Cleaning and the proper storage of your sex toys might not be the first thing that springs to mind immediately after orgasm, but it is something you should make a priority. Not taking proper care of or properly cleaning sex toys could not only affect your sex toy’s shelf life but your own health. Unclean sex toys can introduce nasty bacteria to your delicate areas and could cause an infection.
Learning how to clean sex toys is even more important if you intend of sharing them with a partner, as it will reduce the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or other infections.
Here are a few handy tips on how to keep your sex toys clean and happy and most importantly, you healthy:
Step 1: Check the Material Before Cleaning Sex Toys
Sex toys can be made from many different materials, which can require slightly different cleaning processes. Generally, sex toy materials will fall into one of two categories, porous or nonporous.
The surface of porous materials has minuscule pores that allow liquid or air to flow through it. These pores can also harbour bacteria. Non-porous materials, on the other hand, don’t have this characteristic and make them a safer sex toy choice.
If you do happen to have porous sex toys made from rubber, vinyl, Cyberskin, nylon, or leather – just be extra diligent. These materials are harder to clean completely. Either keep these types of toys for personal use or use them with a condom for partner play.
Nonporous materials can include ABS plastic, stainless steel, and the most popular sex toy material, silicone. They are easier to care for and can be fully disinfected with a suitable sex toy cleaning regime.
Step 2: Choose your Sex Toy Cleaner
Rinse sex toys in warm water with a mild hand or dish soap that is unscented. Just remember that your vagina has a natural pH of around 4.5. Strongly scented soaps can throw this out of balance and lead to infections.
There are searches for a DIY sex toy cleaner that will suggest a bleach solution. Please don’t!
It’s much safer for your toy and for you, to use a specially formulated sex toy cleaner. Keep a sex toy cleaner like Wash Cleanse Refresh or sex toy cleaning wipes by the side of your bed. They make for a quick, discreet and safe way to care for your sex toys.
If you’re looking for how to clean your silicone sex toy more thoroughly, you can also boil it for 5-10 minutes or put it in your dishwasher (top rack).
Step 3: Drying & How to Store Sex Toys
One step often missed when learning how to clean sex toys is the also knowing how to store sex toys. Sex toys also tend to be lint, fluff and dust magnets, which you also don’t want to introduce into your body.
Air-drying is best as it avoids any towel or tissue fluff. If your sex toy has lots of ridges like the Shocker Dual Ended Vibrator, air-drying will also ensure all of those nooks and crannies are fully dry before you put it away. Storing your sex toys safely in a cloth bag, plastic ziplock bag or storage box will keep them lint and germ-free.
Shop our full range of sex toys and accessories here. If you’re new to the world of sex toys, read our guide on How to Use a Vibrator.
