I have 5 dogs and 4 cats and wash their food bowls after each meal. I have 2 water bowls for everyone in the laundry room and wash those every couple of days, although I rinse them out and refill them countless times daily! In the summer I have a hard time keeping up with the water bowls even thought the dogs are always drinking out of the pond as well, which is fun to watch, they will wade in the water and lap as they go! Thinking about that makes me even more tired of all this cold, snow and ice!