Cleaning Dirty Doggie Toys
I don’t know about you, but around here the doggie toys are tortured. They are chewed, dragged, thrown and even peed on. One of my monthly chores is to inspect and wash all the toys.
First I gather them all up from inside and outside, then sort then into three piles:
- Plush, fabric, and cloth
- Rubber, vinyl, plastic and nylon
- Broken, torn and small parts hanging or lose
Lets start with the first pile (plush toys). These can be washed in the washing machine. Place the toys into a garment bag or pillow case. Place the laundry soap in first then the bag of toys. I use the hot water cycle to help kill germs and bacteria. Once washed place in dryer, again on the hot setting. I usually let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes once out of the dryer to cool, before I give them back to the dogs.
The second pile of rubber and plastic toys take a little more work. First prepare a bucket of warm water with 1/2 cup of baking soda. Stir until baking soda dissolves, then place toys into bucket. Let soak for 30 minutes. Then use a scrub brush to get off any caked on dirt. Rinse toys. Rinse and refill the bucket with clean hot water. Soak toys for another 30 minutes. Again hand rinse the toys making sure there is no baking soda residue. You can then dry them by hand or let them air dry.
As for the last pile of broken and torn toys. Decide if you can sew fabric toys, if so take the time to do it now. I know if I set them aside, I never get back to them. If they are too far gone, trash them with any torn or broken rubber and plastic toys.
Now the best part is playtime, get out there and help your doggie make those toys dirty again.
