How to Clean Dog Crate

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Your Dog’s Crate Probably Smells Worse Than You Think

A dog crate collects dirt, drool, dander, and bacteria every single day your dog uses it. Most owners clean the bedding occasionally but ignore the crate frame itself — and that’s where odor really takes hold.

Veterinarians recommend washing crate covers every 2-3 weeks and doing a full deep clean of the crate structure every 4-6 weeks. Skip that schedule, and you’re inviting bacterial growth, lingering urine odors, and potential skin irritation for your dog.

Here’s the thing most cleaning guides miss: wire crates, plastic crates, soft-sided crates, and car crates all need different approaches. Scrubbing a soft-sided Sherpa crate the same way you’d scrub a MidWest wire crate will destroy it. This guide covers each one, step by step, so you can pick the method that fits your setup.

Quick Reference: Cleaning by Crate Type

Step 1: Strip and Prep the Crate

Before you touch any cleaner, empty the crate completely. Pull out the bed, blankets, toys, food bowls — everything. Shake the bedding outside to dislodge loose fur and dirt.

Now vacuum the crate floor and walls. A handheld vacuum with a crevice attachment works best for getting into corners where hair mats up. No vacuum handy? A lint roller or even packing tape wrapped around your hand, sticky side out, picks up fur surprisingly well.

Should I check the care label on my crate bedding?

Always. Many crate pads and covers have specific washing instructions. Some memory foam beds can’t go in the machine at all — you’ll ruin the foam. Check for a tag on the pad itself or look up the manufacturer’s care guide online. If the cover is removable, unzip it and set the foam core aside.

Step 2: Wash Removable Covers and Bedding

If the cover is machine-washable, run it on a gentle cycle with cold or warm water. Use a pet-safe or fragrance-free detergent — dogs’ noses are roughly 10,000 to 100,000 times more sensitive than ours, according to the American Kennel Club, so heavy perfumes in regular detergent can irritate them.

Here’s the odor-killing combo that actually works: add 1 cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle and 1/2 cup of baking soda directly into the drum with the detergent. The vinegar breaks down urine salts and bacteria. The baking soda neutralizes acid-based odors. Together, they handle smells that detergent alone won’t touch.

What about hand-washing non-removable parts?

For crate pads without removable covers, or bolster beds attached to the frame, hand wash in a bathtub or large utility sink. Fill with warm water, add a few squirts of mild dish soap, and submerge the pad. Let it soak for 10-15 minutes, then gently squeeze soapy water through the padding. Don’t wring or twist — that breaks down the fill material.

Rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear. Squeeze out excess water by pressing the pad flat against the tub floor. Then lay it flat to air dry, or use a low-heat dryer cycle if the care label permits.

Step 3: Deep Clean the Crate Frame

This is the step most people skip entirely. And it’s the reason their dog’s crate still smells even after washing the bedding.

How do I deep clean a wire crate?

Wire crates are the easiest to clean because they can handle water and scrubbing without damage. Take the crate outside if possible (a driveway or patio works great). Mix a solution of 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts warm water in a spray bottle. Spray every wire surface generously, paying extra attention to corners and the bottom tray.

Let the vinegar solution sit for 5-10 minutes. Then scrub with a stiff-bristled brush — an old dish brush or a dedicated pet cleaning brush works well. For the removable plastic tray, scrub it separately with dish soap and warm water. Rinse everything with a hose and let it air dry completely in the sun. Sunlight is a natural disinfectant and helps kill residual bacteria.

How do I clean a plastic airline-style crate?

Plastic crates like the Petmate Sky Kennel or Vari Kennel have seams and joints where grime builds up invisibly. Disassemble the top from the bottom — most models use wing nuts or snap clips. This exposes the lip where the two halves meet, which is usually the dirtiest spot on the entire crate.

Scrub both halves with warm soapy water and a brush. For urine odors embedded in the plastic, use a dedicated enzymatic cleaner instead of vinegar — plastic is porous enough that vinegar alone won’t always reach the source. Spray the enzymatic cleaner, let it sit per the product’s instructions (usually 10-15 minutes), then rinse and dry.

How do I clean a soft-sided crate?

This is where most guides fall short. Soft-sided crates — like the EliteField 3-Door, Sherpa, or Amazon Basics models — have fabric-over-frame construction that can’t tolerate the same treatment as wire or plastic.

Start by collapsing the frame and removing any internal floor boards. Wipe down the metal or fiberglass frame with a damp cloth and mild soap. For the fabric shell, spot clean stains with a pet-safe upholstery cleaner. If the manufacturer says it’s machine washable, use a front-loading machine on a delicate cycle — the agitator in a top-loader can bend the internal support rods.

Never use bleach or harsh chemicals on soft-sided crates. The fabric coatings that make them water-resistant will break down, and you’ll end up with a crate that soaks through instead of repelling moisture.

What about car crates and travel kennels?

Car crates from brands like Gunner, Ruff Land, or Impact collect a unique mix of mud, drool, and road grime. They also sit in hot vehicles where bacteria multiply fast. After every road trip, wipe down the interior with a pet-safe cleaning wipe. Monthly, remove the crate from your vehicle entirely, hose it out, scrub with soapy water, and let it dry in the sun before reinstalling.

