A dirty pet dish can attract bacteria, bugs and mold. It’s not likely your dog, cat, hamster, or guinea pig for that matter, will quit eating if you don’t clean his dishes, but it’s better for his health and for your peace of mind that you do so.
Table of Contents:
Gravity-Fed Food and Water Dishes
If you use a gravity-fed food or water dish for your pet, you should be able to detach the dish from the bottle or canister and follow the directions below. You may also want to empty and clean the storage container every two weeks or so. You may need to invest in a bottle brush to scrub the interior of a gravity-fed water bowl if the opening is not large enough to accommodate your hand.
If your pet uses a water bottle, simply clean it as below every time you refill it. You may wish to purchase a special brush to scrub it out thoroughly. These are available at most pet supply stores.
Using the Dishwasher
For most pet dishes, unless yours is especially delicate (perhaps hand painted by Great Aunt Mildred), you can simply put them in the dishwasher. Just remember, if the bowl is plastic, to place it on the top rack so that it doesn’t melt. Run the dishes through the entire cycle as normal. You can run them in the same load as the rest of your dishes; no need to wash them separately.
Washing by Hand
If you’d prefer to wash your pet’s dishes by hand, just bring them to the kitchen sink, grab a clean sponge and get to scrubbing. Run warm or hot water as you wash the bowls (though not so hot that you risk burning yourself!) and add a squirt or two of nontoxic dish soap made for hand-washing. If you pet bowl is made of glass, make sure it is warm (at least room temperature) before you run hot water in it or you could risk breakage.
Washing the food dish
The pet food should come off of the dish fairly easily. If it doesn’t, you can always use a steel wool pad for light scrubbing. Just be careful, especially if the dish is ceramic, stainless steel or glass. If you scrub too hard, you risk scratching the surface of the bowl.
Once you’ve scrubbed the bowl clean, rinse it with cold water and dry it with a dish towel or paper towel.
Washing the water dish
You can wash the water dish the same way that you wash the food dish. The important thing to remember here is to rinse very well. Although dish soap is not particularly toxic, if the bowl’s not thoroughly rinsed out the water will at least taste funny to your pet. Worst case scenario, it is possible it could make him sick.
If you have a sprayer nozzle on your sink, this can aid you in rinsing the bowl well. You can also get out any remaining residue by wiping the bowl thoroughly with the dish towel or paper towel while you dry it.
After the cleaning
Once your pet’s bowls are clean and dry, you can either replace them on the floor or in the cage or store them on the counter or in the cabinet until the next time they’re needed. Just remember to have water available to your pet at all times. If you’re not going to refill this water dish yet, be sure another one is available. You don’t want Rover to head to the toilet as his next option.
Some people clean their pet’s bowls every day, but a couple times a week should be enough, as long as you give the food bowl a quick rinse after each meal and wipe out the water bowl with a clean paper towel prior to each time you refill it.
Preventing Unwanted Visitors
As long as you keep your pet’s bowls rinsed after every use, you shouldn’t have a problem with insects congregating around your pet’s feeding area. Also, clean up any water or food spills on the floor with a mop or broom as soon as you notice them.
And remember to store your pet’s food in a sealed container with a lid. Not only will this prevent insects or rodents from getting inside the food, it can help to keep the pet food tasting fresh.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Do your cat a favor. Do not use plastic dishes for food or water. I had 2 Siamese brothers. One had obvious acne on his little chin, even as a kitten. The other’s wasn’t quite so obvious, but it was there. Their Vet told me to keep them away from plastic food bowls where oils gather from their chins and from any food that got on the bowls’ rims.
I used, and still use, ceramic bowls for water and for food. You can use stoneware or glass, too, anything but plastic. My 2 Siamese always had their acne, but it never spread. Not one bit. I attribute this to using ceramic bowls. I got the best bowls at the Dollar Store, not a Pet Food Store! Shop around or use something in your dish collection. Your kitties will be happy. Mine were never treated for acne and they lived to ages close to 15 and 19 years.
Using a safe soap
I was concerned about the soap I was using to hand wash my cats’ bowls. I use stainless steel bowls for their water. I found a soap called 7th Generation. I’ts non toxic and biodegradable. I got it at my local grocery store and it’s very inexpensive.
Gravity feeders
Next time you wash your gravity feeder dispenser jug, toss in a handful of dry raw rice add a few drops of dish detergent and water. Then simply put your hand over the opening and shake it all over (can get the kids to do the shaking… sounds like a wet maraca
). This scrubs the inside easily and helps kids feel more responsible.