RE: How to clean used toys
Depending on how cheap the toys were (and what kind they are) I wash them in the washing machine with bleach or the dish washer. Even if it says don't submerge them, I do it anyway. I have only had a problem with one toy after doing this with a lot of toys. Even then, the toy returned to "normal" once it dried out.
If it's an electronic type toy, then you obviously can't do this. But I wash all the exposed parts with a 10% bleach solution (10 parts water to one part bleach). So far so good!
HTH,
Beth, mom to older DD (8/01) and younger DD (10/06) and always missing Leah (4/22 - 5/1/05)