Incontinence in an old dog, or a puppy three weeks into house training, turns into a laundry problem long before it turns into a cleaning one. A washable pad puts a waterproof layer between the accident and the mattress, so what needs dealing with afterwards is one pad rather than a bed, a duvet and a crate floor. That is the entire case for owning a few of them.

The construction is a high-absorbency core that pulls moisture down and away from the surface, sitting over a waterproof backing that stops it going any further. Because the top layer wicks, the surface stays dry enough to lie on rather than turning cold and wet underneath the animal, which matters a great deal for a dog told to stay put after surgery. It machine washes and holds its absorbency across repeated cycles.

• High-absorbency core over a waterproof backing
• Surface wicks moisture away from the pet
• Machine washable and reusable many times over
• Works in dog beds, crates, recovery areas and the car boot
• Soft enough to be lain on directly
• Cheaper over time than disposable sheets

On the size. Washable pads also need a proper wash rather than a rinse, because detergent residue is what kills absorbency, not the number of cycles.

Who it's for: Households with a senior dog, a puppy in training, or a pet recovering from surgery, who are washing bedding far more often than they would like.