Exploring Sexuality
- 3 min read
TIPS ON HOW TO CLEAN SEX TOYS FOR PROPER AND SAFE REUSE
It’s all fun and games until…
Your adult toys get stinky or cause infections!
We know playing around with sex toys makes a frisky moment that much more pleasurable – but it’s important to sanitize, disinfect, or sterilize them (depending on the toy) after usage.
Cleaning your sex toys properly ultimately gets rid of unwanted bacteria and other pathogens that may linger on the surfaces of the objects. This is especially important if the toy is being handled by multiple people.
The goal is to practise safe sex toy hygiene, but first thing’s first–you must determine your toy’s water safety before beginning the cleaning process. For example, if your toy isn’t water-safe, you should wipe it down with a washcloth or damp paper towel only. And if it’s battery operated, you’re going to want to remove the batteries first!
However, every other cleaning job is quite easy and quick! Whether you’re masturbating alone or getting it on with other people, let’s break down how to properly clean your sex toys in order to protect your pleasure.
Ever ask yourself: what’s the deal with masturbating? Discover its pleasure benefits in this article.
1. A surface clean polish
This cleaning option typically works for every sex toy*, but be sure to follow the instructions on your toy’s packaging to ensure proper safety. A surface clean polish is most effective when the toy is only coming in contact with you. This is because it’s not necessarily a deep clean, as it only involves a few steps:
- Rinse the toy thoroughly with water, or wipe the surface with a damp washcloth or paper towel
- Use an unscented hand or dish soap on the toy and scrub it down with a washcloth or paper towel
- If a toy, like a pocket pussy, has crevices, use a toothbrush reserved strictly for cleaning to remove any trapped debris
- Rinse with water and do a final wipe down
- Let the toy dry on a clean towel for the best air-drying effect
This process will usually take just between 1-3 minutes of cleaning, but the air-drying timeline will depend on how quickly the toy dries off. Our Durex Pleasure Ring* and Intense Bullet* are cleaned best using this method. If you’re looking to disinfect your Durex sex toys with the following options below, please make sure to read the instructions carefully on the packaging before further disinfection.
2. Further disinfecting your sex toys
It’s important to learn how to properly clean your sex toys, especially if you:
- Share your toys with your partner(s)
- Know your toy has been in contact with genitals during an active infection
- Want the toy to enter both vaginal and anal areas
- Want to remove any lingering or pronounced odour on the toy
Let’s break down some sparkling options.
3. The boiling point
Boiling is great for sex toy disinfection, particularly when the materials are made of either borosilicate glass, stainless-steel, or 100% silicone.
What to know how to boil sex toys? You may submerge them in a pot of boiling water for around 3 minutes, take them out with tongs, and rest them on a clean towel to air-dry.
Pro tip: don’t rinse the sex toys off with cold water post boil — the temperature change can make the materials stress.
4. How to clean sex toys in the dishwasher
We know it’s hard to believe, but here’s how to clean your sex toys in the same place that you usually wash your cutlery!
Adult toys made up of 100% silicone, stainless-steel, or borosilicate glass can be placed on the top rack of your dishwasher and run on the “sanitize” cycle–no soap involved.
This method isn’t the greatest at eliminating viruses or fungi, as it’s only meant to kill most bacteria.
5. How to preserve your clean toys
Now that you know how to clean sex toys, you may think you can just get away with storing them in your bedside drawer without a protective covering… but there are better options:
- Place them in separate plastic containers so they’re safe from dirt or lint
- Use a satin sack to store them in
- Keep them in their original packaging (if you still have it)
And to maintain their power and performance, try to store them in a drawer or shelf, away from sunlight. Your bright rays of pleasure should be the only light your adult toys see.
In a sex slump? See How To Turn Weeks Without Sex Into More Days Of Pleasure so you can heat up the personal passion once again.
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Sex toys are an erotic way to spice up a sexual moment, but it’s crucial to remember these tips in order to preserve that level of eroticism. Obviously, no one wants to run the risk of infection, especially from something as fun as a toy. Quit playing dirty games and do the right thing when it comes to your adult toys – clean them!
If you want to clean up some porn habits, let’s talk about ethical porn and how it can be used as an alternative to popular pornography.
*Ensure this product is right for you. Always read and follow the label before use.
