You’ve bought your first sex toy. Congratulations!
After a steamy foreplay session with your loved one, you proudly pull the sex toy out of your handbag and show it to him. He’s aroused like never before and the play session with your new accessory ends with a mind-blowing orgasm for both partners.
The morning after, you find the sex toy under the bed, covered in dust, bodily fluids, and sex lube. Now what?
Don’t worry, I’ll teach you how to clean and sanitize your toys to ensure that your sexy time is dirty but still healthy. Keep reading!
- Should Sex Toys Be Cleaned After Every Use?
- Can You Get an STD From Unwashed Toys?
- What Should I Use to Clean My Sex Toys?
- Waterproof vs. Splashproof vs. Non-waterproof Sex Toys
- Can I Cleanse My Toys With Soap and Water or Wipes?
- What’s the Best Sex Toy Cleaner?
- How to Clean the Different Toy Materials in a Few Simple Steps
- Silicone and ABS Plastic
- TPE/TPR/Cyberskin/PVC
- Borosilicate Glass and Stainless Steel
- The Differences Between Porous and Non-porous Materials
- Can I Wash Toys in the Dishwasher?
- How to Store Your Sex Toys Safely
- Dos and Don’ts For Cleaning Sex Toys
- Dos
- Don’ts
Should Sex Toys Be Cleaned After Every Use?
Yes. Sex toys come into contact with the most intimate and delicate parts of your body, so you don’t want to skip thorough cleaning. You don’t want your beloved dildos and vibrators to harbor germs!
Keeping in mind that the type of material used may be more risky than others. Always check for body safe sex toys and if you are unsure, use it with a condom.
Wash well your toys after each play session and pat them dry with a lint-free clean towel.
Remember to dry well your toys after cleaning them. This is even more important for toys that are made from porous materials. You don’t want mold on your intimate accessories!
Rinse your toys well with abundant warm water to prevent soap residues from coming into contact with your intimate parts.
Can You Get an STD From Unwashed Toys?
If you have shared your sex toy with someone else, yes. Don’t take any chances! Sanitize your toy with specific toy cleaners after sharing it with a sexual partner.
If you want extra safety, you can use a condom on your dildos and vibrators when you want to use them on someone else.
What Should I Use to Clean My Sex Toys?
I always recommend using a specific toy cleaner. These products are specifically made for rubber and silicone sex toys, so you’ll be 100% sure that your vibrating friends won’t be ruined. Proper cleaning with these products helps increase the life span of your sex toys.
Warm water and mild, unscented soap are fine as well. Avoid harsh liquid hand soap, body wash, and household cleaning products.
Waterproof vs. Splashproof vs. Non-waterproof Sex Toys
Many, if not most, USB-rechargeable toys made from silicone are waterproof. However, remember that not all of them are! Read the instruction on the box carefully or ask the shop where you bought the toy before washing it for the first time.
On the other hand, most jelly rubber vibrators powered by disposable batteries are splashproof or non-waterproof. Here’s how to clean all toy types:
- Waterproof Toys. You can fully submerge them in soapy water without any worries. No matter if your toy is USB-rechargeable or has disposable batteries, water won’t be able to reach the electrical components.
- Splashproof Toys. You should be able to rinse the toy with running water, but you can’t submerge it fully into the water. Make sure that water doesn’t enter the slot where you’re supposed to put disposable batteries.
- Non-waterproof Toys. Just clean your toy with a damp cloth or a specific sex toy cleaning wipe. I would not recommend these toys because it’s difficult to achieve thorough cleaning.
Can I Cleanse My Toys With Soap and Water or Wipes?
As previously said, mild soap is fine. But wipes are definitely a no-no. Most wipes contain harsh substances, including alcohol, that may damage the delicate materials of your sex toys.
If you want, there are specific sex toy cleaning wipes available. I’d recommend the Lovehoney Fresh wipes, they’re biodegradable and non-irritating. You can use them to clean your intimate areas and body. I’ve used them on my hands countless times when I didn’t have hand wipes in my handbag!
After cleaning your waterproof toy with a wipe, I still recommend that you rinse it with water. This way, if any residues of the cleaning solution stayed on the sex toy’s surface, they won’t enter your vagina. Also, a thorough rinse helps remove bodily fluids and lube residues from the toy more efficiently.
