6 Tips for Better Sex Toy Cleaning
We know that washing your brand new sex toy isn’t the first thing on your mind when you get it home—instead, you’re itching to get to it and start using that bad boy. But washing your sex toys when you bring them home is really important.
Cleaning your sex toys is important because it can help prevent infections, as bacteria can linger if they aren’t washed regularly. You want to make sure that you wash your sex toys after each and every use.
Find out if your toy is waterproof
Before you use water and soap (or toy cleaner) to clean sex toys, you want to double-check whether or not it is waterproof or simply water-resistant. Not all sex toys are submergible and knowing whether or not it is will make a difference when it comes to your sex toy cleaning method.
The packaging for each sex toy should say whether or not it is waterproof. Toys that require the use of batteries that you need to add (instead of ones that are USB-rechargeable) are usually the ones that are only water-resistant because there could be a small area where the water could leak in.
Just because a toy isn’t waterproof doesn’t mean that you can’t wash it with soap and water, it simply means that you need to be more careful when doing so. Don’t drop that bad boy into a sink full of water, instead, use a cloth to wipe it down.
Clean toys when you first get them
We know you’re super excited to use your brand new vibrator or butt plug but just like when you buy a brand new pair of underwear or a bra, you need to wash it before you use it.
As soon as your brand new sex toy comes out of the packaging, head to the nearest sink and wash it with hot, soapy water. Give it a good rub-down before you set it on a very clean surface and let it fully air dry.
Make sure your toys dry completely
You always make to make sure that your sex toys dry completely before you put them away. Leaving water on your toys could potentially damage them or allow bacteria to grow, depending on the material it’s made from.
You also want to ensure that you don’t use a towel that will leave any kind of debris behind. The best way to dry your sex toys is to leave them out on a dry, clean surface—if you can risk leaving them out!
Use soap and water
You don’t need anything fancy to clean your toys. If soap and water are good enough for your hands, they’re good enough for your sex toys. You simply want to make sure that it gets a thorough clean.
You want to make sure that you don’t use scented soaps, household cleaners or bleach to clean your sex toys. Scented soaps can cause irritation in your body and problems like yeast infections. Other products like bleaches and household cleaners can ruin the toys.
If you want to get it extra clean, you can use a toy cleaner. Think of it as the equivalent of hand sanitizer—you don’t want to fully rely on it but it does add the extra layer of cleanliness.
If you have porous toys, you want to be extra sure that they’re well-cleaned because bacteria can collect and grow in the pours. If you’re using this kind of toy, especially with a partner, you might want to consider using a condom over it to ensure no bacteria or STI is spread.
You can use boiling water
Many people don’t know this, but you can actually boil your sex toys in water if they’re made of a particular material. Toys made out of pure silicone, glass and stainless steel can usually be put in boiling water.
Alternatively, they can often also be placed in the dishwasher. However, you want to make sure that you’re 100% sure what material was used in the toy before you do any of that. Toys with pieces of plastic will very likely be ruined.
Store toys in a safe place
Finally, you’ll want to make sure that your toys are stored in a safe place—and I’m talking beyond the prying eyes of your roommate. Simply throwing them under your bed or in a drawer can risk them collecting dust.
Instead, consider using a pouch or sex toy storage bag to store them. This can help reduce the risk of them collecting dust. But you’ll still want to give them a quick wipe down before you use it.
