Cleaning and Storing Your Sex Toys

When using sex toys regularly or back-to-back when speaking with clients it’s essential to make sure you properly clean and store your toys. This not only prevents bacteria from lingering and causing damage to the body but ensures your sex toys last longer! (Because we KNOW we want those toys to go the distance after spending hard-earned money on them!)

Supplies for Cleaning Your Toys

Thankfully, keeping your favorite toys ready for the next round is incredibly easy. Before you start, lay out the toys you know you’ll want to use for the day (or session). Keep them on a lint-free towel or blanket after cleaning to ensure they don’t collect hair or bacteria from the floor or bed before you’re ready to play.

Grab a toy cleaner (or mild soap with NO fragrance if you don’t have any). Foaming toy cleansers and soap tend to allow for easier application when you are ready to clean.

Check the waterproof setting on your toys. If your toy has a motor, it will either be splashproof or waterproof. Splashproof (IPX6) allows you to still rinse the toy, but there may be parts that need to stay clear of water (such as a remote control, or the handle). These splashproof toys can easily be washed by rinsing with warm water and light soap, or wetting a lint-free towel and using it on the exterior of the toy.

Waterproof toys (IPX7) can be taken in the bath or shower with you for play and cleaning and can also be fully submerged. Don’t be shy! Dunk these and give them a good washing! Still, always ensure you read the instructions if it has a remote control or external parts that do not share the same waterproof score.

After washing, be sure to dry the toy with a lint-free towel to make sure no lingering moisture can hide in cracks or crevices. Once it’s dry, the toy is ready to play and can be placed back in the lineup, or stored for next time.

Unique Toy Cleaning Situations

In some cases, your sex toy may have a function that makes it harder to clean. For instance: air pulsation toys. These toys concave around the clitoris, giving them depth that can’t easily be washed out by simply rinsing. For these toys, we recommend wetting a Q-tip with toy cleaner or your preferred non-scented soap and dipping it down into that part of the toy that touches your skin. Swirl it around and ensure you get every little hidden area that bacteria could hide! If you have other functions on the toy that provide different ridges, holes, or where it would be easy for lubrication or fluids to hide - give it some extra love!

Other Ways to Clean Toys

If your sex toys are fully silicone, metal, or glass they can handle the dishwasher sanitation setting. If your dishwasher does not have a sanitizing setting, skip this! Simply give your toys a quick wash with warm water and toy cleaner before laying them inside. Do NOT add any detergent as it’s too harsh for the materials.

This will give your toys an extra level of cleaning and is perfect for those who use a multitude of different toys during a session and want to get them extra clean at the end of the day before storing them. If your toy has any vibration - skip using the dishwasher.

Another way to sanitize sex toys is in boiling water on the stove! Get a deep pot and fill it with water. Once it starts boiling, add the toys inside and let them sit for 5 minutes before removing them and drying them.

It’s important to note that you are sanitizing these toys, but not disinfecting them. Always give them a quick clean before putting them in the dishwasher or boiling them. Do NOT put toys that are TPE/TPR in the dishwasher or in boiling water as the material may not be able to handle the intense heat.

Ways to Store Your Sex Toys

Once your sex toys are cleaned it’s time to store them safely! ALL types of sex toys benefit from storage in an individual lint-free storage bag after use. This keeps them safe and away from hair, lint, and bacteria that may be lingering in your drawer or wherever you keep them.

If your toys are all silicone, metal, or glass they can also be stored together in a plastic container or storage bag! These materials will not react badly when they are stored together. However, TPE and TPR toys should never be stored next to or on top of each other without a proper barrier. Otherwise, they can discolor or melt.

Always keep sex toys in a dry, colder environment - especially if they are a porous material. If you aren’t sure what materials are porous or nonporous, read our safe sex toy guide!

If your sex toys are made with leather or are a porous material, never store them in plastic bags or containers. This keeps them from getting sticky or melting!

Keep it Clean!

No matter how a sex toy was used, where on the body, and whether or not it was shared with others - cleaning is vital! This ensures bacteria, bodily fluids, and even STIs or other infections pose no risk for you on the toy. If you aren’t sure the toy is clean enough, never be afraid to throw a condom on it or give it an extra scrub!

Your body and your toys will thank you. Enjoy!