Maintaining a clean home all the time is already a feat on its own, but it can be even harder when you have young children, particularly ones who have lots of toys. While cleaning rooms and doing laundry are a part of everyone’s routine, keeping toys like Legos, stuffed animals, electronics and dolls clean isn’t on everyone’s list of chores.
To find the best way to clean toys — and the best products to use — I spoke to multiple cleaning professionals for their guidance and recommendations. “Different materials absolutely need different care,” says Becky Rapinchuk, founder of Clean Mama, a cleaning blog and product line. In other words, some toys only need a wipe down with mild soap, while others may have to go in the washing machine or require more care. Read more about the best methods for cleaning toys below.
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The best chemical-free cleaners for toys
The products below are either direct recommendations from our experts or staff members, or are based on our previous coverage and/or are from brands we’ve tested.
As someone who writes a lot about cleaning, I rarely ever write a story without recommending this product from Dawn. It’s one of my, and NBC Selected reporter Zoe Malin’s, favorite affordable cleaning products, because it is mild, effective and has many uses. I use it all the time to clean my kitchen countertops as well as my refrigerator. And while it’s great for cleaning dishes, it’s also a powerful mild soap that you can use to clean the surface of plastic toys.
You can spray this onto a damp cloth and use it to wipe dolls, dollhouses, building bricks and other toys with finished surfaces. Avoid using it directly on or around batteries and electrical parts on toys to avoid damage.
Almost every cleaning expert I talked to recommends using microfiber towels with warm water and mild soap to clean plastic toys. They last longer than paper towels, are reusable and are machine washable in warm water. NBC Selected senior editor Shalwah Evans uses these microfiber cloths and says that they’re durable and don’t get ruined after many uses or after several washes.
If you plan on cleaning toys that haven’t been used in a while, they’re likely covered in dust, especially if they have fabric or upholstered surfaces. This duster kit includes one handle and five dusters to clean around your home, including those toys.
I use these to clean things like my television, around the bedside table, baseboards and coffee tables. They work incredibly well and they do an excellent job of attaching to dust like a magnet, not just pushing the dust from one spot to another — I rarely ever have to go over the same surface more than once. Plus, it’s easy to replace the duster head, which you need to do after a while.
I love Method’s lineup of plant-based, non-toxic cleaning products and body washes, since they’re effective but don’t have strong chemical smells. These multisurface wipes are similar. They’re alcohol-free and made from ingredients like corn and coconut, according to the brand. The wipes are also compostable and each container has 70 wipes. People who bought them say they enjoy the lime scent and say that the wipes don’t rip easily as you clean.
For an unscented option that’s also safe on toys, skin and other surfaces, try Dreft’s All-Purpose Wipes. If you use either of these, just be sure to avoid electronic and battery compartments and wipe the toys with a damp cloth after.
These laundry detergent pods are unscented so they’re perfect for people who are sensitive to strong smells or don’t want toys to have a soapy fragrance. The pods are made from biodegradable ingredients, so they’re safe to use on even delicate articles of clothing and machine-washable stuffed animals.
There are 64 pods in each plastic-free container. This option is made for sensitive skin so the pods are fragrance free and they’re accepted by the National Eczema Association. While they’re great for general cleaning, you may have to take further steps or use another product to get rid of harsh stains.
Since many stuffed animals and toys are machine washable, a washing machine bag such as this one is a great option for getting them clean while protecting any delicate parts or material. They’re large enough to fit stuffed toys like Squismallows and Jellycats, but they’re also suitable for several types of clothing. You can use them for silk clothing, satin bedding, knits, scarves and other delicates. They also have a zippered closure to keep the toys inside the bag while they roll around in the washer.
How to clean plastic toys (building bricks, dolls and playsets)
For most plastic toys without compartments for batteries or any other electronic features, simple is best. You can clean them with items you probably already have in your home, particularly in your kitchen. “Hard plastic toys like Lego sets, play kitchens, and doll houses can be wiped down with a damp cloth and mild dish soap, or soaked briefly in warm soapy water and rinsed well,” says Rapinchuk of Clean Mama. “Avoid bleach and harsh disinfectants on plastic toys, as they can degrade the plastic or leave toxic residues.”
Additionally, you shouldn’t use alcohol-based cleaning products to clean toys made of finished wood since it can strip the finish.
You should also use soft tools, such as a microfiber cloth, to clean plastic toys instead of abrasive scrubbers, sponges or scouring pads to prevent scratches. For cleaning small pieces, like Legos, for example, it might be easier to wash them all at once by cleaning them in a sink or bowl with warm water and mild soap, instead of wiping each one hand by hand. “You never want to lose a [Lego] down the drain, so just do yourself a favor and throw a strainer in the drain to catch any strays so they don’t get lost forever,” says Ryan Knoll, owner of cleaning company TidyCasa.
