Sex Toy Care and Cleaning Guide

by Dangerous Lilly

This page will be referenced in every future review that I do, a one-stop spot for all the information you need on the care and cleaning of vibrators, dildos, masturbators, buttplugs and other sex toys. All materials are not created equal, so your care for them shouldn’t be either. Cleaning a sex toy properly is very important for your health and safety, as well as the longevity of your items.

Cleaning Methods:  Wipe Down Method |  Boiling Method |  Dishwasher Method |  Rinse and Powder

Material Safety, Care & Lube:  Vibrators |  Silicone |  Glass, Ceramic, Wood |  Metal |  Hard Plastic
Thermoplastics |  Realistic |  PVC, Jelly, Rubber, Latex

Care & Maintenance: Prior to Use |  General Toy Storage |  Vibrator Storage

Prior to Use:

Before you dive in, take a minute to visually inspect the toy. Make sure there’s no cracks that could injure delicate tissue or harbor bacteria. Turn it on and make sure the batteries are strong or the charge is recent – there’s nothing worse than getting halfway through a jerk-off session to have your favorite vibrator die out. Make sure there’s no visible stains or pet fur.

Cleaning Methods:

I’ll go through each type of toy/material to let you know which method can be used, but here’s the detailed run-down:

1. Wipe Down Method – A quick and easy way to sterilize and clean. You can use a clean, soft cloth and a 10% bleach solution; if you have any wipes handy that are called “sanitizing” or “anti-bacterial” you can use those; a clean soft cloth soaked with a soapy water solution of antibacterial soap (the soap must be left on the toy for a few minutes to actually get the anti-bacterial properties) will also work; you can also sparingly use a little rubbing alcohol. IMPORTANT: Please rinse your toy off with a clean water-only cloth after these cleaning methods – you don’t want many of these cleaning solutions to come in contact with the sensitive membrane of your genitalia.

2. Boiling Method -  Certain non-porous materials can be gently put in boiling water for 2-3 minutes for a thorough sterilization.

3. Top Rack Dishwasher Method – Certain dildos and buttplugs can be run through a water-only cycle by themselves in the dishwasher. Don’t add any cleaning agents; ones meant for the dishwasher are too abrasive for toys, and ones not meant for a dishwasher can have unwanted suds accidents.

4. Rinse and Powder – Some of the Realistic materials can’t even tolerate soap, so just a thorough rinsing with warm water will get off any fluids (be sure to do this soon after use – when fluids dry on they are much more difficult to remove). These materials also should be powdered with cornstarch (Never talc powder!!!) or the powder that came with the toy. These toys though are very porous and can never be sterilized, so no sharing unless you don the toy with a condom. This goes for toys that you might like to use both anally and vaginally – condom condom condom!

Vibrators:

Cleaning a vibrator is pretty basic – you use the wipe down method. Obviously since it has a motor you shouldn’t do any boiling/dishwasher methods.

Herein ends the vibrator cleaning section. Common sense, yes?

Silicone:

Pure silicone can be fully sterilized and is non-porous. You can use any cleaning method you wish.

Silicone toys and lube:

Water-based only! Don’t use silicone lube with a silicone toy. Silicone bonds with silicone and it will make the surface of your toy permanently “gummy” or sticky. Certain manufacturers, such a Fun Factory, claim that silicone lubes are safe with their type of silicone – but to be safe, I wouldn’t. Their toys can be pricey, and you don’t want them ruined.

Glass, Ceramic, Wood:

Again, all are non-porous (the wood has been sealed so that it’s non-porous) so the wipe-down method is fine. To be on the safe side, I wouldn’t expose these materials to the high temps of boiling water or a dishwasher – you just never know and you’d be really sad to ruin a good toy.

Glass, Ceramic, Wood and lube:

Use water- or silicone-based, but you’ll likely find out you don’t need as much as you would with a silicone toy.

