Tips for using the self-service wash stations.

Do Not Get Your Dog Wet First. Our shampoos are pre-diluted, so unless you are using your own, concentrated shampoo for all steps of the bath, it is much more efficient and effective to pour a diluted, soapy mixture into the dry coat than it is to saturate the hair/fur with water and then attempt to use a palmful of concentrated shampoo to create lather from nose to tail.

Use Lots of Shampoo. We provide you with a choice of three bottomless, tearless shampoos, all of which are hypo-allergenic. Unless you have a tiny, short-haired dog, you will use bottles of shampoo, not just portions of a bottle. Most short-haired dogs like labs, rotties, pits, etc .. will need anywhere from two to four or five bottles of shampoo, while most longer-haired dogs like shepherds, goldens, aussies, etc .. will need at least three or four bottles and may end up requiring as many as six or eight (or even more if you have a really large, furry, dirty, shedding beast). We want you to see good lather from nose to tail, so use however many of bottles of shampoo necessary to achieve lots of suds, be that one or two or seven or eight or more.

Do Not Remove the Hair Strainer From the Tub Drain. As you rinse your doggie off, shedding hair will fill the hair trap inserted in the drain of the tub. Please, DO NOT TAKE THE TRAP OUT OF THE TUB to let water drain. Simply remove the hair from the trap while leaving it in the drain. There is a small garbage can at each station to dispose of excess hair, so as that trap fills up with hair, just remove the hair with your fingers and toss it in the can.

Wash Twice. Those instructions above about using lots of shampoo – that was for the first bath. Once you’ve lathered up your doggie from nose to tail using shampoo into the dry coat, you’ll rinse off the bulk of the shampoo and then, do the whole thing again. While one bath gets the majority of dirt and gunk and grit and stink out of the coat, a second bath makes a huge difference in cleanliness and stench, or lack thereof. So wash your dog twice. And if your dog is really a dirty, stinky, shedding beast, wash a third time if necessary. We want you to leave here with a clean dog, so if that takes a third wash, know that it’s not a problem. If at all possible, please try to come in on weekdays if you have a very large, hairy, smelly dog. Our weekends can get very busy and we don’t ever want a customer to feel rushed or unappreciated, but if your only availability is on the weekend, then come on down and please do a thorough, complete job taking the time necessary to do so.

Rinse Well. Shampoo or conditioner not rinsed off the skin will almost definitely cause skin irritation, ranging from minor to quite severe. Make sure to rinse all under-carriage areas, and also make sure there is no shampoo or conditioner residue/foam on the bottom or walls of the tub. If your dog sits, or leans against, or just stands in foam not rinsed from the tub area after you’ve rinsed their body off, you’ve just reintroduced product to their skin, again potentially causing skin irritation.

Use the Quick-Wick BEFORE Towel Drying. The wick serves a two-fold purpose. First, to visually check for shampoo or conditioner residue, and then to wipe/wick as much water from the coat as possible before towel-drying. If you are new, or have never utilized the Quick-Wick, please ask for a more detailed explanation of how to use this invaluable grooming aid.

Towel Dry Before Using Blow Dryer. We will provide you with clean, freshly laundered (perfume and dye-free detergent) towels to dry your dog after washing and wicking. If you are going to use the blow-dryer, please dry as thoroughly as possible using the Quick-Wick and towels before using the blow dryer. Wet, heavy coats take an exponentially longer time to blow-dry than an equivalent coat dried well with towels first. An extra couple of minutes towel-drying will save ten or more minutes of blow-drying, so use towels first.

Keep Your Dog in the Tub for Blow-Dryer. Unless your dog can comfortably be held in one arm, DO NOT PUT YOUR DOG ON THE PLATFORM TO DRY. As you finish towel-drying, lay the used towels under your dog to cover the bottom of the tub, with driest on top (ask for more if needed). Your dog can now stand or sit on the towels instead of the wet mat, and the towels will soak up much of the water that blows out of the coat during the blow-dry.

Ask For Assistance With the Blow-Dryer. Especially if you have a softer, curly-coated dog like a poodle or ‘doodle, a longer-haired dog like a border collie, golden retriever, or a densely shedding dog like a husky, pomeranian or long-haired shepherd. Used improperly, high-velocity forced-air dryers can introduce mats and tangles that weren’t in the coat before using, causing you more brushing and combing later, and possibly even a shave-down once your dog next sees the groomer. Also, never aim the air flow directly towards the anus, ear canals, eyes or mouth. Some dogs like to “play” with the air coming from the dryer – this can be very dangerous for your dog as they can intake a great deal of air into their stomachs, potentially causing irritation or bloating. If your dog starts to go after the dryer, discontinue use and we will be happy to provide suggestions on how to continue or bring extra towels.

Do Not Clean Up After Yourself. Once you’re done, please leave whatever mess you have made, no matter how much your inner parent yells at you to clean that mess up. Once you leave, Scrubby staff will completely clean and disinfect the work area; no matter what cleaning you may do, we’re going to do it all again, so please, save your time and our water, be glad it’s not your bathroom that looks like our work area and leave the mess for us to clean up. Really really.

How Often Can You Wash Your Dog? You can safely wash your dog as often as once or twice a week if necessary; we see a lot of veterinarian referrals having the owner wash the dog as often as two or three times a week to deal with skin/coat issues. Many of our customers wash their dogs two or three times a month without problem. The biggest issues with washing, frequently or otherwise, are first, use very good quality products such as those provided by Scrubby Puppy, and second, make sure ALL the product is COMPLETELY rinsed off the skin before leaving the tub. We cannot stress that enough – no matter where you’re washing your dog, be it here at Scrubby, at home or even a different self-service facility, make sure that there is no shampoo or conditioner residue left on the skin after bathing. You will have a lot less skin issues and a much happier, healthier dog if you do so.

Thanks for reading, we look forward to seeing you and your furry friend soon.