The last thing you want is to stick an unclean, bacteria-filled sex toy inside any of your holes. So, making sure they are cleaned and smelling good ready for every use is extremely important, not just for your health but also for the overall longevity of the sex toy itself. You don’t want to spend good money on a great toy for it then to deteriorate quickly.
Using dirty sex toys can lead to an array of health issues that can lead to Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), Bacterial Vaginosis and other diseases, so making sure to clean out every toy thoroughly is incredibly vital.
Every sex toy can be wiped clean or surface cleaned quickly with some warm, soapy water, and although that is great for a quick clean, that won’t work long-term. So how do you clean your silicone sex toys and keep them smelling good?
Cleaning Your Sex Toys – How Do You Keep Them Clean And Smelling Nice?
There are many different ways to give your toys a deep cleaning, but it is always advised to look at the manual that comes with that specific toy. This will allow you to make sure that there aren’t any special cleaning instructions you need to do for that particular toy.
Generally, when setting out to clean your toys, you should use a three-step system:
1. Cleaning – Giving the toy surface an initial clean and wiping it down, removing any bacteria from the surface.
2. Disinfect and/or Sanitise – Disinfecting your toy will destroy and break down any pathogens or bacteria living in or around your sex toy. Then it would be best to sanitise the toy to ensure it says bacteria-free until subsequent use.
3. Sterilising – By sterilising your sex toy, you are entirely killing off any viruses, fungi or bacteria that may be festering on your sex toy.
When cleaning your silicone toys, be aware that not all toys are 100% made from silicone, especially ones that have the “soft skin” effect. So before following these next cleaning techniques, you might want to check your toy specifications before using these approaches.
Cleaning Methods
Here we will talk you through some of the cleaning techniques you can use to ensure that your toys are perfectly sterile for every single use.
Basic Cleaning – Water and Soap
You can use water and soap on every type of toy, and you can’t go wrong with a good scrub. Before you start, have a look and make sure that any batteries or mechanisms are taken out or turned off, so you don’t damage the toy’s effectiveness when you next use it. If your toy does have any tech that you can’t take off but are splashproof, that means you can still rinse and clean the toy gently under a sink, but just avoid submerging the toy fully into the water.
If your toy is not splashproof or waterproof, for a basic clean, you can use a damp towel or anti-bacterial wipe to clean the surface effectively without using warm, soapy water.
When cleaning your toy with water and liquid soap, make sure to use a scrubber to get into all the grooves and crevices that can hide and trap bacteria. You can even use a small toothbrush to get into all the nooks and crannies! We’d suggest using a separate toothbrush for this!
Then, just either get a clean, dry towel or allow your toy to air-dry. It is generally suggested to let sex toys air dry instead of using a towel just because of the risk of lint getting stuck on your toy, but if you need to use it straight after the cleaning, then a towel will work just fine.
Disinfecting or Sanitising
A deep clean and disinfecting of your sex toys is vital to the longevity of your toy, and it is advisable to do a deep clean of your toys at least once a week, if not more, depending on how often you use them.
You can use some different techniques to deep clean, sanitise, or disinfect your toys easily at home.
Boiling
After you have done your basic cleaning step, you can then submerge them into a pot or pan of boiling water. This will boil away any bacteria living on your toy, leaving it disinfected. Doing this for around three minutes will ensure your toy is appropriately cleaned, then just lift your toy(s) out with some thongs and allow them to air dry.
Don’t try to cool down the toy with cold water right after submerging because the quick change in temperature can lead to the material of your toy becoming stressed and damaged.
Dishwashing
“Honey, there’s something in the dishwasher!”. When you think about cleaning your sex toys, the dishwasher probably isn’t the first place you think of, but actually, they are incredibly effective in the cleaning and maintaining of your sex toys.
Just place them on the top rack of the dishwasher and then run it through without any soap. The cycle of hot water will sanitise your toys perfectly, and then afterwards, just allow them to air dry or quick dry with a lint-free towel and be on your merry way!
How to Store Your Sex Toys
Now it’s all well and good making sure your sex toys are cleaned to perfection but making sure they are stored in the appropriate places is also extremely important. Many toys already come with their own little sack holders that you can place them into to keep debris and dust away.
But if you don’t have one of those, then make sure to store your toys in a cool, dark and dry place like a cupboard or a drawer. That way, your toys can be kept out of direct sunlight and won’t get damp or moist from condensation.
Follow these steps, and your sex toys should stay clean and smell great for years to come.