Metal:

Yet another non-porous material,so you can use any cleaning method. I’d say feel free to boil and dishwasher top rack. I’ve done the dishwasher trick for my Pure Wand. Just uh…..be careful, yeah? Metal has amazing temperature-retaining properties. Let it cool down!

Metal and lube:

Use water- or silicone-based, but you’ll likely find out you don’t need as much as you would with a silicone toy.

Hard Plastic:

No boiling here! Use the wipe-down method.

Plastic and lube:

Any type of lube is safe for these.

Thermoplastics:

These sex toys can have a range of material safety – usually all are phthalates-free, but not all are non-porous. I’d probably not advise boiling, but my SinFive Pikilo survived the dishwasher just fine. If you’re unsure though just stick with the Wipe Down Method.

WTP:

From what I can see, only SinFive is using this material type. It’s usually used to manufacture other toys, not the kind you masturbate with! It’s non-porous and has anti-bacterial properties.  No smell, no taste.

Non-porous TPR:

As the name implies, this is the “medical grade” version of TPR and is non-porous. Not all TPR though is non-porous.

TPR/TPE/Elastomer:

Thermoplastic Rubber. This version IS porous, but it’s still a really nice material to choose over jelly/rubber as it usually has less chemical smell to it and is a higher quality material than jelly/rubber. Strong, will last a long time.Phthalates-free.

TPR Silicone/CyberSilicone:

This is a blend and should not be assumed as safe as pure silicone. It is porous, but still phthalates-free.

Elastomed:

Changing that one little letter from elastomeR to elastomeD changes everything. Elastomed toys are considered non-porous. Odorless and phthalates-free.

Thermoplastics and Lube:

With the exception of TPRSilicone, all of these materials can tolerate either water-based or silicone-based lubes. No oils!

Realistic Materials:

These are made to feel like real skin, but also usually have a terrible odor. They can go by names such as Cyberskin^TM, Futurotic^TM, NeoSkin®, Soft Touch^TM, UltraSkin, and Fauxskin^TM and are frequently used for both male toys such as cock rings and masturbation sleeves, and dildos/vibrators. This material is really porous and shouldn’t be shared unless the toy is donned with a condom. Cleaning is best left to a simple, gentle soap and water method followed by a dusting with cornstarch. Make sure these are 100% dry before you store them, as they can mildew.

Fleshlight:

It’s a realistic material as well but Fleshlight states on their site and in their manuals to never, ever use soap. Just the rinse method please! Make sure these are 100% dry before you store them, as they can mildew.

Realistic Materials and Lube:

Use only water-based with these. Silicone and oil-based lubes will break the material down.

PVC/Jelly/Rubber/Latex:

Again, more porous materials. These also have a high risk of containing phthalates, so condom use is recommended even if you don’t intend to share your toy. These toys cannot be sterilized, so a simple soap and water wash is the best you can do.

PVC/Jelly/Rubber/Latex and Lube:

No oil-based, I can’t find a reason not to use silicone-based. Water-based is always safe.

Sex Toy Storage:

The safest way to keep your sex toys safe is to put each one in its own little bag. Plastic bags can work fine, but “tacky” materials like some silicones and jelly rubber will have too much material friction against plastic to go in smoothly. I’ve always liked using organza bags. Partially sheer so you can see what toy is in the bag, keeps a barrier between the toys, can be washed, allows for some air flow in case your toy isn’t 100% dry and looks nice. If you need something to store everything in, take a look at my reviews on sex toy storage items.

Vibrators:

Rechargable vibrators that have the ability to “lock” should always be locked. I can’t tell you how many times a vibrator as turned on because something else bumped the switch and I pull out a dead toy.

Battery-operated vibes should be stored without the batteries inside, unless it is a toy you use daily. Otherwise, the batteries have a chance of slowly draining dead, leaking battery acid, or the toy gets bumped and turned on.

Ask Lilly

Home