How To Clean Your Sex Toys The Right Way, According To Experts
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"Same goes for boiling toys, which can melt and warm most materials." Toys can be disinfected using a bleach solution after surface cleaning. Chase recommends making a bleach solution using the ratio of five tablespoons (⅓ cup) household bleach per gallon of water. “Either spray the toy with the bleach solution and let sit for 10 minutes, or submerge the toy in the bleach solution for 10 minutes,” she said. Remove the boiled toy from the water with tongs, and allow it to air-dry on a clean towel.
Sex toys like vibrators, dildos, and anal toys come in direct contact with bodily fluids, so it’s important to know how to clean them properly. Cleaning your sex toys doesn’t have to be complicated, but the consequences of neglecting to do so can be. Ick factor aside, improper cleaning and storage of sex toys could have health consequences, explains Searah Deysach, sex educator and owner of feminist sex shop Early to Bed. “I really like how this is a foam—you know that you've applied cleaner to all surfaces of your toy, and it's also easy to tell that it's been rinsed thoroughly.
This water-based antibacterial foam is fragrance-free, and also free of glycerin, triclosan, alcohol, and parabens—perfect for sensitive skin. P.S. Do you have a younger person in your life who you want to be there for as they’re figuring out sex and relationships, but you’re not sure how to start those awkward conversations? Check out Power to Decide’s conversation guide for millennials. All Features News, views, info, and tips about health, sex, and birth control. This tech kills 99.9% of all bacteria exposed to it; making it the most effective cleaning method on this list. For those of us who like to chill out after a play session, the UVee is a godsend.
While experts recommend avoiding these toys because they can't be fully cleaned and are so porous, you can preempt problems by avoiding direct contact and using a condom on these toys, says Chavez. “I suggest a condom on the product to act as a protective barrier for the skin and to help preserve the toy,” she says. When it’s cleaning time, wash the toy with an antibacterial soap and allow it to dry fully before stowing it away. You can try cleaning it with some mild soap and water, but that might not get it completely clean. If you’re using this kind of toy with a partner, we’d recommend trying it with a condom to make sure no bacteria or STIs are transferred.
Depending on your budget or what you and your partner are comfortable with, either use a separate toy for each partner or use condoms. "To maintain the cleanliness of the toy it’s best to cover insertive toys with a condom and switch out the condom when switching orifices," Bard says. "Oftentimes, cleaning our products is the last thing we want to do—or think to do—and having a dedicated product just for this purpose can help to remind us that our products need special care and attention," White adds. After they're washed, both cyberskin and vinyl may need a dusting of cornstarch. This keeps the material from becoming sticky or degrading quickly, Watts explains, but always check the instructions to verify this step.
Just don't forget to give extra attention to porous materials, like jelly and plastic, which are more likely to hold on to germs. If your toy is metal, glass, or wood and isn’t motorized, submerge it in mild, unscented soap and water and wipe it clean. Placing it in boiling water for about 10 minutes will also do the trick. If it's glass, it can even go in the dishwasher, says Dr. Dweck. "For toys with motors, you can use fragrance-free soap and water or toy cleaner," Sweeney says. Just simply spritz the toy a few times or let it soak in a sink of soapy water and let it sit for a few seconds.
Porous materials may melt, or become disfigured if doused in alcohol, and though you may rinse the alcohol off after cleaning, remnants of alcohol can wreak havoc on your most intimate body parts. It’s safe to steer clear of alcohol or harsh disinfectants completely and opt for toy-friendly soaps, or other recommended cleaners. That said, not everybody knows that sex toys can encourage bacteria growth which leads to infections, and even transmit certain STIs – regardless of whether they’re made of something porous or not. If you want something higher-tech, this sanitizing and charging storage system for adult toys is pricey but worth the investment, notes Chavez. “It uses UV light to kill 99.9% of bacteria on the surface of the device in less than 10 minutes,” she explains. Set the stage for an easy sanitizing session by setting up a cleaning station with all the supplies you need ahead of time.
As I mentioned earlier in the piece, you can use a mild soap best way to clean rubber sex toys and hot water to clean most silicone, glass, stainless steel and wood accessories. But just dousing it in your choice of mild, fragrance-free soap and running it under water isn’t going to wash away bacteria, dust, lube or any other miscellaneous residues. The trick is to really lather up the soap before rinsing it off with hot water.