To not want to wash a filthy cat bed in our washing machine?

[PurpleCurtain]

We have a cat - or should I say, my husband has a cat as I'm not an animal person and therefore the agreement is that my husband looks after her and feeds her etc. She sleeps in our utility room, bed on top of our tumble dryer.

We also have a baby on the way imminently. I'm trying to ensure the house is suitably clean for baby's arrival - and asked DH when he last cleaned the cat bed. To be told, probably 9 months ago. I peered in to the cat's bed and it looks FILTHY.

It definitely needs washing but my instinct is I'm really reluctant to do it in our washing machine and follow it up with washing baby clothes etc - is this what others do?! Won't everything be forever covered in cat hair and potentially worse / our washing machine break?

Am I unreasonable to ask DH to take the cat bed down to the nearest launderette?!

OP does seem fixated on this poor cat that’s kept in a utility room, I imagine it won’t be long before she starts pressuring her DH to rehome because of ‘the babeee’

Surely washing machines wash? I put clothes in with rags the cleaner has used because everything's getting washed, so it doesn't matter how dirty something is that goes in, it all comes out clean.

If you are really worried run those of those washing machine cleaning fluids afterwards, eg Dr Beckmann, but there are others. They cost about a quid.
Or, I recently discovered that my machine has a programme for removing residual fluff from it (had a problem with fluff on clothes after tumble drying some towels). I had to read the instructions in fairly forensic detail to find it, and it involves pressing certain buttons together in a way that is not detailed in the machine itself. You would never know without actively going looking for it, but it seems to work. Have a look at your instructions.

Hoover the cat bed, then chuck it in the washer.
If you’re that bothered, put it on a quick empty wash after.
Or save yourself the bother and buy a new bed, Chuck the old one.

I think you have a mum problem. Your mother sounds like she has terrible anxiety and she is adding to your own. She doesn’t get a say as to how you clean your house, if you keep the cat. She is only going to get worse when the baby arrives. Time to set some boundaries

If your washing machine is leaving things still dirty then you need a new washing machine.
Washing machines wash things, making them clean.

@PurpleCurtain

Wow, thanks for that *@headintheproverbial*

I don't know what others do with their cat beds, as I don't really consider myself a cat owner.

I suppose my concern stemmed from my mum's reaction - that by washing it I would be getting cat poo everywhere if it hasn't been being regularly cleaned, and pregnant women and babies being told to avoid cat poo! But my mother's solution is always to get rid of the cat which I don't think my husband will agree to!

Really? And you don’t have the initiative to work out what one might do with a cat bed that needs washing …

And cats don’t poo in their beds any more than humans do, don’t you think you would have smelled something if this cat bed on top of your tumble dryer had been covered in cat poo.

You are being deliberately obtuse and yes, really quite unpleasant about the cat, I suspect you wanted the thread to go another way, like let’s get rid of the cat.

I always follow a wash of pet bedding with an empty rinse and spin after wiping the drum round with kitchen paper.

Bye a new cat bed if you are that bothered.

Washing machines are actually designed to wash filthy things. Blood, wee, mud, poo, stray hair...... Shocking, I know.

Run an empty cleaning cycle afterwards if you're so concerned.

I'd burn it and buy a new one. But then I hate cats.

@Tisgrand

We have 2 very hairy dogs, I used to wash their beds in washing machine but was always a bit uneasy about it. So lately I've taken to buying the cheapest dog mattresses and just throwing them out and replacing every so often, probably every 3 months or so.

The price of the mattress doesn't change the fact that this is grossly wasteful.

Overconsumption by this generation is one of the main things trashing the planet your kids will inherit.

Your cat sleeps on a bed? I though cat beds were just for decoration...

If there’s a lot of fur, just wash it tied inside an old pillowcase or sheet or something.

I put poo in the washing machine all the time... my machine is probably cleaner than a lot of peoples tbh because I wash cloth nappies so am doing longer and hotter washes and a monthly 90 cycle.

The only thing that would bother me about the cat bed is the fur

@Tisgrand - that is obscenely wasteful, I’m actually quite shocked.

OP I won’t repeat what everyone else has said but will say cats and babies mix fine. Your Mum sounds like she has problems, I predict an interfering Grandma. Set boundaries early!

@4fingerKitKat your car licks their bum clean and you let them drink out of your tea and then drink it yourself?!!!

There'll only be cat poo in the bed if you've got an incontinent cat, in which case your house will be covered. Realistically though, how is a cat sitting in its bed any different to the cat sitting on your carpet, which your baby will eventually be crawling on?

Stick it in a bucket of hot, soapy water and wash it outside. Problem sorted!

If the bed is really hairy, I would tumble dry it first to remove as much hair as possible, then wash it. If you feel anxious about it, after you wash the bed, you could always pop one of those washing machine cleaner products through on a hot wash, I do this once a month anyway because of washing DS's manky sports stuff

I haven't stopped my husband from having a cat!
How very gracious of you. Can’t help but feel a bit sorry for your DH and the poor cat, relegated to the utility room, is your husband allowed in the house ?

*@4fingerKitKat your car licks their bum clean and you let them drink out of your tea and then drink it yourself?!!! envy

If you're worried about excess hair in the washing machine why can't you run the hoover over the bed first?

I think you're trying to find problems where there aren't any because you just don't like the cat.

Yes you’re being ridiculous. Cats are very clean animals. The thing with the cat poo - I was cleaning a litter tray daily while pregnant. I wore gloves. You might need to see someone if you’re that much of a clean freak. And by the way - kids are dirty and messy. Good luck

Why would the cats bed have poo in it? Cats are terrifically fastidious, there wont be any poo or wee around the bed unless the cat has been poorly or something.

Your washing machine has a filter to collect surplus lint and hair. You should be cleaning that our regularly. I suggest you clean it out after washing the cat bed.

If the bed is really hairy, I would tumble dry it first to remove as much hair as possible,

How would the tumble drier remove hair? That's just asking to clog up your tumble drier filter beyond a reasonable level (it's designed to cope with CLEAN clothing) which can create a fire risk.

I wash dog beds and use the dettol anti bac laundry stuff with them. Same for trainers, anything with wee, poo, sick on etc. If really worries do an empty machine wash afterwards on high temp