How to Sanitize Stainless Steel Dog Bowls

If you want to keep your pup healthy, clean his food and water bowls regularly. Fortunately, stainless steel bowls are simple to clean and sanitize, and their nonporous surface helps keep bacteria away. Plus, they're nearly indestructible, which means they'll hold up to bleach and your little monster's teeth.

Scrape out any food residue left behind from your pup's last meal into your garbage can or disposal.

Rinse your dog's bowl with warm water until it is wet, and then scrub the inside and outside with a soapy sponge. Remove all traces of hardened dog food. Standard dishwashing detergent is fine. Rinse well.

Place the bowl in your dishwasher and run it through a complete cycle on the highest heat setting. The temperature of the water will kill any bacteria on the bowl. Make sure your pooch's bowl is completely clean when you put it in your dishwasher, or you risk contaminating your dishes.

Sanitize your stainless steel dog bowl with bleach if you don't have a dishwasher. Soak the bowl in a solution of 1 tablespoon household bleach to 1 gallon of water. Rinse with cool water and allow to air dry.

Polish your dog's stainless steel bowl without toxic ingredients by adding a paste of baking soda and water to a cloth and using it to scrub the bowl. Alternatively, scrub the bowl with white vinegar. Rinse well.