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How to Clean Your Sex Toys
Everyone wants to keep their sex toys squeaky clean and hygienic, and doing so is really easy with the right technique and the right cleaning products.
Gently scrubbing your dildo in a sink full of warm soapy water is a great start, but there are a few factors to consider, such as; the material your toys are made from (silicone, plastic, glass, metal etc.) and whether the toy is battery-operated or waterproof.
Cleaning your toys is actually really easy with the right techniques and products (much easier than dealing with a painful urinary tract infection or any uncomfortable yeast infections, anyway). Plus, your toys will last longer if you keep them clean – and you can be more spontaneous next time you're in the mood to play. It’s a win-win situation.
This guide will break down how to clean your sex toys and make sure you know the dos and don’ts. You’ll know how to clean everything from silicone toys to battery-operated toys – all in a few easy steps!
Only got time for a quickie?
Want to keep your sex toys clean and in top condition but don’t have time to read the full guide? Here’s a quick rundown of the must-know tips for safe and effective cleaning:
- Clean after every use. Use warm water and mild soap or a good-quality sex toy cleaner to wash away bacteria after every use.
- Know your materials. Non-porous materials like silicone, stainless steel, and glass are the easiest to clean, while realistic-feel toys made from TPE/TPR need extra care.
- Take special care with tricky toys. For textured, non-waterproof, or realistic-feel toys, use toy-safe wipes or cleaning brushes to reach all the nooks and crannies.
- Always sterilize shared toys. If sharing with multiple partners, use condoms on porous toys or sterilize non-porous toys by boiling them for three minutes.
- Dry completely before storing. Air-dry your toys thoroughly before putting them away to prevent bacteria and mould buildup.
- Store them properly. Keep your toys in a fabric pouch, storage case, or separate compartments to keep them clean and lint-free.
Simplify your play-time routine: Shop sex toy cleaners
How to clean sex toys: The basics
First things first. Non-porous sex toy materials like silicone, stainless steel, and borosilicate glass are the easiest to clean and most hygienic. You can clean most porous toys using the same way as non-porous ones, but you may not be able to sanitise them perfectly.
If you’re playing solo or with a trusted partner where you know each other’s STI status, warm water and a mild soap (or a good quality sex toy cleaner**) will do the trick.** You don’t need to use antibacterial soap but be wary of anything too harsh (like dish soap) which may irritate sensitive skin.
Here’s how we recommend cleaning most toys:
Rinse under warm water
Wash all over with a mild soap, or spray your toy with sex toy cleaner
Leave for 30 seconds or so
Gently scrub any stubborn areas such as ridges or nodules
Carefully rinse everything away with warm water
Leave your toys to air dry on a clean surface or speed up the process by thoroughly hand-drying with a clean towel
By cleaning thoroughly and drying your toys completely, you’ll prevent dust and bacteria build-up and keep your toys looking and feeling brand new. “Let’s face it, cleaning up afterwards isn’t anyone’s favourite part,” says Lovehoney customer Mr&MrsB. “But the Lovehoney toy cleaner makes it quick and easy as can be, ready for next time, and keeps toys in great condition.”
Dos and don’ts for cleaning your sex toys
DO check the care instructions that came with your toy
DO clean your toys before and after use
DO use a mild soap or sex toy cleaner for extra peace of mind
DO leave your sex toys to air dry thoroughly, or dry with a fresh, clean towel
DON’T use bleach or other harsh cleaning products
DON'T put your sex toys away before they are completely dry
DON'T leave your sex toys on a radiator or next to a heat source to dry (and definitely don’t use a hair dryer!)
DON'T store your newly cleaned toys together (more sex toy storage tips below!)
To clean general sex toys:
- Quickly rinse under warm water
- Spray your toy with the Lovehoney Fresh Sex Toy Cleaner
- Leave for 30 seconds or so, then clean any stubborn areas (such as ridges or nodules) carefully before rinsing away the cleaner solution with warm water.
- To dry, you can leave your toys to air dry on a clean surface, or speed up the process by hand-drying with a fresh clean towel.
- By cleaning thoroughly and drying your toys completely, you will prevent dust and bacteria build-up and keep your toys looking and feeling brand new.
Our Lovehoney Fresh Sex Toy Cleaner is user-approved too, with one customer saying:
“Having only used toy cleaning wipes previously, I found this product so much better. The amount you get in the bottle is really good, it cleans toys very well, and you get so much more use compared to wipes. It is easy-to-use and has no overpowering scent.”
