Sep 18, 2026Pet Care Guides
How Often Should You Clean Pet Toys and Bowls?
Pet bowls and toys rank among the germiest items in the home. A material-by-material cleaning routine that takes minutes a week.
Household hygiene studies have repeatedly placed pet bowls and toys among the top ten germiest items in the home, ahead of many kitchen surfaces. The reason is simple: they collect saliva, dirt, and whatever was on the ground, then sit at room temperature.
What is actually on them
The list includes mould, mildew, staph bacteria, and, after trips to the park, the organisms behind parvovirus and distemper. Faecal contamination brings E. coli and Giardia, which can pass to people handling the toy.
If your dog eats a raw diet, treat cleaning as daily rather than weekly. Raw diets can carry Salmonella and Listeria, and a toy played with straight after a meal can pick them up.
A realistic schedule
Monthly is the accepted minimum. Weekly is better. Daily is right for toys that travel to the park, and for water bowls in warm weather.
How to clean, by material
Rubber, silicone, and nylon: hot soapy water, a bottle brush into any crevices, then air dry fully. Trapped moisture inside a hollow toy is what grows mould.
Rope and plush: machine wash on a gentle cycle in a mesh bag, or hand wash, then dry completely. Rope takes the longest to dry, so wring it and hang it.
Slow feeders and lick mats: these have the most surface area and the most trapped residue. Soak first so dried food softens, then scrub the grooves. A dishwasher-safe mat saves the argument.
Water bowls: the overlooked one
Communal bowls at parks and cafes are a genuine risk, especially for puppies and older dogs whose immune systems are still developing or weakening. Carry your own bowl or bottle rather than letting your dog drink from a shared one.
After illness
If your dog has had parvo or ringworm, normal washing is not enough. Those items need a disinfectant step or replacement, because the organisms survive ordinary soap and water.
Cleaning is not about the smell. It is about what grows in the crevices while the toy sits in the basket.