Lastly, disinfectants and alcohol-based cleaners, including disinfectant wipes, can also accidentally remove paint from toys, so that’s another reason to avoid them. It’s ok to use multi-surface wipes to clean plastic toys as long as you rinse them off after and use non-toxic ones that are free of alcohol.
How to clean electronic and battery-powered toys
Toys with electronic features like wires or battery compartments are a little more complex to wash safely. It can be tricky to clean them thoroughly without causing them to break from water damage. It’s important to never submerge battery-operated toys, but outside of this, you simply have to use steps similar to cleaning plastic toys.
“Turn them off and remove any batteries so there’s no electricity running through them,” says Knoll. Then you can use a cloth dampened with a small amount of water and mild dish soap to wipe the surface of the toys. “Be especially careful around the battery components, speakers, charging ports, anything like that. You really don’t want any water inside.”
How to clean stuffed animals
Probably one of the most popular toy categories, stuffed animals aren’t always easy to clean if you want to avoid damaging them. Both Rapinchuk and Knoll recommend referring to a stuffed animal’s care instructions first to see the best way to clean it. In general, though, Rapinchuk says that it’s fine to machine wash many stuffed animals (unless the label says otherwise), but it’s important to wash them with cold water on a delicate cycle and with mild detergent. They recommend putting them in a pillowcase or mesh bag, like the Tenn Well Mesh Washing Bag.
Rapinchuk and Knoll recommend against putting stuffed animals in a dryer, even if they’re machine washable, since the heat can damage them and cause pieces to fall off. “Machine agitation can damage sewn-on eyes, noses, or other features,”she says. “High-heat drying can warp, shrink, or melt synthetic fabrics or embellishments. Some stuffing clumps when wet and doesn’t fluff back up evenly. For delicate or vintage stuffed animals, hand-washing and air-drying is safer.”
How I picked the best chemical-free cleaners for toys
Below is everything I considered when making the list of cleaning products above, including guidance from our experts.
Ingredients: Both Rapinchuk and Knoll recommend using the most mild options when it comes to soaps and detergents for cleaning most types of toys. Our experts say to avoid alcohol-based cleaning products and disinfectants, since they have harsh ingredients and the residue they leave behind would need to be rinsed off thoroughly. Additionally, alcohol in cleaning products can damage plastic surfaces, strip paint and damage the finish of some toys. With this in mind, I made sure to include cleaning products that are free of bleach, alcohol and other harsh ingredients.
Scratch-free supplies: In terms of cleaning supplies, our experts’ advice was similar — they advise against using abrasive scrubbing devices, like sponges and scouring pads, and even microscopic foam scrubbers because they can be too tough for the surfaces of some toys. Instead, they recommend using milder physical cleaners, including microfiber cloths, which don’t leave streaks and are less likely to scratch surfaces.
Frequently asked questions
In general, the best way to clean toys is with warm water, microfiber cloths and mild dish soap, such as Dawn Platinum Powerwash Dish Spray. These products are either free of alcohol and/or have mild formulas that don’t have strong scents or chemicals, unlike bleach, acetone, some disinfectants and cleaning powders.
Knoll and Rapinchuk advise against using cleaners with strong chemicals like bleach, since they have harsh scents. Plus, the smell and residue can often be left behind, which is why it’s important to rinse or wipe surfaces thoroughly. You should also avoid abrasive cleaning items like sponges and scouring pads, which can scratch toys.
Yes and no. Many stuffed toys are safe to clean in a washing machine, and some care labels will even mention whether or not they are. It’s important, though, to make sure you wash them properly to prevent them from getting damaged, which includes using mesh bags, mild detergent and cold water with a delicate cycle.
You shouldn’t put stuffed animals in a dryer because the high heat and the movement of the appliance can easily damage toys by removing paint and pieces that are sewn on or warping embellishments. It’s best to let them air dry, according to our experts.
Meet our cleaning experts
At NBC Selected, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Becky Rapinchuk is the founder of Clean Mama, a cleaning blog and brand of cleaning products.*
- Ryan Knoll is the owner of cleaning company TidyCasa.
*Any product recommendations in this story were made independently of Rapinchuk, who we only consulted for guidance. We did not ask her for product recommendations.
Why trust NBC Selected?
I’m a commerce editor at NBC Selected, where I write about home, kitchen and cleaning appliances. I’ve written about how to clean stainless steel appliances, air fryers, hardwood floors and washing machines. For this story, I talked to multiple cleaning experts to find the best methods and products for cleaning toys.
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