What’s the Best Sex Toy Cleaner?
Need help choosing the right toy cleaner for your favorite vibrator? Here’s a list of my favorite ones. I’m sure you’ll like them!
- Lovehoney Fresh. This handy cleaning mist has a water-based formula, so you can use it with all toy materials. It’s vegan and I love its scent!
- Arcwave Toy Cleaner by Pjur. This is one of the gentlest toy cleaners out there. Fragrance-free and alcohol-free, it’s perfect for silicone-based male strokers.
- Before & After Foaming Toy Cleaner. Most toy cleaners are mists, but this comes in a luxurious foam texture I really like. It looks like a foaming make-up remover, but it has a gentle formula to prevent damage to your toys.
- Fleshlight Fleshwash. This is one of the best sex toy cleaners of all time. It was born for use on masturbation sleeves for men, but I’ve used it on my vibrators and dildos countless times. Its formula is based on triclosan, a substance that is very effective at sanitizing toys.
- Sliquid Shine Intimate Toy Cleaner. I love this because it’s organic, vegan, and paraben-free. It has a very light scent I love. It contains effective natural ingredients, such as tea tree oil, which has antibacterial properties.
- Lelo Premium Cleaning Spray. This is the Cadillac of sex toy cleaners! It comes in an elegant, discreet bottle. I’ve forgotten it countless times on my nightstand and no one noticed. Its water-based formula works well with all sex toy materials. The Lelo cleaning spray is alcohol-free and pH-balanced.
- Lovehoney Fresh Wipes. I’ve already mentioned these above and I really think they’re a great product. They’re super convenient when traveling while still ensuring proper cleaning. What’s not to like about them? Remember to close the packaging well after use. Otherwise, the wipes will dry!
How to Clean the Different Toy Materials in a Few Simple Steps
Confused about how to clean a toy made from a specific material? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! Keep reading and you’ll learn how to clean all the different sex toy materials.
Silicone and ABS Plastic
Just wash your toy with water and a toy cleaner or mild soap and you’re fine!
TPE/TPR/Cyberskin/PVC
These materials are porous so I recommend that you use them with a condom. After playing, you can wash them with a toy cleaner or a delicate soap. To make sure your dildo or pocket pussy stays soft and non-sticky, apply a generous coating of renewal powder each time you wash it.
Borosilicate Glass and Stainless Steel
If your toy has no electrical components (yes, there are glass vibrators out there), just put it into the dishwasher with no dish soap.
The Differences Between Porous and Non-porous Materials
Non-porous materials can’t harbor bacteria, so maintaining proper hygiene is easier. Non-porous materials are silicone, ABS plastic, borosilicate glass, and stainless steel.
As the name suggests, porous materials have micro-pores where bacteria can hide. Porous materials are PVC, TPE, TPR, Cyberskin, and other rubber types. As previously stated, I always recommend that you use toys from these materials with a condom for your peace of mind.
Can I Wash Toys in the Dishwasher?
You can use your dishwasher to clean non-motorized toys made from silicone, glass, and stainless steel. Use a delicate cycle without dish soap and you’ll be fine. The high temperatures in the dishwasher will sanitize your toys.
How to Store Your Sex Toys Safely
Many sex toy materials tend to pick up dust, hair, and lint, so make sure to store them in a clean place. Also, remember that different sex toy materials can interact with each other.
To put it very simply, sex toys made from different materials can melt if stored in contact with each other. This is particularly true for low-quality silicone blends and rubber types.
Your best bet is to store your toys in separate cloth bags. Most vibrators and dildos come with their own storage bag made from organza or cotton. Otherwise, you can purchase these bags separately.
Don’t store your vibrating friends in plastic bags. If you’re sure that your toys are 100% silicone, you can store them together.
Dos and Don’ts For Cleaning Sex Toys
Here are the do’s and don’ts of sex toy cleaning!
Dos
- Clean your toys thoroughly after each use.
- Use a specific toy cleaner or mild soap.
- Put non-vibrating glass and silicone toys in the dishwasher.
- Use a condom with TPE, TPR, and PVC toys.
Don’ts
- Use harsh soap or household cleaners.
- Store toys made from different materials together.
- Put away your toy while it’s still damp.
- Dry your toys with a linty towel.
That’s how to clean your toys properly after each use. You have no more excuses to skip cleaning!
