How to Clean Dog Toys: Rubber, Nylon, Rope, and Plush, Step by Step
The Short Version
Most dog toys clean up with tools you already own. Solid rubber toys go in the dishwasher (top rack, no detergent pod needed — hot water does most of the work) or get a scrub with dish soap and a bottle brush. Nylon chews get a soap-and-water scrub only, since high heat can warp them. Rope toys go in the washing machine in a mesh bag, or get soaked and machine-dried. Plush toys run through a gentle wash cycle and air dry. Rinse everything thoroughly — a toy that spends hours in your dog's mouth should never taste like soap or bleach.
That's the summary. The details matter, though, because the wrong method can ruin a toy or leave residue your dog ingests. Here's the material-by-material breakdown.
Why Bother Cleaning Dog Toys at All?
A well-used toy collects saliva, food residue, yard dirt, and whatever your dog last rolled in. Treat-dispensing toys are the worst offenders — dried peanut butter in a Kong cavity is a genuine bacterial buffet. You don't need lab-grade sterility (your dog licks the floor), but a regular wash does three useful things:
- Removes food residue that turns rancid and attracts pests
- Cuts down the grime film that builds on rubber and makes toys slick and smelly
- Forces a hands-on inspection. Cleaning day is when you find the crack, the loose rope strand, or the missing chunk you'd otherwise miss
That last point is underrated. Every cleaning session doubles as a safety check — if you spot deep gouges, splits, or shedding pieces, it's time to consult our guide on when to throw a dog toy away rather than put it back in rotation.
Cleaning Methods by Material
Different materials tolerate very different treatment. Here's the quick-reference table:
| Material | Best Method | Dishwasher? | Washing Machine? | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid rubber (Kong-type) | Hot water + dish soap scrub, or top-rack dishwasher | Yes (top rack) | No | Harsh solvents, abrasive pads |
| Nylon chews | Warm soapy water + brush | Not recommended | No | High heat, soaking in bleach |
| Rope toys | Machine wash in mesh bag, hot cycle | No | Yes | Fabric softener, low-quality frays |
| Plush / fabric | Gentle machine cycle, air dry | No | Yes (gentle) | High-heat drying, damaged seams |
| Rubber treat dispensers | Bottle brush + soak, then dishwasher | Usually (check maker) | No | Letting fillings dry for days |
| Silicone lick mats / feeders | Dishwasher or soapy soak | Yes | No | Knife-scraping stuck food |
Always check the manufacturer's care guidance when it exists — reputable brands print it on packaging or their websites — and let it override the general rules above.
Rubber Toys: The Easiest to Clean
Solid natural-rubber toys are the workhorses of a power chewer's toy bin, and they're also the most forgiving to clean.
- Rinse off loose debris under hot tap water.
- Scrub with dish soap and a bottle brush or old toothbrush. For hollow treat toys, the bottle brush is non-negotiable — that's where old food hides.
- For stubborn dried filling, soak the toy in warm soapy water for 20–30 minutes first, then scrub.
- Rinse until the water runs clear and there's no soap smell. Residual soap causes stomach upset in some dogs.
- Air dry completely, cavity-side down, before refilling or returning it.
Most solid rubber toys from major brands are dishwasher-safe on the top rack — Kong, for example, states its classic rubber toys can go in the dishwasher. The hot water and pressure do an excellent job on treat cavities. Skip the heated-dry cycle if your machine lets you, and pull the toy before the rinse-aid dispenser fires if you use one.
Worth knowing: dishwashers gradually dull the surface of rubber toys, and repeated high-heat cycles can slightly harden softer rubber compounds over months. If a toy is your dog's daily driver, a hand scrub most of the time with an occasional dishwasher run is the gentler routine.
Nylon Chews: Hand-Wash Only
Nylon chews (Benebone, Nylabone, and similar) look invincible, but heat is their weakness. High dishwasher temperatures can warp them or degrade added flavoring.
- Scrub with warm — not hot — water and dish soap and a stiff brush.
- Work the brush along the gouges and grooves your dog has chewed in; that scored texture traps grime.
- Rinse thoroughly and air dry.
Worth knowing: many flavored nylon chews lose their appeal after washing, because you're scrubbing away the scent layer your dog liked. If your dog snubs a freshly cleaned nylon chew, that's why — it's cosmetic, not a defect. And while you're scrubbing, check hardness against your own thumbnail: if you can't dent the surface, it's a hard chew, and vets caution that very hard chews can crack teeth in aggressive chewers. Nylon's trade-offs versus rubber are a big part of how we rank picks in our roundup of the toughest dog toys.
Rope Toys: The Washing Machine Is Your Friend
Rope toys absorb saliva like a sponge, which makes them the smelliest item in the bin.
- Shake out debris and pick off any embedded gunk.
- Machine wash on a hot cycle inside a mesh laundry bag (keeps frayed strands from tangling). Use a fragrance-free detergent, or none at all — hot water alone handles most of it.
- Skip fabric softener entirely. It leaves a coating your dog will ingest.
- Dry completely — machine dry on medium or air dry in the sun. A damp rope core grows mildew fast.
Worth knowing: washing accelerates fraying on cheaper ropes. A rope that comes out of the machine shedding long strands is telling you something — swallowed rope strands are one of the more serious toy hazards, so retire it rather than trim and hope.
Plush and Fabric Toys
Machine wash on a gentle cycle in a mesh bag with mild, fragrance-free detergent, then air dry. High dryer heat can melt squeaker housings and weaken seams. Before washing, squeeze the toy and check every seam — if stuffing or the squeaker is close to breaching, washing will finish the job. Retire it instead.
Puzzle Toys, Feeders, and Lick Mats
Food-dispensing gear needs the most frequent washing because food contact is the whole point. Silicone lick mats and most hard-plastic slow feeders are dishwasher-safe; treat-dispensing toys with mechanisms usually need a hand wash so water doesn't sit inside the works. Clean these after every food use, the same way you wouldn't reuse a dirty food bowl for a week. If your current puzzle gear is a pain to clean, dishwasher-safe construction is one of the criteria in our guide to puzzle toys heavy chewers can't brute-force apart.
How to Disinfect Dog Toys Safely
Routine soap-and-water washing is enough for everyday cleaning. If you want actual disinfection — after illness in the house, a secondhand toy, or a toy that's been buried in the yard — use one of these:
- White vinegar soak: 50/50 vinegar and warm water for 15–30 minutes, then scrub and rinse well. Mild, food-adjacent, and good for routine deodorizing on rubber and silicone.
- Dilute bleach for hard non-porous toys only: a weak solution (roughly a tablespoon of plain bleach per gallon of water) for a short soak, followed by a long, thorough rinse and full air dry until no chlorine smell remains. Never use bleach on rope, plush, or nylon — porous materials hold it.
- The dishwasher's sanitize cycle for rubber and silicone toys rated for it.
Never mix cleaning chemicals, and when in doubt, more rinsing beats stronger chemistry. The goal is a clean toy, not a chemically treated one.
How Often Should You Clean?
A realistic schedule most owners can actually keep:
- After every food use: treat toys, lick mats, slow feeders
- Weekly: daily-rotation chew and fetch toys
- Every 2–4 weeks: everything else in the bin
- Immediately: anything from a sick dog, a swap with another household, or a mystery hole in the yard
Pair each cleaning with a 30-second damage inspection. A clean toy with a crack in it is still a hazard — cleanliness and structural condition are separate checks, and both need to pass before the toy goes back in the bin.