Bathing my two Labradors at home is an endeavor that requires two people, a mountain of towels, a lot of patience and at least an hour afterward to clean up the wet, hairy mess in the bathroom -- not to mention drying all the spots around the house on which my dogs have decided to rest their soggy bodies.
For folks like me who are fed up with the headache of at-home bathing but don't want to fork over the extra cash to have someone else wash their dogs, there are a handful of quality self-serve washing spots around town. At some locations, cats (and even ferrets at one place) are also welcome. You bring the dirty pets and they provide the supplies -- and clean up the mess.
Central Bark [0]
Located in Rainier Valley, Central Bark's Laundr-a-mutt self-service stations offer raised tubs to avoid all that bending over for the humans, along with shampoos, blow dryers and towels. Customers also have the option of a system that combines the shampoo and water in one shot to cut down on cleaning time. Prices run from $12 to $20, depending on the size of the dog (canines only).
GroomingSPA [0]
GroomingSPA's two locations (Green Lake and Bellevue) have stainless-steel waist-high tubs and high-speed, professional-grade blow dryers, and each grooming station is in its own room. No reservations are required, and rates are $15 per dog or cat with a half-hour allotted per pet ($4 for an additional 15 minutes).
Lucky Dog Seattle [0]
Lucky Dog in Ballard has four self-service stations, which provide combs, brushes, shampoo, conditioner, towels, ear cleaner, blow dryers and ramps for pups to get in and out of the tubs. No appointment is necessary, and prices run $20 per dog and $15 per additional dog from the same household. Pooches only at this establishment: "It wouldn't be a good idea if people brought cats," says employee Emily Suarez. "Some dogs might go after them." Mee-yow.
Petdaddy [0]
A bonus of sudsing up the pups (dogs only) at Petdaddy is that if you have two or more dogs, you can temporarily lodge one or more of them in the supervised kennel while you're washing the other dog. Shampoo, grooming wipes, powerful dryers, nail clippers and brushes are provided at the two stations. Rates are $16 for small dogs and $22 for all other dogs.
Rub-A-Dub Dog [0]
Green Lake's Rub-A-Dub Dog has been keeping pets clean in Seattle for more than a decade. Cats and dogs are welcome, as are ferrets, though one hasn't scampered in yet. Rub-A-Dub supplies shampoo (including oatmeal, flea and puppy shampoos), towels, brushes, dryers and aprons for owners. The six wash stations with waist-high porcelain tubs with rubber mats have steps to get the dog up and in. Customers also have access to scissors, electric clippers, ear cleaner, toenail clippers, breath spray and after-bath spray. If you'd prefer the professionals to trim your pets' nails, it's just $5 extra. Every Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. is Yappy Hour, during which customers get a $3 discount.
The Wash Dog [0]
Stop by The Wash Dog in West Seattle early in the week for deals: Mixed-breed Monday rates are $17 per dog -- owner Bernadette Cassidy says she takes your word for it that the pups are mixed-breed. "It's more of a joke to make everything really fun and light here," she says. The Two Fur Tuesday price is a real bargain for multidog households, at just $20 for two dogs (the regular rate is $20 per dog). Each room contains aprons, brushes, dryers, ear cleaner, a nail trimmer, shampoo, towels and a waist-high tub.
If you're looking for a DIY dog-washing station outside Seattle, check out Canine Groomers & Self-Service Dog Wash [0] in Shoreline, Scrub-A-Pup [0] in Edmonds or The Soggy Doggy [0] in Kent and Des Moines. All provide shampoos, brushes, towels and dryers.
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