How to clean sex toys: The Dos and Don’ts
Cleaning your sex toys is pretty straightforward, but there are still some common mishaps that can be easily avoided. If it helps, try to remember our key Dos and Don’ts:
- DO clean your toys before and after use
- DO use a sex toy cleaner for extra peace of mind
- DO remove any sex toy batteries and close the battery compartments tightly before cleaning
- DO leave your sex toys to air dry thoroughly, or dry with a fresh, clean towel
- DON'T put your sex toys away before they are completely dry
- DON'T leave your sex toys on a radiator or next to a heat source to dry (and definitely don’t use a hair dryer!)
- DON'T store your newly cleaned toys together. For more information on storage, read our guide to storing sex toys here.
A guide to using Lovehoney's sex toy cleaning products
How to clean a non-waterproof vibrator
Thankfully, there are tons of vibrators out there that are fully waterproof and/or submersible (look for an IPX7 rating when ordering from the Lovehoney website). For those kinds of vibrators, it doesn’t matter how wet you get them during cleaning, which is great, although you might find a few of your favourite toys use replaceable batteries – in which case, you need to take a little extra precaution.
For motorised toys like battery-operated vibrators, you want to be careful not to create water damage that will stop your toy from working. The trick is to use sex toy cleaner or soap with just a damp cloth to wipe the sex toy clean, without submerging it in water.
Here’s how to clean your non-waterproof vibrator:
• Rinse your toy with warm water • Try to prevent water from going into the battery compartment • Spray your toy with the Lovehoney Fresh Sex Toy Cleaner • OR wipe your toy with the Lovehoney Fresh Sex Toy Wipes • Hand-dry with a fresh clean towel, or leave to air dry on a clean surface • Store in a clean, dry place or use a sex toy storage bag that fits your toy
How to clean a dildo
If your dildo is motorised (i.e. it uses batteries or is chargeable), then the same vibrator rules apply: don’t submerge your toy in water if it is not IPX7 rated and submersible. Instead, lightly rinse it under water and follow the same steps for non-waterproof vibrators.
For non-motorised dildos made out of a non-porous material, like silicone, stainless steel, stone or Pyrex glass, you can submerge your toy in water to properly clean it.
Here’s how to clean your non-porous dildo:
- Submerge your toy into warm, soapy water
- Spray your toy with the Lovehoney Fresh Sex Toy Cleaner
- OR wipe your toy with the Lovehoney Fresh Sex Toy Wipes
- Hand-dry with a fresh clean towel, or leave to air dry on a clean surface
- Store in a clean, dry place or use a sex toy storage bag that fits your toy
How to clean anal toys
Cleaning anal sex toys might feel like it requires a more complex routine than other sex toys which are used in the vagina, on the penis or elsewhere. However, you can clean anal sex toys, such as prostate massagers or butt plugs using the same technique as your other toys: with warm water and a sex toy cleaner or mild soap. Just avoid submerging motorised anal toys.
Here's how to clean your waterproof anal sex toys:
- Submerge your toy into warm, soapy water
- Spray your toy with the Lovehoney Fresh Sex Toy Cleaner
- OR wipe your toy with the Lovehoney Fresh Sex Toy Wipes
- Hand-dry with a fresh clean towel, or leave to air dry on a clean surface
- Store in a clean, dry place or use a sex toy storage bag that fits your toy
If your anal sex toy is NOT submersible, refer to the same guidelines given for non-waterproof vibrators (first guide).
How to clean realistic-feel toys
Realistic-feel sex toys are made from a mix of (usually trademarked) materials that are formulated to feel as close to real skin as possible. For realistic-feel sex toys, there's one extra step to take (which you don’t need for other kinds of toys) to keep them feeling soft and supple instead of sticky.
It’s simple: sprinkle your toy with a renewer powder, like the Thrust Lifelike Sex Toy Renewer Powder, to counteract that tacky feeling, then ensure the clean toy is stored separately from any others.
Don’t underestimate the power of a renewer powder, as customers like Horny_couple_69 have discovered: “After purchasing a CyberSkin cock and the hubby having a collection of realistic pussies, after washing and leaving to dry they always felt a tad sticky, so we knew we had to make this purchase. And wow, it really does put the life back into our toys and returns them back to their usable state again!”
To check if your toy is made from realistic-feel material and needs special attention, go to the product page on Lovehoney and double check the material under the 'How it feels' section.
Realistic-feel materials include: CyberSkin, Fleshlight, Futurotic Plus, LoveClone, Loveskin, Magic Flesh, Realskin, Refined Touch, Sil-A-Gel, Silk Skin, Skin Touch, SoftSkin, SoftTouch, True Skin, UR3 (Ultra Realistic 3.0), Virtual Skin.
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