing instructions hold across all of them.

The Mare Dog Bed works the same way with a zip: the SEAQUAL yarn cover unzips fully and is machine washed at the temperature stated on the care label inside the cover, while the recycled foam interior stays put.

The Mondo and the Barca follow the same removable-cover principle. The Mondo's bouclé cushion cover zips off, machine washes on a gentle cycle at a low temperature, and air dries before it goes back on. The Barca goes further: both the fabric cover and the memory foam mattress come out of the foam frame and machine wash, following the care label for temperature, while the water-repellent foam sides wipe clean with a damp cloth. If you've been looking at machine washable dog beds, this is the detail to check before you buy: what comes off, and what goes in.

The Senso Cushion and Senso Pouffe: the dog beds that wash all the way through

The Senso Cushion is a different product from the Senso Box Bed, and this is where a lot of people get confused. The cushion has a zip on the reverse, and both the bouclé cover and the inner cushion go in the machine, washed separately.

The MiaCara Senso Cushion in Greige is the one we'd point most people towards if washing ease is near the top of the list. It comes in three sizes, from S at 80 x 60 cm to L at 120 x 90 cm, and Greige is a forgiving colourway for a light or mid-tone coat. The German design house MiaCara fills it with visco-elastic recycled foam and structured foam side bolsters, so the cushion holds its shape. Wash both pieces on a gentle cycle with a mild detergent, air dry them fully before reassembling, and skip the tumble dryer.

The Senso Pouffe is the open, square version of the same family, SM at 70 x 70 cm or ML at 90 x 90 cm, with no bolsters and no walls. Same logic: a zip runs around the base, and both the cover and the open-cell foam inner are machine washable, washed separately according to the care label and air dried fully. It suits a dog that likes to sink in and sprawl.

Dog beds with removable covers: the Covo cover explained

The Covo Dog Basket is a bent plywood shell, 75 x 60 x 41 cm, holding a foam cushion under a removable, machine-washable fabric cover. The shell itself isn't going in the machine, and you wouldn't want it to. The cover comes off the cushion, washes, and goes back on. It's the simplest arrangement in the range: one cover, one cushion, no frame to reassemble.

Size selection matters a lot here. Measure your dog nose to tail and add about 20 to 25 cm: that's the minimum bed dimension you're looking for. Most people go too small, particularly for dogs that stretch out rather than curl up. The dimensions on our product pages are the outer measurements, and the Senso page lists the breeds MiaCara suggests for each of its sizes. Our dog bed size guide works through it breed by breed. Small breeds have their own small dog bed guide, and the dog bed shapes guide matches box beds, cushions, baskets and pouffes to how your dog sleeps.

What the cover fabric means for washing

Two fabrics cover the range, and both are machine washable. The Mare Dog Bed and the Mare Cushion use certified SEAQUAL yarn, a polyester fibre made from plastic recovered from oceans, beaches and landfills. Wash a SEAQUAL yarn cover at the temperature on the care label (the Mare Cushion cover on a gentle, low-temperature cycle) and let it air dry.

The Senso, Mondo, Senso Cushions and Senso Pouffe use bouclé, a looped, textured weave that resists pilling. MiaCara's guidance for bouclé is a gentle cycle at a low temperature, air dry, no tumble dryer. Wash the cover on its own, as the care notes say, and let it air dry fully before it goes back on the bed. The Senso Cushion care notes call for a mild detergent; the rest of the range simply says a gentle, low-temperature cycle or the care label.

A quick comparison across all formats

Which format should you actually choose?

If whole-bed washing is the priority, the Senso Cushion or the Senso Pouffe is the clearest answer. Unzip, wash both pieces separately, air dry, reassemble. If your dog is a sprawler, size up.

If you want the structure of a box bed with raised sides, the Senso, Mare, Mondo or Barca gives you that in a washable-cover format. The difference between them is mostly the fabric. The Senso and Mondo are bouclé. The Mare is SEAQUAL yarn. The Barca is the one whose mattress washes as well as its cover.

The Covo suits a dog that likes to curl up covered on three sides, with its high rear wall and open front, and it is the most sculptural of the formats if that matters to how it sits in a room.

You've done the research; the rest is just picking the shape your dog prefers. Browse the full range of washable dog beds to compare sizes across all formats.

Frequently asked questions

Can I put the whole MiaCara Senso Box Bed in the washing machine?

No. The Senso Box Bed's cover lifts off in one piece and is machine washable on a gentle cycle at a low temperature, but the foam base is not washed. Remove the cover, wash it, air dry it fully, and leave the base out entirely. The Senso Cushion is a separate product, and both its cover and its inner cushion are machine washable, washed separately.

What temperature should I use to wash a boucle dog bed cover?

MiaCara's care notes say a gentle cycle at a low temperature, air dry fully, and no tumble dryer, which protects the looped texture. Check the label inside the cover for the exact temperature.

How do I know what size dog bed to buy?

Measure your dog from nose to tail while they're lying flat and add 20 to 25 cm. That gives you the minimum bed length. Most people buy too small, particularly for dogs that stretch out rather than curl up. The dimensions on our product pages are the outer measurements, and the Senso page lists the breeds MiaCara suggests for each of its sizes.