If you have sex toys, you likely already know that it is important to keep them clean. If you are buying a sex toy for the first time, you may not even have considered the cleaning process yet! But you should.
One of the main reasons you should clean your sex toys is that it will make them last longer. The more sex toys are used, the faster they break down. If you don’t clean your sex toys, the fluids from your body and the lube you use with them can decrease their life span.
You should also clean your sex toys to protect yourself from infections. Yes, you can give yourself an STI if you’re not cleaning your toys properly. Even if you don’t share your sex toys with anyone else, remember that infections and diseases can live in the bacteria in your body.
You might have an STI/STD and not know and cause outbreaks again and again if you don’t clean your sex toys. Or, if you had an infection, got medication for it, and cleared it up, but didn’t clean your sex toy, you can get the infection again.
The Type of Sex Toy Will Determine How You Clean It
There are many types of sex toys and the kind of toys you use will help you determine how you should clean them. Most toys can be cleaned with basic soap and water. However, not everyone can use standard soaps because of sensitivities.
Also, some toys are made of certain materials that should not have standard soap used on them.
A good rule of thumb is to read the directions that come with your sex toy. They should have cleaning directions included. You should put these directions somewhere they can be found easily should you need them again.
If you can’t read the directions (because you know how small some of the print on the directions that comes with sex toys can be), you might consider looking on the website of the manufacturer of the toy. If you can’t read them, send an email to the manufacturer and ask for the directions. They will usually send you a PDF, which you can then print out so you can read it better!
Cleaning for Different Types of Sex Toys
If you have lost your directions or if the directions are not clear, here are some helpful tips to help you decide how to clean your sex toys based on the type of sex toy you own.
● Wood, glass, stainless steel, or silicone sex toys: Soap and water are fine for these toys. As long as you don’t have a sensitivity to soaps, you can use the same soap you use to wash your body. Run the water hot, rub the soap up and down the body of the toy, and rinse well. You can also use a sex toy cleaner bought specifically for sex toys.
● Stainless steel, Pyrex, stone, and non-motorized silicone sex toys: These are dishwasher safe! The simplest way to clean these toys thoroughly is to place them in the top rack of the dishwasher and run it without soap. Alternatively, you can also place them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Sex toy cleaner is also safe for these toys.
● Jelly rubber, hard plastic, and elastomer sex toys: The material these sex toys are made of is very porous and they can easily store bacteria. You should always use a non-lubricated condom to keep these toys clean.
When your toys are clean and dry (air dry them for best results), make sure they are stored properly. If you store your toys in a box or drawer together, make sure they are separated by a fabric bag.
