How to clean and care for your favorite sex toys. Quality adult toys are an investment in years of pleasure. Find out how to prolong their life.

The Care and Cleaning of Your Sex Toys

Keeping your sex toys clean and sanitary isn't hard, though it is important to know what your toy is made of (check the "Materials" line on our products) so you can clean it properly without damaging the surface of your sex toy. Be sure to clean them before first use and right after each use or before switching from anal to vaginal insertion. Here are some tips to help you clean and care for your favorite sex toys.

Getting rid of the New Sex Toy Smell

Some sex toys, especially dildos and vibrators made of rubber or PVC can have a strong odor out of the box that some people find offensive - or at least a mood killer! Unfortunately, the materials these toys are made of is the culprit and while the odor will fade over time, it will never completely go away. The smell is caused by a chemical softener called phthalates that leach from the toy over time (and can cause oily rings when the toy sits for extended periods on a porous surface). 

The cheaper toys have the strongest odor as the higher quality toys are made with lower odor (and more expensive) materials, so if you are sensitive to the smell, consider investing in a luxury sex toy or look for those that are phthalate free. Plastic, metal, glass and silicone sex toys normally do not have any odor at all and are a great choice for those who don't want the smell to get in the way of enjoying your sex toys.

To reduce the new toy smell, air out your new sex toy. Remove it from all the packaging and let it breathe before first use - be sure to put it on a non-porous surface. Place your new adult toy somewhere air can flow over it - near an air conditioning vent or fan is perfect, even outside in a shaded area if you have a private one.

Wash your toy thoroughly before first use. If the dildo or vibrator has an electrical parts and is not waterproof, be careful not to get water in the electrical areas. Some toy cleaners have a fresh scent that can help mask the rubber one as well. Some mild anti-bacterial soaps such as dish soap can help with the smell as well though be certain to thoroughly rinse and dry the sex toy after washing.

A lot of the realistic toys come out of the box with a powdery residue. Clean them with an adult toy cleaner and keep it fresh with a light coating of corn starch or a renew powder made specifically for your type of sex toy.

Flavored lubricants and burning a lovely scented candle can can be used to mask the scent.

Cleaning & Sanitizing Sex Toys

If you intend to share sex toys with someone else, or you plan to use the same toy for vaginal and anal insertion, you can put a condom on it before insertion. By doing this, you will not need to get up to wash the toy thoroughly before using it again; you can just wrap it in a new condom. This should be done before another person uses it, and before you put it in a vagina after it has been in an anus or vice versa. Anal bacteria can really wreak havoc on a woman's vagina, so be sure to keep different sex toys for each area or use condoms or cleaners between insertion.

Some vibrators are waterproof and can be cleaned like one might wash a dish, with soap and water. Vibrators that are not waterproof should never be submerged in water, as this can destroy the motor. They can be cleaned with externally with a cloth with soap and water or a toy wipe.

Silicone sex toys can also be cleaned with soap and water, put through the wash cycle of a dishwasher on the top rack, or boiled only if they are 100% silicone. Use only water-based lubricants with silicone toys. Silicone lubricants can break down the surfaces of silicone toys.

Glass or ceramic sex toys are probably the easiest to clean as they are practically indestructible! You can clean them easily with soap and water or put them in the top rack of a dishwasher. Boiling is also a great way to totally sanitize a glass sex toy much as you would a baby bottle.

Rubber sex toys, including jelly toys, are porous which gives bacteria the perfect little hidey holes they love for setting up house. Wrapping them in a condom for use is an excellent way to keep them clean. There are also anti-bacterial toy cleaning detergents and wipes available. It’s important to read the directions as many of these products require that they be rinsed after wiping. We recommend replacing rubber sex toys every 6 months to 1 year, especially those you use often. 

Skin simulating sex toys using rubber compounds such as Futurotic Plus™, Ultra Flesh, Cyberskin®, Soft Skins Plus®, UR3®, Senso®, and Fanta Flesh™, just to name a few, and are usually semi-porous materials. These toys are often expensive and extra care should be taken to clean and rinse them thoroughly between uses. Pat dry and dust them with corn starch or a renew powder made specifically for your type of sex toy to keep them from being sticky and to restore their original delectable skin-like texture.

All sextoys should be completely rinsed and dried prior to storage to keep them in the best shape possible and avoid baterial growth. be certain they are totally dry before storage. 

Other Sex Toy Care Information

Lubricants: Water-based lube is safe for all sex toys. You should not use silicone-based lube on silicone toys and never use them on "realistic" materials like Futurotic Plus™, Ultra Flesh, Cyberskin®, Soft Skins Plus®, UR3®, Senso®, and Fanta Flesh™. Oil-based lube (or petroleum jelly) should only be used for male masterbators as it disintegrates latex (like condoms or toys) and can cause vaginal infections if inserted.

Batteries should always be removed from any sex toy not being used. A leaky battery can cause permanent damage to your sex toys.

Keep your sex toys out of extreme heat or sun - don't store them in your car or in any area that is exposed to heat or sun. Many materials will melt!

With proper care and cleaning, your new sex toy will last for many years of pleasure.