Wash baby toys with soap and water first, then sanitize only when needed using a manufacturer-approved method — and air-dry completely before storing.
Cleaning and disinfecting are two different jobs, and doing them in the wrong order is the most common mistake in early care settings and at home. Here’s the routine: clean off the gunk, sanitize what needs it, dry fully, and skip any toy you can’t clean.
Cleaning vs. Disinfecting: Why Order Matters
The CDC’s guidance for early care settings is blunt: clean with soap and water first, then disinfect with an EPA-registered product or diluted bleach when disinfection is needed. Skip the wash and you’re disinfecting a layer of yogurt — the dirt shields germs underneath. Plain soap and water handles most everyday messes. Save sanitizing for a toy in a sick child’s mouth, a shared toy moving between kids, or anything an infant has been drooling on.
How To Sanitize Baby Toys
The AAP’s Project Firstline resource says toys should be cleaned and disinfected after each use and at least daily, or any time they’re soiled with dirt or bodily fluid, including saliva.
For a bleach soak, the dilution is exact — stronger is not better and can damage plastic. Dishwasher-safe toys can use a sanitizing cycle, and boiling or steaming works too — but only when the manufacturer allows it. Heat warps plenty of plastic, so check the toy’s bottom or packaging first. For spray-and-wipe, an EPA-registered disinfectant works on most hard toys. Our tested roundup of the best disinfectant spray for baby toys covers which formulas are labeled for infant items.
| Toy Type | Best Method | Key Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Hard plastic and silicone | Soap and water, then bleach soak or EPA spray | No rinse after bleach; air-dry fully |
| Mouth-contact toys (teethers, pacifiers) | Sanitize between every use | Retire if it can’t be cleaned and sanitized |
| Dishwasher-safe toys | Sanitizing cycle or commercial dishwasher | Only if manufacturer allows heat |
| Cloth and stuffed toys | Machine wash, highest dryer heat for 30 minutes | One child at a time; launder before sharing |
| Battery-operated or electronic | Wipe surfaces only, never soak | Water ruins the circuit; follow the manual |
| Wooden toys | Damp cloth with mild soap, wipe dry | Soaking cracks and warps wood |
| Plush with glued-on parts | Surface wipe only if washing isn’t allowed | If neither works, don’t use it |
Which Toys Should You Stop Using?
Toys that can’t be cleaned and sanitized shouldn’t be in rotation at all, and mouth-contact toys need sanitizing between uses. Anything with a battery compartment, non-removable fabric cover, or crack that traps moisture is a retirement candidate — as is a plush toy mouthed by a sick child that won’t survive a hot wash.
- Keep soiled toys in a separate bin or bowl of soapy water, out of children’s reach — a tub on the floor is a drowning risk for a toddler.
- Don’t move toys between groups of infants or toddlers unless washed and sanitized first.
- Launder cloth toys before another child uses them; use with one child at a time.
- Air-dry everything completely before storing or handing back. Damp toys grow things.
- During an outbreak, step up frequency — childcare facilities disinfect toys at least twice a day then.
- Follow manufacturer instructions on dilution, contact time, and drying time. If the label says no, that’s the answer.
Don’t improvise a stronger mix — concentrations beyond the labeled product or exact bleach dilution can pit plastic, fade paint, and leave residue on a surface headed for a baby’s mouth.
What Routine Holds Up?
Wash daily toys with soap and water, sanitize mouth-contact ones after every use, launder cloth ones weekly or when chewed, and dry everything fully before it goes back in the bin. The full sequence:
- Clear dirt, saliva, and food with soap and warm water.
- Rinse, then sanitize with the allowed method — bleach soak, EPA disinfectant, dishwasher, or steam.
- Air-dry completely.
- Retire anything that won’t survive its own cleaning.
Common Questions
Can I use regular household bleach on plastic toys?
Skip bleach on any toy whose manufacturer says the plastic can’t handle it — it can pit surfaces and fade painted details.
How often should toys be cleaned if only one child uses them?
Project Firstline guidance says after each use and at least daily, plus any time a toy is soiled with dirt or bodily fluid like saliva. A daily soapy-water wash covers most single-child toys, with sanitizing reserved for mouth-contact items.
Only for toys labeled dishwasher-safe. A sanitizing cycle works well for hard plastic and silicone, but heat warps many plastics and destroys battery compartments. When in doubt, hand-wash and air-dry.
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics. “Cleaning and Disinfecting Resources” Project Firstline guidance on cleaning toys after each use and at least daily.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “How To Clean and Disinfect Early Care and Education Settings” Bleach dilution, sanitizing steps, and cloth toy laundering.
- UCSF Infection Control. “Toy Cleaning Policy” Rules for retiring toys that cannot be cleaned and sanitized.