How to Clean Dog Toys: By Material, How Often & When to Toss Them

Why Dirty Dog Toys Are a Genuine Health Risk

Toys land on the floor, go in the garden, get chewed with bacteria-rich saliva, then sit in a warm toy box. That combination creates ideal conditions for pathogen growth. Key risks from uncleaned toys include:

• Bacteria: E. coli, Staphylococcus, and Salmonella have all been cultured from dog toy surfaces. Dogs lick their toys obsessively — a contaminated toy is a repeated oral dose of whatever’s living in the material.
• Mould and fungal growth: Rope toys and plush toys stay damp after being mouthed. Internal fibres dry slowly, creating pockets where black mould can establish within 48–72 hours in warm weather.
• Viral survival: Parvovirus can survive on porous surfaces — including rope and fabric toys — for weeks to months without disinfection. If your dog has been around sick dogs, toy decontamination is non-negotiable.
• Cross-contamination to humans: Children who handle dog toys and then touch their faces or mouths are at risk from the same bacteria. Households with young children should clean toys at least weekly.

How Often Should You Clean Dog Toys?

Cleaning frequency depends on how the toy is used. The table below gives practical guidance — weekly is the minimum for any toy in regular rotation.

When in doubt, clean it. Overcleaning does far less harm than under-cleaning, provided you use gentle pet-safe products and let toys dry fully before returning them.

How to Clean Rubber Dog Toys

Rubber toys — including durable chew toys, tug toys, and hollow stuffable toys — are the easiest to clean because the non-porous surface doesn’t absorb bacteria the way fabric does. You have two good methods.

Method 1: Dishwasher (recommended for solid rubber)

• Rinse off loose food debris under hot running water first.
• Place the toy on the top rack only — the heating element is at the bottom and direct heat can warp rubber.
• For hollow toys (stuffables), orient them open-end down so the water jets reach the interior cavity.
• Run a normal hot wash cycle. Skip the heated dry setting if your rubber is thin or soft — let the toy air dry instead.
• Check the manufacturer’s label first: most solid rubber toys are dishwasher-safe; very soft rubber (puppy teethers) should be hand-washed.

Method 2: Hot-water hand wash (all rubber)

• Fill a bowl with the hottest tap water you have and a small amount of fragrance-free, pet-safe dish soap.
• Submerge the toy and soak for 10–15 minutes to loosen dried food and biofilm.
• For hollow toys: use a bottle brush or pipe cleaner to scrub the interior walls — this is where mould starts.
• Rinse thoroughly under running water until no soap remains. Soap residue is an irritant if ingested.
• Air-dry completely — at least a few hours — before returning the toy to your dog.

How to Clean Plush and Stuffed Dog Toys

Plush toys — squeaky toys, stuffed animals, tug toys with fabric covers — can usually go in the washing machine. The key is using the right settings to avoid destroying the filling or squeaker.

Washing machine method:

• Check for loose seams, torn fabric, or exposed stuffing before washing — a toy that’s already coming apart will disintegrate in the machine and block the drain.
• Place toys in a mesh laundry bag to protect them and contain any loose fibres.
• Use the gentle or delicate cycle with cold or warm water. Hot water shrinks fabric and can melt any internal plastic parts (squeakers, rattles).
• Use a small amount of fragrance-free, dye-free laundry detergent. Scented products and artificial dyes leave residues that can irritate a dog’s mouth and skin.
• Skip dryer sheets entirely — the chemical coating is toxic to dogs. Use an unscented wool dryer ball instead, or simply air dry.
• Air dry fully before returning. Wet plush toys left in a toy box develop mould faster than almost any other toy type.

Squeaker preservation: Squeakers are a loose plastic disc or air chamber inside the toy. Machine washing doesn’t usually damage squeakers in quality toys, but very vigorous spin cycles can dislodge them. If preserving the squeak matters, do a hand-wash in warm soapy water and squeeze the toy several times to flush the interior. Air dry squeaker-side down.

How to Clean Rope Dog Toys

Rope toys are the highest-risk toy type for mould growth. The tightly woven natural fibres (cotton or jute) wick moisture deep into the core where it stays warm and damp — perfect for mould spores. A rope toy that smells musty almost certainly has mould in the fibres even if you can’t see it.

Standard rope-toy cleaning:

• Soak the rope toy in a bowl of very hot water with a small amount of pet-safe dish soap for 20–30 minutes. This loosens saliva, food residue, and surface bacteria.
• Work the fibres with your hands to push soapy water through the core — squeezing and releasing repeatedly.
• Rinse thoroughly under running water. Rope toys hold soap in the fibres longer than you’d expect — keep rinsing until the water runs clear and squeeze several times.
• Dry outdoors in direct sunlight if possible. UV light kills surface bacteria and the airflow dries the core fibres much faster than indoor drying.
• Never return a rope toy that’s still damp. Indoor storage of a damp rope toy in a toy box restarts mould growth within hours.

The microwave method (bacteria kill): After soaking and rinsing, wet rope toys can be microwaved for 60–90 seconds on high. The steam generated inside the fibres kills bacteria and speeds drying. Important caveats:

• The toy must be wet — never microwave a dry rope toy (fire risk).
• Remove any metal clips, tags, or plastic components before microwaving.
• Let the toy cool fully on a rack before handling — it will be extremely hot.
• This method works on cotton rope toys, not synthetic fibre or mixed-material toys.

How to Clean Nylon and Hard Plastic Dog Toys

Nylon chew toys (like Nylabone and similar hard chews) and hard plastic toys (fetch launchers, puzzle feeders, treat dispensers) are the easiest to clean of all toy types because their non-porous surfaces don’t absorb bacteria or odours.

