Cleaning sex toys after each use (and sometimes before) is recommended for health and safety reasons. While it may not be the most erotic part of using them, it is definitely necessary.
Depending on the type of toy, these products come into direct contact with the skin of the vagina, penis, or anus—all sensitive areas of skin that are prone to infection. Many toys are even inserted into the body, which has the potential to introduce unwanted substances. Bacteria, dirt, sperm, and even the microscopic organisms responsible for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can all build up on the surface of a sex toy, says counselor and psychosexual health educator LP Watts, LCSW. So it's imperative to clean sex toys regularly. And once you know how to do it properly, it's actually pretty easy.
When should I clean my sex toys ?
Before we talk about how to clean your toys, let's talk about when you should do it.
When your toy arrives
I recommend cleaning any sex toy immediately as soon as you unbox it. You may not plan on using it right away, but it's good practice to give a new toy a thorough check to rid it of any bacteria or dust it may have picked up during shipping or the manufacturing process.
Before the season
Before you get down to business, clean your toys. Even if you cleaned them when they arrived and haven't used them since, remember: Toys can collect dust, pet hair, and bacteria from the air or other items that might be in your nightstand.
After the season
It's not necessary to clean your toys immediately after use, but when you're ready, give them a thorough cleaning.
Whether you're playing alone or with partners, it's important to clean your toys after each use. Otherwise, you risk the buildup of bacteria, bodily fluids, and lubricants that can break down your toys, disrupt your pH balance, irritate your skin, or cause infections.
What is the best way to clean sex toys?
Properly cleaning sex toys is crucial to avoid bacterial infections or the transmission of STIs. While some STIs die once the fluid they live in dries up, others (like hepatitis and scabies) can survive outside the body for weeks or months. If you want to prevent pregnancy, it's also important to remove any semen that may be on the sex toy before it gets near or into the vagina. It's important to keep the sex toy's cleaning instructions and follow them carefully. If you feel that properly cleaning the toy would be too time-consuming or unrealistic for you, consider purchasing a different toy. The information below provides a general overview of how to clean different types of toys and is not intended to replace the manufacturer's instructions.
Basic toy care includes removing all batteries. Electrical components should never be submerged in water. Use a damp cloth with antibacterial soap to clean your electrical toys. Store toys in a container or bag (to keep them clean) and in a cool, dry place.
Cleaning non-porous materials: glass, stainless steel, hard plastic and silicone
Glass: Wash glass toys with soap and water. Pyrex toys are dishwasher safe. Do not expose glass to extreme temperatures.
Stainless steel: If it is connected to an electrical appliance, use warm soapy water and be careful not to submerge any electrical components. If there are no electrical components, you have 3 options: boil or soak in a 10% bleach water solution for 10 minutes or put in the dishwasher.
Hard plastic: Clean with antibacterial soap and water. Do not boil.
Silicone: You have 3 options to clean a silicone toy. Either boil for 5-10 minutes, put in the dishwasher (on the top rack) or wash with antibacterial soap and warm water. Do not boil silicone vibrators as you will destroy the vibration mechanism.
Cleaning porous materials: rubber, vinyl, cyberskin, nylon and leather
Rubber materials: Rubber materials are porous and difficult to clean. In addition, their composition is not always known or they may contain phthalates, chemicals that can have adverse effects on your health. For these reasons, it is recommended to use condoms with these types of toys.
Cyberskin and Vinyl: Cyberskin is soft and porous and is often used for dildos. Gently wash cyberskin and vinyl toys with warm water only. Allow them to air dry and dust lightly with cornstarch to prevent sticking.
Nylon: Nylon harnesses and toys can be machine washed or hand washed with a mild antibacterial soap.
Leather: Wipe leather products with a damp, soapy cloth or leather cleaner. Do not soak. After cleaning, you can restore your toy to good condition with a leather conditioner. Protect metal parts from tarnishing by applying a clear nail polish.
Using UV light to clean sex toys
UV light can be a very effective way to disinfect items, but there are a few things you should know before attempting to use it to clean your sex toys.
The most important thing to think about first when cleaning your sex toys is the quality of the machine that does it. For UV cleaning, we recommend the UVEE brand because it is large enough to accommodate various sex toys and has a charging station.
There are three types of UV light: A (UVA), ultraviolet B (UVB) and ultraviolet C (UVC). The light used to clean sex toys is usually UVC and has the highest energy of the three. This can cause degradation of polymers such as thermoplastics, thermosets and elastomers. Over time, this can cause micro-cracks that can damage the sex toy and create a habitat for bacteria, mold and fungi.
Additionally, light can only clean what it hits, so if shadows are cast, you may need to move your sex toy around in different positions to ensure it is fully exposed.
It may have an advantage in cleaning porous, transparent sex toys, but porous sex toys that are uniformly colored would not be cleaned from the deep pores that the light cannot reach. It may also be beneficial to clean sex toys with recesses as long as the light can penetrate them.
You don't need a UV light to clean or disinfect your sex toys, and the other cleaning methods discussed in this article are perfectly fine.
How do you store your toys properly?
Avoid direct sunlight.
Sunlight won't make your toys any less clean, but prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause discoloration over time.
Do not store them together.
It may be tempting to throw all your treasures into the same drawer, but it's best to give your toys space to allow air to circulate. That's partly why a good storage box is so important (we'll get to that next).
Invest in storage.
Some sex toys come with their own storage box (which we love), but many don't. I highly recommend investing in proper storage for your toys to keep them clean and protected. Find all the toy storage options here!
Keep them dry.
Damp, enclosed areas with poor ventilation can be an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. I suggest taking your toys out occasionally to let them breathe and storing them in a dry place (bathrooms are usually not suitable).
When should I throw out my sex toys?
Proper maintenance can greatly extend the life of your toys. We recommend checking toys every few uses for cracks, chips, scratches, or anything else that might make the toy porous or unsafe (light surface marks on stainless steel toys are usually OK!).
Additionally, if you notice that your motorized toy is discharging faster than it used to, it could be reaching its expiration date.
The durability of toy materials directly depends on their lifespan. Stainless steel, platinum-cured silicone and glass can last for years, but every toy and every manufacturer is different.
