Create a Convenient & Hygienic Home Dog Wash Station

Pets are a part of our families, and just like humans, they also need to stay clean and hygienic. Bathing your pet can be messy and time-consuming, but having a dedicated dog wash station in your home (we recommend the laundry) can make pet grooming more accessible and more convenient.

According to the RSPCA, bathing your dog is integral to general pet care. Whether to “remove an unpleasant odour or because they’ve accumulated dirt on their coat” or as part of a medical treatment plan, “ cleaning the skin and coat which helps to remove loose hair, scale and debris and improve the hair coat’s shine.”

Learn more about home pet grooming and how you can have your very own dog wash station at home with Better Built Homes and our modern home designs with customisable floorplans.

What is a Home Dog Wash Station?

A dog wash station is a designated area in your home for washing your pet. It typically includes a tub, showerhead, and drain and is designed to make cleaning your pet as easy and convenient as possible. Unlike traditional pet baths, dog wash stations are built with pet-specific features, such as non-slip surfaces and adjustable showerheads, to ensure that your pet is safe and comfortable during the washing process.

The History of Dog Wash Stations

According to archeological records, dog wash stations aren’t all that farfetched. Records show that bathrooms and washing facilities can be traced back to 3000 B.C. Moreover, dogs were some of the first domesticated animals and have been “man’s best friend” for over 30,000 years. 

While the precise origins of dog grooming are challenging to determine, examples of the practice were seen during the Elizabethan era or with the outrageous French-Poodle grooming seen during the reign of Louis XVI (1774-1792). So it’s likely that dog grooming originates from royalty and upper-class sensibility.

Over time, advancements in technology and pet care have led to the development of dedicated dog wash stations, which offer greater convenience for pet grooming and ease of use. Today, dog wash stations come in various shapes, sizes, and styles to meet the needs of pet owners and their furry friends.

Nowadays, you can find dog wash stations almost anywhere. You’ll see self-serve dog wash machines positioned at car washes, mobile dog washing businesses that provide a door-to-door pet grooming service, and pet shops with pet washing facilities. 

However, despite the 28.7 million pets in Australia, of which 48% are dogs, we’re currently experiencing a dog grooming shortage, with only 4,100 pet groomers employed nationwide. With a bit of quick math, that’s 700 dogs per groomer. Yikes.

The situation became more challenging for pet groomers during the pandemic as dog ownership in Australia rose by 20%. Unfortunately, the number of people working in the animal business has yet to follow suit.

Benefits of Having a Dog Wash Station at Home

Installing a dog wash station at home can benefit pet owners and their pets. It eliminates the need to travel to a pet grooming facility or outside to wash your pet, making it more convenient and time-efficient. Home dog washing facilities can also provide a comfortable and controlled environment, reducing stress and anxiety for you and your furry friend. Most importantly, a dog wash station can help you maintain your pet’s hygiene, which is crucial to their health and well-being.

Convenience: Having a dog wash at home eliminates the need to travel to a pet grooming facility or wash your pet in the bathtub, saving you time and effort.

Cost savings: By washing your pet at home, you can save money on grooming expenses and avoid paying for expensive grooming services. The average cost of pet grooming is between $80 and $120.

Comfort: Bathing your pet in a dedicated dog wash station can be more comfortable for you and your pet, as it provides a space specifically designed for pet grooming activities.

Better hygiene: Control the cleanliness and hygiene of the environment where you wash your pet, ensuring that your pet stays clean and healthy.

Easy cleanup: A dog wash station typically has features like a drain and waterproof flooring that make cleaning up after bathing your pet more manageable and efficient.

Increased property value: Installing a dog wash station in your home can be a valuable addition to your property and increase its resale value.Discover more ways to increase property value with these six simple additions from the Better Built Blog.

Best Location For Pet Grooming At Home

The laundry room is ideal for installing a dog wash station because they typically have access to plumbing and electrical connections while also providing a separate space away from the rest of the home to accommodate a dog wash station and all your dog washing equipment. Laundry rooms are also designed to be waterproof, helping to prevent water damage and make cleaning up a breeze. Additionally, the laundry room is generally located near an entrance to the home, making it easily accessible for both you and your pet.

Our home designs are already planned with a spacious laundry for practicality. If you need to make any changes to the size or layout of your laundry space to accommodate a dog wash station, we’ll be happy to work with you to bring your dream home to life.

Laundries with pet grooming facilities may require additional waterproofing, tiling and bathroomware. As with any new build, variability in materials and labour costs makes it challenging to guestimate how much a dog wash station would cost. That said, average installation costs can range from $1500 to $2500.

Using Your Dog Wash Station

Whether you’re washing your puppy in a makeshift tub or trying out your new home dog wash station for the first time, here are a few tips to ensure a pleasant experience for you and your furry friend. Just remember that some dogs may not enjoy indoor bathing straight away, so extra training may be required.

Brush your dog to remove any dead hair or mats before washing. Then, once your dog is in the tub, ensure the drain is clear to prevent the washing station from filling up, as a precaution for drowning. Moreover, direct supervision of your dog is necessary for safety and to avoid unnecessary mess.

Here are a few extra tips to help clean your pooch at home.

• Use a hose or shower attachment that is linked to the tub
• Water temperature should be warm and pleasant for your dog
  • Test temperature beforehand
• Start with a low flow and minimal pressure.
• Most dog wash stations are designed with a non-slip surface. If not, we recommend covering the tub to avoid slips or accidents.
  • Non-slip mats should also be positioned around the tub.

Drying Your Dog

Although dogs naturally shake off extra water when wet, using a large, absorbent towel will dry much faster after a bath. Avoid using hair dryers because most dogs dislike having air blown at them and because they might become overheated.

For more information about pet grooming, check out the RSPCA website for a bathtub of dog-washing knowledge. We are home builders, after all.

Adding a Dog Wash Station To Better Built Homes Design

While you’re unlikely to find a dog wash station inside every Better Built Homes design, we have had three knock-down rebuilds that have added dog baths or pet grooming facilities since our inception. And because most of our home designs already have enough space to accommodate floor plan customisations, installing a dog wash station requires little to no extension to your design.

Depending on the size of your pet, there are several solutions for pet grooming facilities at home, from a small, medium or large shower space to the alternative drop-in bath, which we can add to specific home designs. You can also install dog wash stations in the downstairs powder room instead of the laundry.

Dog washing stations are not included as standard in our home designs but are easily added upon customer request. For example, the Hawkesbury and Glenbrook home designs have the laundry next to a workshop area, making it an ideal spot for pet grooming facilities.  

As part of our step-by-step house-building process, combining over 165 years of experience building new homes across all kinds of building journeys in NSW and Sydney, you’ll have the opportunity to present your floor plan customisation ideas, like having a dog wash station installed in your Better Built Home.

We collect all the necessary information to prepare your presentation plans during the tender process. Together, we’ll work to bring your dream home design to life with our New Home Sales Consultants. We work with Colortile at Wentworthville and Reece to provide Tiles and Bathroomware to install our dog wash stations.

So why not add a dog wash station to your Better Built Homes design? Our Sales and Marketing Manager, Paul Spicer, reckons they’re a fantastic addition to any new build, describing them as a “cost and time-saving convenience for families.”

“Keep your pets clean is a must, especially if they spend most of their time indoors. Call us today to discuss your floor plan customisation ideas for your new home, like installing home pet washing facilities in the laundry.”