Cleaning your dog's bed

It's time to clean your dog's bed, so you take it and throw it in the washing machine.

Before you do that, you need to do a little prep work, because all the dog hair on that bed can cause problems.

"When that water hits that hair, it clumps and then it sticks to the fabric and the sides of the washer drum, and all of this can clog the drain pumps,” said Kimberly Janeway with Consumer Reports.

That's why you want to remove that hair with a vacuum, lint brush or sticky tape.

Or try this: Put on a pair of dish-washing gloves – lightly dampened with plain water – and wipe across the fabric. That moist glove will pick up a lot of the hair.

When it's time to dry, use a dryer sheet to catch the remaining hair. And don't forget to check the lint filter.

"Halfway through the cycle, clean the lint filter because the cleaner it is the more hair the filter can catch,” Janeway said.

A full filter can also block the airflow.

Finally, you want to remove any hair left in the washing machine. Use a wet towel to wipe around the drum. Or let the drum air dry and use the brush attachment of your vacuum.

More Info: Don't Let Pet Hair Ruin Your Washer