Are You Cleaning Your Sex Toys Wrong?

Durham suggests washing toys with a mild soap and water or an antibacterial sex toy cleaner (no harsh ingredients, although all-natural toy cleaners are ideal). You can clean these toys using mild soap and warm water, or a damp, soapy washcloth, much like the toys above. As an added bonus, if your borosilicate glass, silicone, or stainless-steel toys don’t vibrate, you can boil them for 3 to 4 minutes to fully disinfect them. Finn doesn’t suggest boiling sex toys made of gold, since many of them are only gold-plated and may contain other materials.

"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.

"On a scale of one to 10 of importance, cleaning your sex toys should be a 10," says Gianna Del Monte, the director of marketing and merchandise at sex toy retailer Ella Paradis. "For vulva owners, the vagina's pH levels can be disrupted by a multitude of things, which can cause infection. By cleaning your toys regularly, you decrease the chance of that happening." Not to mention the UVee also charges your toys at the same time that it's cleaning them, which is pretty awesome if you ask us. So, what types of commonly used materials are safe and easy to clean? "Nonporous materials are best because they can be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, unlike porous materials which can trap infectious fluids. These materials include silicone, glass, and metal," Bard says. These toys do tend to cost more, but they last longer and are less expensive than a trip to the doctor's office, so it's a worthy investment.

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.

Also check whether the toy has detachable parts you can scrub separately, such as the Womanizer's "mouth." Sex toys can quickly turn from pleasure to pain if they're not properly cleaned and stored. Before jumping straight into cleaning, though, be sure to do your research (aka reading the manufacturer's instructions) to find out the product's materials and best practices for keeping it in tiptop shape. A toy cleaner is great to use when you’re in a pinch for time; however, this shouldn’t be your main source of keeping it clean.

The most accessible options available are either soft material bags or rigid containers. Of course, you could always splurge on sex toy-specific storage if you want the best for your vibe. Only 57% of men clean their sex toys after they use them, according to a 2017 survey by adult superstore Adam & the best way to clean sex toys Eve. That's a big problem, because experts say that failing to wash sex toys, especially porous toys like the Fleshlight or other strokers, can have some alarming consequences.

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 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.