HOW TO CLEAN SEX TOYS

Your sex toys will last longer and be safer if you learn to care for them properly. But there are so many kinds of toys, and no two are alike. How do you know how to clean each toy?

The sheer amount of information out there can be overwhelming. But don’t worry, we’re here to help.

Remember to always begin by following the manufacturer’s care and cleaning instructions. Allow your toys to air dry completely before storing to inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold or mildew.

Store your toys in a cloth pouch or snap-top storage container in a cool, dark, dry place. Light and heat can break down sex toy materials over time and shorten the life of your precious playthings!

Most sex toys can be washed with nothing more than soap and hot water. Depending on the toy, you want to use different kinds of soap. 100% silicone toys can withstand harsh soaps like dishwashing liquid, but wood or non-silicone plastics ought to be used with milder, unscented soaps. Wash your toy for 15 seconds, avoiding any electrical ports, and then rinse it off carefully.

Do not submerge any sex toy that takes batteries, and never submerge electrical toys without checking with the manufacturer’s recommended use. If you are using anti-bacterial soap (which we suggest if your toy is used by more than one person), it needs to be left on a surface for about two minutes in order to finish killing bacteria and viruses. Rinse it off well and let it totally air dry.

A condom can be used to cover a toy during play for easy clean-up later. This is also helpful if the toy is being used by more than one person, or if being moved from anus to mouth or vagina. Never insert a sex toy (or finger! or anything else!) in the mouth or vagina if it has been used in the anus without a condom or without being washed properly. This could spread bacteria and viruses from the anus and cause infections in the vagina, urinary tract or intestines. If a condom was used with the sex toy, replace the condom with a new one before inserting into a different orifice. We know it’s easy to get carried away and lose track of which toy, finger or other object went into which hole, but this is best practice for safety, so make it part of your playtime habits!

Always remove the batteries when you’re done using any toy so they can’t leak, run down, or otherwise corrupt the toy; both the batteries and the toy itself will last longer! This will also help to keep the batteries from killing the motors.

Porous toys should be covered with a condom if they’re used by more than one person, for anal play, or by people sensitive to yeast infections. But some toys are non-porous, which makes them easier to keep clean.

Silicone:

Silicone is a great material for sex toys. Silicone is non-porous and can be cleaned in several ways. They can be washed with mild soap and water, boiled for 5 minutes (which completely disinfects them), or they can even be thrown in the top rack of the dishwasher! There are a couple of things to be careful about however. First, check to make sure that it’s 100% silicone before boiling or dishwashing. Some silicone is actually a blend, and those blends occasionally will not be able to withstand boiling. Also, double check and make sure that it doesn’t have any vibration features. If it does have a vibration component, if it’s a bullet vibrator within the toy, you may be able to remove it, and then clean as usual. But you don’t want to boil the toy if the vibrator portion cannot be removed. Even if the vibrator is submersible, the vibrator won’t be heat proof.

Silicone Blends:

As we said above, sometimes silicone toys are not 100% silicone. If this is the case, your toy may be somewhat porous. ​ We recommend that if you aren’t sure, use a condom for easy clean up. If you are not concerned with complete sterilization, you can wash these toys with mild soap and water if they are waterproof.

Elastomer:

Elastomer can come in a variety of blends, so we recommend using a condom. If it is waterproof and you aren’t concerned about complete sterilization, you can wash these toys with mild soap and water.

Cyberskin:

Cyberskin and it’s kin (Superskin, PassionSkin, PleasureSkin, Pure Skin, basically anything with Skin in it, with a few exceptions) are all extremely porous. There’s no real way to sterilize them. It’s best to use them with a condom to prevent bacteria from sticking into the toy’s outer material. They should be cleaned before and after with mild antibacterial soap and water. To maintain, dust them with cornstarch (not TALC) so they don’t become sticky. They should also be stored in a dark cool place.

Glass, Metal, Ceramic and Wood:

These are all non-porous and can be washed with soap and water or with anti-bacterial cleaner. Some glass toys can also be boiled. Double check with the manufacturer before trying!

Nylon and Cloth:

Nylon and Cloth are vegan-compatible materials used in harnesses and bondage toys. You can simply throw them in the washing machine. Use a lingerie bag to keep them from getting tangled and NEVER put them in the dryer. Your nylon will melt and your cloth harnesses will shrink!

Leather:

Leather is virtually impossible to sterilize, but using a good leather cleaner or other hot soapy water, will help remove surface layer bacteria. Conditioning with a leather conditioner is also important to keep the leather from getting stiff. This is why, generally, we recommend getting a cloth or nylon harness that can be more easily cleaned if you plan on sharing harnesses between partners.

FleshLight:

Simply rinse your removable Fleshlight masturbation sleeve with warm water from your sink and allow time for it to dry before storing. Do NOT use soap to clean your Real Feel Superskin sleeve. For tough cleaning, we suggest using a little isopropyl alcohol. To maintain that soft feel, sprinkle a liberal amount of corn starch on the sleeve and shake off the excess powder.​ We do NOT recommend the use of talcum or baby powder.​ NOTE:​ Powdering an Ice Fleshlight masturbation sleeve with anything other than corn starch will cause it to cloud over and lose its clear quality.