How To Clean Kong Toys When Your Dog's Treats Are Stuck Inside
Kong toys are all the rage (we own 16 of them... 2 dogs!). And dogs can have hours of fun trying to get the good stuff out of their Kong toys.
But cleaning them isn't quite so fun.
Here's what I do... works like a charm for me!
Cleaning Kong Toys
When you put things like peanut butter, cream cheese, honey, cottage cheese, meaty dog treats, canned dog food, and a whole host of other things inside a Kong toy, it's likely to be a little "gunky" inside after your dog is finished with it.
As for cleaning Kongs...
If your dogs are anything like our dogs, they they'll usually lick the insides perfectly clean -- in which case, I just squirt a little dish soap inside the Kong, swish around a bit, then feel around with my finger to make sure there's nothing stuck inside.
But on those occasions when they don't empty their Kongs, here's what I do:
1. Maybe I have larger hands (or fingers), I don't know... but I'm able to use my index finger to scrape out any remaining chunks of peanut butter or dog treats inside the Kong toy.
My finger can just barely reach the bottom of the regular-sized Kong.
When there's not much to clean out, I simply put a squirt of dish soap on my finger... wipe it around inside... and rinse thoroughly.
2. If the insides happen to be particularly messy, then I just do a quick swipe with my finger inside the Kong, then I toss the toy in the dishwasher (top shelf). I have done this hundreds of times.
I will say this... Of the 16 Kong toys we have (and use daily), 4 or 5 of them seem to be "softening" around the lip of the Kong. It's kind of like the rubber is breaking down a bit around that area. It kind of feels "sticky" -- when it's perfectly clean and dry.
I am attributing this to the repeated heat and detergent from being cleaned in the dishwasher.
I'm not certain that this is the cause, but a friend of mine (who also uses Kongs daily with her dog) only hand washes her Kongs... they've never even been in the dishwasher once, and hers don't appear to be breaking down like some of mine are.
3. With uniquely shaped Kongs, or those with very tiny ridges & openings, I use a bristly bottle brush for the inside, and sometimes a toothbrush for the grooves along the outside.
Then I generally put those Kong toys into the dishwasher afterward to assure that the tiny cracks and crevices are cleaned.
On a related note, with those Kong bones which only have two large openings on either side... Your finger fits inside each end perfectly (no matter what the size of your fingers are!).
This makes it easy (although time-consuming) to wipe out each individual ridge. All it takes is one full swipe with your finger -- from top to bottom -- to clean out each individual groove.
I do this under a running faucet of warm/hot water. Then, I'll typically place the Kong bone on the top shelf of of the dishwasher to further clean in between those tiny grooves.
UPDATE: They Finally Make A Dog Toy Cleaning Brush!
This toy cleaning brush comes in 2 sizes: Large/Extra Large or Small/Medium.
It's great for cleaning rubber toys like Kongs and other treat-dispensing dog toys. And since I really don't like putting rubber Kongs in the dishwasher (for reasons mentioned above), I'm trilled to have one of these Kong cleaning brushes.
Note: While it's not made by the Kong Company (it's made by a company called Bamboo, they make a lot of top-quality dog products!), it's shaped such that it fits inside Kong toys perfectly!
As a bonus, the suction cup on the bottom keeps the brush upright to air dry quickly.
RELATED:
Which Foods Are Okay For Dogs To Eat? (...check here first before you feed your dog something new)
Alpo Liv-a-Snaps: A Review (...we break these up and stuff them inside Kongs at times... they love 'em!)
IAMS Savory Sauces (...these might add a little flavor that would entice your dog to spend more time with the Kong)
Biljac Frozen Dog Food: The Best Dog Treat Ever (... our dogs will do anything for a little bit of Bil-Jac!)
Fun With Kongs: How To Switch Things Up A Bit (...with these tips, your dog will never tire of his Kong toy)
Hi Matt -
That's right. I don't let dog treats "set" inside Kongs overnight. Mostly because I always mix with peanut butter or Biljac and some of those types of treats start to mold when left out.
To get bone-shaped dog treats out of the dog's Kong toys, I stick my finger inside the Kong and BREAK the treat into smaller pieces first. Then rinse it out, using your finger to work any stuck treats loose inside.
I got the black (or red) Kong bones from Petco.
So even if a bone is in the do you still wash it out cause my JRT has one of those kong toys were you stick a bone in there but not like a real bone but one of those cylinder bones that have normal crunchy beef. Do you try to take it out or do you run soap around it then try the push it out cause thats the problem I have. Ive been trying to get his little bones out when he wouldnt usually EAT them or something along those lines. But do you have an easier suggestion? And where OH where can you find those black kong bones. My dog just loves those. He'll just chew em up all day long!
Another good idea for cleaning kong toys - is to fill up your kitchen sink with soapy water and let the kongs soak for a few minutes. that way, the yukcy stuff inside will loosen up and be easier to wipe out without having to put theminto the dishwasher.
just thought I'd share that.