The best Maytag Pet Pro tips are simple: shake pet bedding out before washing, keep the load loose enough to move, use the deepest water setting for bulky items, and empty the dryer lint screen after every load. Maytag sells Pet Pro versions of its washer and dryer, such as the MVW6500MBK 4.7 cu ft top-load washer and the MED6500MBK 7.0 cu ft electric dryer, but no setting replaces good habits. Pet hair is fine, light and clings to everything, so most laundry trouble in a pet home comes from hair collecting where it should not.
How should you prepare pet bedding before it goes in the washer?
Take blankets, dog beds and cat covers outside and shake them hard. Follow with a brush or a damp rubber glove pulled across the fabric, which gathers hair into a ball you can discard. Zip up covers, fasten any hook-and-loop closures so they do not snag other items and turn heavily soiled items inside out. Check pockets for toys, treats and tags. Anything with a rigid insert, such as a memory-foam core, does not belong in the washer at all, only the cover.
Wash pet items by themselves. Mixing them with clothes spreads hair to everything and can leave your regular laundry coated. A pet-only load also lets you choose a stronger cycle without worrying about delicate fabrics. For the full list of cycles your washer offers, our Maytag washer cycle settings guide covers the basics.
Which washer settings help most?
Choose the deepest water level your model offers, which on the MVW6500MBK means Deep Fill or Deep Water Wash. More water lets hair float off the fabric and carry out with the drain rather than get pressed back into it. On the same model, the PowerWash cycle and Extra Power give heavily soiled items longer or more vigorous cleaning. Use the detergent amount recommended for a high-efficiency washer; too much leaves residue that traps hair. An extra rinse is cheap insurance for bedding that will be against a pet’s skin.
Do not overload. A bulky bed stuffed into a drum with nothing else cannot circulate, and it presses against the walls of the tub. Fill the drum no more than loosely, and if a bed barely fits, take it to a larger machine. An overloaded washer often ends with an unbalanced spin or a slow drain.
How do you keep pet hair out of the drain and tub?
Hair that does not float out can collect at the drain pump or in the tub ring. After each pet load, run your hand around the tub and lid and wipe the hair into a paper towel; do not rinse it down the drain. Once a month, run the washer’s cleaning cycle, which our guide on the Maytag clean washer cycle and the RL code explains. If your model has a drain pump filter, clean it more often in a pet household; the steps are in our drain pump filter cleaning guide. A slow drain after pet loads is usually hair, and it is easier to prevent than to clear.
What is the right way to dry pet bedding?
Empty the lint screen before you start and again after the load; a screen coated with hair restricts airflow, lengthens drying and raises the heat. Dry pet items on their own and on a setting suited to the fabric. The MED6500MBK uses Advanced Moisture Sensing to judge dryness, so avoid cramming the drum and give the load room to tumble. If the dryer cycle takes longer than it used to, check the lint screen first, then the vent behind the machine. Hair and lint in the vent are both a drying problem and a fire hazard; read our Maytag dryer vent cleaning guide and the dryer takes too long guide.
Check the dryer drum and the area around the door for clinging hair after the last load of the day, and wipe it out with a damp cloth. Heat does not remove hair; it only moves it around.
How do you control odors from pet loads?
Pet bedding holds odor in its fibers, and the damp tub afterward holds it too. Wash the bedding promptly rather than letting it sit in a hamper. Add the detergent amount your washer calls for and use an extra rinse rather than extra detergent, because leftover soap becomes a food source for odor. Afterward, leave the lid open so the tub dries, and wipe the seal area and the lid underside. If the washer itself starts to smell, run the cleaning cycle and check the tub for hair and film. A musty washer transfers its smell to the next load, so keep the machine clean as well as the laundry.
Avoid fabric softener on pet beds. It coats fibers, traps hair and can irritate sensitive skin. White vinegar in the rinse is a common alternative, but check that your owner’s manual approves it for your model.
When do pet loads signal a repair?
Watch for slow draining, a spin that stops early, a burning smell in the dryer or drying times that keep growing. Each can start with hair and ends with a part that needs attention. We are an independent repair company, not the manufacturer, and we will say so when the fix is only a cleaning job. If your washer drains slowly or your dryer overheats, our Maytag washer repair service and dryer repair can sort it out, and you can schedule a visit online.
