TL;DR
The single biggest cause of a smelly carrier is storing it before it is fully dry. Take the liner out and wash it separately, wash or wipe the shell depending on the type, rinse until nothing soapy remains, then leave the carrier open in moving air for a day. Do that and odor rarely becomes an issue.
Soft and hard carriers are different jobs
Hard plastic carriers. A two-piece plastic shell with a metal or plastic door. These wash easily with soap, water, and a brush, and they dry quickly.
Soft-sided carriers. Fabric over a wire or plastic frame, with mesh windows and a padded base. They hold odor in the padding, dry slowly, and rarely tolerate a machine.
Backpack carriers. Soft carriers with straps and often a plastic dome window. Same fabric rules, plus straps and a dome that scratches easily.
Expandable carriers. More seams, more zips, and more places for hair to hide.
The one thing they share is a removable liner or pad, and that is always the dirtiest part.
How do you clean a pet carrier?
Remove the liner and wash it separately, then vacuum the interior. Wash a hard shell in warm soapy water with a brush, or wipe a soft carrier with a cloth wrung out hard. Rinse or wipe the soap away thoroughly, then dry the carrier open with air moving for a full day.
Cleaning a hard plastic carrier
1. Split the halves if the design allows. Most hard carriers unclip or unbolt into a top and a bottom, and cleaning them apart is far easier.
2. Remove the door and the liner. Wash the liner by its label.
3. Rinse out the loose debris. A hose outdoors or a shower head.
4. Scrub with warm soapy water. A stiff brush over the floor, the walls, the ceiling, and especially the ventilation slots, where hair and grime pack in.
5. Do the door and the latch. Brush around the hinge pins and the latch mechanism, then dry them so metal parts do not rust.
6. Rinse until nothing soapy remains. Soap residue on a floor a pet lies on is worth removing properly.
7. Drain and dry. Stand the halves on edge so water runs out of the corners, and let them air dry completely before reassembly.
Do not use a dishwasher, which warps plastic, and avoid abrasive pads, which scratch the shell so it holds odor and residue in every scratch.
Cleaning a soft-sided carrier
1. Take out the base board and the pad. Most soft carriers have a rigid insert under a washable pad. Wipe the insert and wash the pad.
2. Vacuum the interior thoroughly. A crevice tool along every seam, into the corners, and over the mesh panels from both sides.
3. Dry brush the fabric. A rubber brush lifts hair the vacuum leaves.
4. Spot clean with unscented soap. A cloth wrung out hard, working marks rather than soaking whole panels. Less water means a much faster dry.
5. Treat accidents with an enzyme cleaner. Blot, apply, let it stay wet for the time on the label, blot with clean water. Enzymes break down the compounds causing the smell instead of covering them.
6. Clean the mesh gently. A soft brush with your hand supporting the mesh from behind. Torn mesh on a carrier is a genuine escape risk.
7. Brush the zips. Hair in the teeth is why a carrier zip sticks. Brush, rinse, dry, and run the zip a few times.
8. Dry it open for a full day. Fully unzipped, propped into shape, with air moving. Two days for a thickly padded base.
Check the label before considering a machine. Some soft carriers say the cover is machine washable, and where they do, use a cool gentle cycle in a mesh bag with unscented detergent and no fabric softener, then air dry. Where the frame does not come out, hand washing is the only safe route.
What not to use
Chlorine bleach. It weakens fabric, fades color, damages coatings, and it must never be combined with ammonia, which is present in urine, or with vinegar or any other acid. Those combinations release chloramine and chlorine gas. A soiled carrier already contains the ammonia.
Fabric softener. A coating and a scent on something a pet is enclosed in.
Scented sprays and essential oils. Many essential oils are toxic to cats, and birds are extremely sensitive to fumes. A carrier is a small enclosed space an animal cannot leave, so nothing scented belongs in one.
A machine dryer. Heat shrinks fabric around frames that do not shrink, and warps plastic shells and fittings.
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center guidance on household hazards for pets
Why a clean carrier travels better
Carriers get used at the worst moments, which for most cats means the vet. If the carrier smells of stress from the last trip, the next trip starts badly.
Cleaning removes those scent traces, which is one small thing you can do to make a carrier less loaded. Leaving the clean carrier out in the house with the door open and a familiar blanket inside does more, since a carrier that only appears before a car ride becomes something to hide from.
Ask your veterinarian about travel anxiety if your pet genuinely panics. That is a behavior and welfare question, not something a cleaning routine solves.
Inspection, drying and storage
Before storing, check the zips run, the mesh has no holes, the shoulder strap stitching is sound, and on a hard carrier that the latch closes firmly and the two halves clip together with no gaps.
Retire a carrier with a cracked shell, a failing latch, or torn mesh. A carrier that opens in transit is the failure that matters.
Store it dry and open, or at least unzipped, rather than sealed in a bag or a plastic tote. A damp carrier in a closed space grows mildew smell within days, and that smell is very difficult to remove afterward.
Airline crates have extra requirements around hardware and ventilation, covered in how to clean an airline pet crate. Strollers share the same fur and zip problems plus a wheel job, covered in how to clean a pet stroller.
How often should you clean it?
Wipe it out and wash the liner after every trip, and do a full clean every one to two months with regular use or at the end of any long journey. Always clean it before storing it away.
For a carrier that lives out as furniture, vacuum it weekly and wash the pad monthly, the same way you would treat any bed. The rest of the kit follows the same schedule logic in our guide to cleaning pet bowls, bedding, toys and gear.
FAQ
Can you put a soft pet carrier in the washing machine?
Only if the label says so, and usually only the removable cover. The internal frame damages a drum and gets bent in return. Where machine washing is allowed, use a cool gentle cycle in a mesh bag with unscented detergent, no fabric softener, and air dry it.
How do you get the smell out of a pet carrier?
Wash the liner separately, vacuum the interior, and treat any accident with an enzyme-based pet cleaner left wet for the time on the label. Then dry the carrier open for a full day. Most carrier odor is caused by storing it before it was completely dry.
Can you use a dishwasher for a hard plastic pet carrier?
No. Dishwasher heat warps the plastic shell so the halves no longer clip together properly, and it should not share a machine with dishes people eat from. Wash a hard carrier by hand with a brush and warm soapy water, then rinse and air dry.
How do you clean a pet carrier after an accident?
Remove and wash the liner, rinse the affected area with plain water, then apply an enzyme-based pet cleaner and let it stay wet for the time the label specifies. Rinse or blot with clean water and dry the carrier fully open before it is used again.
How do you stop a carrier zip from sticking?
Brush hair out of the zip teeth with a dry toothbrush, rinse the zip, dry it, then run it back and forth a few times. Hair packed into the teeth is the usual cause rather than a broken zip. Avoid oil, which attracts more hair.
How often should you clean a pet carrier?
Wipe it out and wash the liner after every trip, and do a full clean every one to two months with regular use. Always clean and fully dry it before storing it, since a carrier put away damp develops mildew smell within days.
Travel gear is a small part of a much larger job. Every home is different, so the real number depends on size, condition, and what you want covered. Get a quote or read more about house cleaning services.