Dishwasher cleaning (best method for hard plastic):

• Check the toy for a dishwasher-safe label or manufacturer guidance. Most hard plastic puzzle toys and treat dispensers are rated dishwasher-safe.
• Place on the top rack. Bottom-rack placement near the heating element can warp thin plastic.
• Run a standard hot wash. The high temperature sanitises effectively.

Hand wash (nylon chews and non-dishwasher-safe plastics):

• Scrub under hot running water with a stiff-bristled brush and pet-safe dish soap. Nylon chew grooves collect saliva and food debris — work the brush into every channel.
• Rinse completely and air dry.
• Nylon chews don’t need soaking — a firm scrub under running water is sufficient because the smooth hard surface doesn’t harbour bacteria the way porous materials do.

For treat-dispensing puzzle toys with multiple parts: disassemble fully before washing. Food often collects in joints and cavities that are invisible when the toy is assembled — the dishwasher won’t reach them unless the toy is pulled apart.

Safe Cleaners vs Toxic Ones: What to Use (and Avoid)

Most cleaning product labels don’t mention dogs, but dogs chew toys for hours — any residue left on the surface goes directly into their mouths. Several common household cleaners are dangerous to use on dog toys.

Removing Mould and Bad Smells from Dog Toys

A toy that smells musty or shows black or green spots has mould growth. For hard-surface toys (rubber, nylon, plastic) this is usually salvageable. For rope and plush toys with mould visible inside the fibres, the safest call is to replace the toy — deep mould in fabric cannot be reliably removed at home.

Mould removal on rubber and hard plastic toys:

• Make a paste of two tablespoons of baking soda and enough white vinegar to form a thick paste. The fizzing reaction is safe and helps lift mould from crevices.
• Apply to all mouldy surfaces, including the interior of hollow toys, using an old toothbrush. Scrub firmly, working into all grooves and channels.
• Let the paste sit for 10 minutes, then scrub again.
• Rinse thoroughly under hot running water. Follow with a hot dishwasher cycle or a 15-minute soak in very hot soapy water to complete disinfection.
• Inspect after cleaning. If you can still see mould marks or the smell persists after full drying, the mould is embedded — replace the toy.

Removing stubborn odours (not mould):

• Soak in a solution of one part white vinegar to four parts water for 30 minutes. Vinegar neutralises the sulphur compounds that cause the ‘dog smell’ in rubber toys.
• For plush toys: add half a cup of baking soda to the washing machine drum alongside the unscented detergent. Baking soda absorbs odour molecules during the wash.
• Air dry in direct sunlight — UV light breaks down odour-causing organic compounds faster than any commercial deodoriser.

Decontaminating Toys After Illness

If your dog has been sick, or has been around a dog with a contagious illness (parvovirus, kennel cough, ringworm, Giardia), standard cleaning isn’t enough. These pathogens require specific disinfection steps.

After parvovirus exposure:

• Parvo is extremely hardy — it survives on surfaces for months and resists most household cleaners. The reliable option is a diluted bleach solution: 1 tablespoon of household bleach per gallon of water.
• Hard toys: soak in the diluted bleach solution for 10–15 minutes, then rinse extremely thoroughly and air dry. Any lingering bleach smell means more rinsing is needed.
• Porous toys (rope, plush): cannot be reliably decontaminated from parvo. Discard them and replace once your dog is fully recovered and your vet confirms it’s safe to introduce new toys.

After ringworm (fungal infection):

• Wash all toys your dog has had contact with using hot water and soap immediately.
• Hard toys can be wiped with a diluted antifungal solution — ask your vet for guidance on the specific product; many vet-recommended disinfectants work well here.
• Ringworm spores can persist on fabric — plush toys in contact with an infected dog should be discarded during the treatment period.

After Giardia:

• Giardia cysts survive on toys and can reinfect your dog or spread to people. All toys should be scrubbed with hot soapy water, boiled if possible (rubber toys can handle a brief boil), or discarded if heavily porous.

When to Throw a Dog Toy Away

Cleaning can’t fix a toy that’s past its safe useful life. These are the signs that a toy should go in the bin, not the wash basket:

• Chunks or pieces missing: If rubber or nylon is missing a section and you can’t account for where it went, your dog may have swallowed it. Call your vet and replace the toy immediately. Swallowed toy fragments are a leading cause of intestinal blockage surgery.
• Cracks or splits in rubber: Hairline cracks in rubber toys harbour bacteria that can’t be reached by cleaning. They also weaken the structure — a cracked toy can split unexpectedly and create sharp edges.
• Rope toys with heavy fraying: Loose long threads from frayed rope toys are ingestion hazards. Short, even fraying is normal; long trailing threads that a dog could separate and eat are a sign to retire the toy.
• Plush toys with exposed stuffing: Once the stuffing is accessible your dog can pull it out and ingest it. Exposed squeakers are also a choking hazard. A toy with a seam that keeps re-opening after repairs should be discarded.
• Persistent mould smell after cleaning: If you’ve cleaned a toy thoroughly and it still smells musty when fully dry, the mould is embedded in the material structure. Replace it — you can’t clean out what you can’t reach.
• Contact with a parvovirus case (porous toys only): Rope and plush toys that cannot be bleach-sanitised should be discarded after parvo exposure even if they look fine.
• After infectious illness recovery: Even cleanable toys should be replaced after a dog recovers from a contagious illness, especially in a multi-dog household, to prevent reinfection cycles.