I have to admit (as I’ve admitted in prior reviews) that I don’t bathe my dogs a lot. This isn’t because they don’t become dirty, or that they don’t emit a distinct doggie odor, because they do. It’s because they hate baths, and I hate to see their pitiful eyes looking at me from beneath a stream of water, eyes that seem to say, “If you truly loved me, you wouldn’t be doing this.”

Because of this too-far-in-between bathing schedule, I’m always looking for products that can freshen up my dogs easily between baths. Recently, I found The Total Pet Spa bath-less cleaning system. Anything “bath-less” catches my attention.

This product takes the canine “bath wipe” to another level. Most bath wipes are made from thin material similar to that of a human hand wipe. The Total Pet Spa’s wipe pads are made from a material taken from the cosmetic industry, so they’re thick and plush and don’t tear while in use. The pad is very moist and doesn’t dry out while you're using it.

And to take the bath-less idea one step further, The Total Pet Spa’s cleansing pad is easily attached to a hand grip and used similar to a brush, but gentler—even dogs who don’t like to be brushed will not balk at being stroked with this product.

There’s also a brush attachment made from plastic with large, blunt bristles for the comfort of the dog. I tried this product on all four of my dogs—two white Schnauzers, one mixed breed, and one Poodle—and all of them readily accepted both the brush attachment and the cleansing pad attachment. Pearl, the mutt, usually runs and hides when I break out a brush; she has very cottony fur that tangles easily. Using The Total Pet Spa brush, she lay down on her belly and enjoyed the attention—she must have thought it was spa day and time for a massage! 

I used the first cleansing pad on one of the white Schnauzers, Delilah, who is notoriously a brat about being groomed. She’ll even nip at the brush. She enjoyed being wiped down, and after a few minutes the pad became black with dirt. I hadn’t realized how filthy she was! I turned the dirty side of the pad over and used the clean side, only to pick up more dirt.

I’m very chemically sensitive and can’t use products with too much scent, so I was worried about having a reaction to the cleansing product inside the pads. They are supposedly “unscented,” but they do have a fresh scent, and I didn’t react to it at all, so I’ll be able to continue to use this product. Actually, I won’t unless I get another set—my mom stole it from me to use with her dogs! 

Once you purchase the set, which comes with the hand grip, a brush attachment, a pad attachment, and three pads, you have to continue to purchase the cleansing pads from the company, which is fine for me, considering that I wait even more time between baths. My dogs are happy about that! The pad attachment has a kind of springy feel to it, so it contours to the dog's body, making cleaning that much more comfortable. 

Disclaimer: I may have received products and/or compensation for this review. I only review products I like, so this review reflects my honest appraisal of this product. 

At $39.99, The Total Pet Spa system isn’t cheap, but if you use it twice a month for a couple of years, you’ll be paying about $1.64 cents per use (including cost of the replacement pads). Considering the cost of good dog shampoo, and the fact that most people use way more shampoo than needed per bath, that’s pretty economical. Plus, imagine that your mother-in-law calls and says she’ll be coming over in ten minutes—and your dog looks and smells slightly homeless. A quick brush up with the Total Pet Spa system and Fido will pass for squeaky clean. Well worth it. You absolutely can use the system every day, however, because it's gentle on the skin and coat. 

There is a tiny bit of a learning curve for using this product, so watch the videos on their site (or below) for directions. Believe me, once you know how to put the pad onto the product and change out the pad attachment to the brush attachment, it's very easy. 

Paws up for The Total Pet Spa bath-less cleaning system! Saving dog owners everywhere from embarrassment and saving dogs from the dreaded B-A-T-H T-I-M-E.

From the Total Pet Spa website:

The Total Pet Spa is a revolutionary way to clean your pets without water. The unique hand grip is easy to hold and features a unique bristle texture that both massages and cleans your pet. This hand grip includes a cleaning pad that locks gently inside the grip, trapping fur, dirt and other particles that are commonly found on pets. The cleansing pads are thick pads made from material that’s utilized in the cosmetic industry. Each pad contains five times the solution as the standard pet wipe. The solution included in these cleansing pads is unscented and is made from natural ingredients. Say goodbye to fur on your clothing or unpleasant pet odors without a bath! The Total Pet Spa allows you to save time and money. This patented product removes germs and odors with ease. It is a simple and comfortable hand grip that any pet owner will love. The Total Pet Spa comes with: • Contoured Hand Grip • 1 Arched-Bristled Brush Attachment • 1 Patented Lift and Cleaning Attachment • 1 Starter Pad Pouch (3X). 

I have a confession to make: I don't bathe my dogs very often. I don't mind bathing them, but they dislike the bath so much, that I end up feeling sorry for them and I let them get pretty grungy before I’ll subject them to a B-A-T-H. How long do I go between bathing them? Let’s put it this way: Not long ago, I found a piece of a candy cane in Pearl’s fur – and it was March. 

Enter Fresh & Fluffy dry dog shampoo. This stuff is a boon for Pearl and Jasmine, because they don’t have to suffer the indignities of the tub, but instead get a nice massage from me, and then a little gentle brushing. That’s it! With the pop of a top and a sprinkle of fragrant powder, I can turn my stinky pups into fresh-smelling princesses, as they should be.  

Fresh & Fluffy is great logistically for the dogs, but the best part of it is for me is that the product is all-natural. I’m very chemically sensitive, a condition I was left with after having Lyme Disease. I can’t use perfumed detergent or soaps. I don’t get a reaction at all from Fresh & Fluffy, which is critical for me with any product that I use.

I really love both scents, both the Lavender and the Peppermint. The lavender makes me think of fields of lavender in France – and the Peppermint makes me want to take a little nibble out of one of my dogs! For me, the fact that the dogs don’t retain a fake, chemical odor, is very important.

Use the dry shampoo outside, in the tub, or put a towel beneath your dog just to make it easier to clean up the powder that you brush out of the coat, which will have absorbed oil and dirt from the skin and coat.

The best way to use the product is to run a brush over the dog’s coat first to loosen any dirt. Then sprinkle Fresh & Fluffy into the coat and brush it out. You can sprinkle the powder into the brush as well. The powder isn’t like talcum – it’s a little denser, so it’s easier to work with. 

Big paws up for Fresh & Fluffy! I’ll definitely continue to use this product for the times in between baths. Both Pearl and Jasmine are grateful for it!

From the Fresh & Fluffy website: 

Fresh and Fluffy is the #1 natural dry dog shampoo on the market. While some dry dog shampoo is made from potentially harmful products and other dry dog shampoo is not actually DRY dog shampoo, but relies instead on wet or foamy products, Fresh and Fluffy all natural dry dog shampoo is completely waterless and safe for any dog. Fresh and Fluffy dry dog shampoo is easy to use and leaves your dog’s coat fresher and fluffier than ever. 

Fresh and Fluffy dry dog shampoo is perfect if you want to eliminate pet odors in a matter of minutes, in case company is coming over and you have only minutes to deodorize the dog, or if you just want to cut the dog’s stench to reduce odor while you and your best buddy are hanging out around the house or in the yard. 

How many uses of Fresh & Fluffy dry dog shampoo can I get out of a bottle? It depends on the size of your dog, how big your dog is, its natural odor, how fresh and fluffy you want to make your dog, and how many dogs you have! We have used Fresh and Fluffy dry dog shampoo on a wide variety of dogs— including some super stinky ones— and are comfortable saying Fresh and Fluffy dry dog shampoo is effective enough that a bottle will help almost any owner improve the smell of almost any dog. Some owners have gotten over 10 uses out of a bottle!