Pay attention to the latch mechanisms and door hinges — caked-on dirt can jam them over time. A quick spray with silicone lubricant after cleaning keeps everything operating smoothly.

Enzymatic Cleaners vs. Vinegar: Which Actually Works Better?

Both work, but they solve different problems.

White vinegar is a mild acid that kills many common bacteria and breaks down mineral deposits. It’s cheap (a gallon costs about $3) and completely non-toxic. It handles general odors, drool residue, and light stains well. But vinegar has a limit: it doesn’t break down the proteins in urine or vomit at a molecular level.

Enzymatic cleaners like Nature’s Miracle, Rocco & Roxie, or Angry Orange contain bio-enzymes that physically digest organic waste — urine, feces, blood, vomit. They break down the odor-causing proteins that vinegar can only mask. The trade-off is cost: a quality enzymatic cleaner runs $15-25 per bottle.

My recommendation? Keep both on hand. Use vinegar for regular maintenance cleans and enzymatic cleaner for accident cleanup or when odors persist after a vinegar wash.

Common Cleaning Mistakes That Make Things Worse

A few wrong moves can turn a simple cleaning job into a bigger problem. Here are the mistakes I see most often.

1. Reassembling the crate while it’s still damp

This is the single biggest mistake. Putting bedding back into a crate that hasn’t fully dried creates a warm, moist environment where mold and mildew thrive. Your dog will notice the musty smell immediately — and may start avoiding the crate entirely. Let every component dry completely before reassembly, even if it takes a full day.

2. Using bleach on metal or fabric crates

Bleach corrodes the chrome or powder coating on wire crates, creating rough spots that can scratch your dog’s skin. On fabric, it degrades fibers and strips water-resistant coatings. Stick with vinegar or enzymatic cleaners instead.

3. Spraying air fresheners to mask odors

Air fresheners don’t clean anything. They layer artificial fragrance over the bacteria that’s causing the smell. Worse, many air fresheners contain essential oils like tea tree, eucalyptus, or citrus concentrates that can be toxic to dogs when inhaled in enclosed spaces. If the crate smells, clean it — don’t cover it up.

4. Forgetting the floor underneath the crate

Dirt, hair, and leaked fluids collect under the crate itself. Every time you deep clean the crate, move it and clean the floor beneath it too. Vacuum the carpet or mop the hard floor. Otherwise, the odor source is right under your dog’s nose, no matter how spotless the crate is above.

5. Skipping the weekly maintenance wipe-down

Veterinary guidance generally holds that deep cleaning every 4-6 weeks only works if you’re doing quick maintenance in between. A 2-minute wipe with a damp cloth once a week prevents grime from building up to the point where you need heavy scrubbing.

What Veterinarians Say About Crate Hygiene

The ASPCA echoes this guidance, recommending that pet owners clean crates and bedding regularly with pet-safe, non-toxic cleaning products. Dogs that spend significant time in their crates — during house training, overnight, or while owners are at work — are especially susceptible to skin irritation from dirty bedding and bacterial buildup on crate surfaces.

If your dog has a history of allergies or skin sensitivities, consider increasing your cleaning frequency to weekly for bedding and every 2-3 weeks for the crate structure. Hypoallergenic, fragrance-free detergents are a better choice than standard options for sensitive dogs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I clean my dog’s crate?

Wash removable covers and bedding every 2-3 weeks. Deep clean the crate frame — wire, plastic, or soft-sided — every 4-6 weeks. Do a quick wipe-down of surfaces weekly. If your dog has an accident in the crate, clean it immediately regardless of schedule.

Can I use Lysol or Clorox wipes on a dog crate?

Avoid standard household disinfectant wipes in areas your dog contacts directly. Many contain phenols, ammonia, or quaternary ammonium compounds that can irritate a dog’s paws, skin, and respiratory system. If you want a wipe-based option, look for pet-specific cleaning wipes from brands like Nature’s Miracle or Pogi’s.

Why does my dog’s crate smell even after I clean it?

Three likely reasons: you’re cleaning the bedding but not the crate frame, there’s moisture trapped somewhere creating mildew, or you’re using a regular cleaner instead of an enzymatic one on urine stains. Urine proteins bind to surfaces — especially plastic — and standard soap doesn’t break them down. Switch to an enzymatic cleaner, make sure everything dries fully, and clean the frame along with the bedding.

Is it safe to pressure wash a dog crate?

You can pressure wash wire crates and heavy-duty plastic crates (like Gunner or Ruff Land), but keep the pressure under 1,500 PSI and maintain at least 12 inches of distance. Never pressure wash soft-sided crates — the force will shred the fabric. For standard plastic airline kennels, a regular garden hose with a spray nozzle provides plenty of cleaning power.

What’s the fastest way to clean a dog crate in an emergency?

Remove the bedding and toss it in the washer with vinegar. Spray the crate with a 50/50 vinegar-water solution, wipe with paper towels, and let air dry. The whole process takes under 5 minutes. It’s not a deep clean, but it handles fresh messes and buys you time until you can do a proper scrub.

Related Reading

• Best Dog Crate Overall — Our picks for every size, breed, and budget
• Best Portable Dog Crate — Top travel-friendly options for car trips and flights
• Best Folding Dog Crate — Easy-to-store crates for apartments and smaller homes

Last updated: April 12, 2026