Wash wet-food bowls after every meal, and dry-food and water bowls at least once a day. That's the CDC's schedule for pet supplies. The FDA goes a step further and says to wash food bowls and scoops with soap and hot water after each use. A quick rinse doesn't count; the bowl needs soap and a scrub.
If that sounds fussy, run a finger round the inside of a water bowl that's been topped up for a few days. The slippery film you feel is biofilm, a layer of bacteria stuck to the surface, and a splash of fresh water does nothing to it. It rebuilds quickly, which is why the bowl needs a daily scrub, not a weekly one.
Pet bowl cleaning schedule#
| Item |
How often to wash |
Notes |
| Wet or raw food bowl |
After every meal |
Don't leave leftovers sitting out |
| Dry food bowl |
Daily |
Kibble oils build up into a sticky film |
| Water bowl |
Daily, then refill with fresh water |
Topping up doesn't count as cleaning |
| Food scoop or measuring cup |
After each use |
Keep it with the food, not in the bag |
| Slow feeders, lick mats, puzzle feeders |
After each use |
The grooves are where food hides |
| Water fountain |
Bowl and water daily; pump and filter on the manual's schedule |
Take the pump apart; it gets slimy too |
How to wash pet bowls by hand#
- Tip out any leftover food or water.
- Wash with hot water and ordinary dish soap. Use a sponge or brush kept just for pet dishes, so raw-food residue doesn't end up on your plates.
- Scrub the inside, the rim, the underside and any ridges. Rubber non-slip bases trap water and grime underneath; pull them off if they come off.
- Rinse well, so there's no soap taste left.
- Dry the bowl before refilling. A towel's fine, or let it air-dry on the rack.
- Wash your hands. The FDA's pet food handling tips say at least 20 seconds with soap and hot water, before and after handling pet food.
The FDA also says not to use your pet's bowl as a scoop. Dipping the bowl into the bag puts whatever's on the bowl into the rest of the food. Use a dedicated scoop and wash it too.
Can you put pet bowls in the dishwasher?#
Most stainless steel and glazed ceramic bowls are fine in the dishwasher. Check plastic bowls and anything with a rubber base or ring for a dishwasher-safe mark first; heat can warp plastic and loosen glued-on bases. The CDC suggests the high-temperature or sanitizing setting if you want to disinfect.
Whether to wash them with the family's dishes is your call. A hot dishwasher cycle cleans both. If you feed raw food, though, keep those bowls separate or run them on their own.
A spare set of bowls solves the main practical problem: the dishwasher isn't finished and it's dinnertime.
When to disinfect, not just wash#
Normal days need soap and hot water. Disinfect when your pet has had a stomach bug, after a new pet arrives, or if you've bought used bowls. The CDC's method is 1/4 cup of household bleach in a gallon of water, with the bowls soaking for at least 10 minutes. Wash the bowls first (bleach doesn't work well on greasy residue), then soak, then rinse thoroughly with clean water and let them dry.
If your vet has diagnosed something contagious, ask them how to clean the bowls. Some bugs need a specific product.
Vinegar isn't a disinfectant substitute. It's fine for loosening hard-water scale from a water bowl, but it won't do what bleach does.
Which bowls are easiest to keep clean?#
Stainless steel is the easiest: it doesn't scratch easily, goes in the dishwasher, and doesn't break. Glazed ceramic is good too, as long as the glaze is intact and made for food use.
Plastic is the hardest. It scratches, and scratches hold onto grease and bacteria that scrubbing can't reach. If you use plastic, replace the bowls once they look scuffed.
When to replace a pet bowl#
- Cracks, chips or crazing in a ceramic glaze.
- Deep scratches in plastic.
- Rust spots on stainless steel.
- A smell that comes back right after washing.
- A non-slip base that has started to come away, leaving a gap that water gets into.
Signs you need to wash more often#
Some pets will tell you. Cats in particular can be picky about water: if yours ignores the bowl but drinks from a fresh glass or a dripping tap, the bowl is the first suspect. Slime by the end of the day, hair floating in the water, or food crusted to the rim all mean daily isn't enough for your household. Multi-pet homes, dogs who drool or dunk toys, and bowls kept in a warm room usually need water changed twice a day.
Clean bowls only help if the food in them is fresh. For how long opened kibble and cans keep, see our guide to storing pet food after opening. Wash the dog's bed on its own weekly schedule (here's how to wash a dog bed), and keep bowls well away from the litter box.
Since this one happens every day, most people tie it to feeding time instead of a reminder. Where a reminder helps is the extras: a ChoreLists.com task for the fountain pump and filter on the schedule its manual gives, and a monthly look at whether any bowls need replacing.