If the past year has taught us anything, it’s the importance of keeping things clean! Germs live on your sex toys and you put those toys in your body. To avoid the spread of bacteria and infections, it is important to clean and store your sex toys properly. You pay a lot for your toys – if you want them to take care of you, make sure you take care of them!
While playing with a sex toy is good, clean fun, the bacteria they leave behind is not! Your bodily fluids leave behind bacteria that can breed and grow. If you use a toy without properly cleaning it, it can lead to a nasty vaginal infection – yuck!
Luckily, cleaning your sex toys is easy! If the vibe is made from a non-porous material like silicone, hard plastic, or metal, you can give it a quick scrub with antibacterial, non-irritating soap and cold water for about a minute and a half. If your vibe is made from a porous material like rubber, make sure to give it an extra detailed scrub in its nooks and crannies, including any that may have been created by wear and tear.
And while soap and water work like a charm, you might also want to consider buying a cleaner specifically made for sex toys. Why? Because toy cleaners are products specially formulated to clean and deodorize sex toys without damaging the toy material or leaving potentially irritating residue behind. Because regular tap water contains minerals it can leave a filmy residue behind on your toys – not very appealing! But sex toy cleaners contain deionized water that are formulated to clean, deodorize and eliminate bacteria without leaving behind any residue that might be harmful to the toy.
Sex toy cleaners have made your life even easier by allowing you to just spray your toys after use, no rinsing necessary! And if your toy is non electric and made from glass, acrylic or silicone, you can even put it in the dishwasher!
When you’re done with your toy, make sure you store it properly too. Some toys, like silicone, don’t play nice with each other. Over time, if two silicone toys are next to each other they can actually start eating each other. Your toys will end up stuck together and ruined. If you have not properly cleaned one toy and leave it next to a clean toy, that bacteria can infect the clean toy. We always recommend storing your toy in a bag specifically designed for sex toys.
While you could store your toy in a shoe box or a Ziploc bag, there are advantages to springing for a sex toy storage bag. Shoe boxes or Tupperware containers may contain chemicals which can leach into your toy over time. A toy bag like the Safe Sex Toy Bag can help keep your toy free from dust, lint and other impurities. Other bags, like the Happy Rabbit Storage Bag look just like a makeup case but contain a lock so no one knows your business! The best of both worlds, this silicone pouch is somewhere between a soft bag and a hard case. It holds its shape, making it super discreet should anyone take a peep in your toy drawer, but is squishable for squeezing into your overnight bag or suitcase. Fantasy Gifts NJ also offers lockable boxes and cases in different sizes. With different compartments it will keep all your toys and lubes together in one lockable box.
We also recommend taking the batteries out of your toy before storing. Leaving the batteries in can actually corrode the toy and drain the battery life, since they’re conducting at a low charge when in the toy. And there’s nothing sadder than the halfhearted buzz of a vibrator on low batteries. Or upgrade and invest in a rechargeable toy – just make sure to store the toy with it’s charger. There’s nothing more frustrating than hunting for the right cord when you need it most!
This article originally appeared April, 2019 and has been updated for this post.
