Practical Guide

How to Clean Sex Toys Properly

A material-by-material guide to cleaning sex toys, what to wash with, when to boil, when to sanitise, how often to do it and why the material makes all the difference.

Cleaning is the most-searched topic in the entire sex toy category, and for a very good reason: it is the thing that determines whether a toy stays safe to use over time. Every other decision, material, size, brand, is downstream of the ability to clean the toy properly. This guide covers the actual practices, by material, in the order they’ll come up in real life.

The Rule Before the Rules

Clean every toy before and after every use. Not before-or-after; not once-a-week; not when-you-remember. Every session, both ends. This is the single practice that keeps a toy safe over its lifetime, and it is the practice most often skipped.

Before-use cleaning removes anything the toy has picked up in storage, dust, migration from adjacent materials, ambient contamination. After-use cleaning removes the fluids and lube residue from the session before they have time to sit. Both matter.

Silicone Toys

Silicone is the easiest material to clean and the most forgiving of mistakes.

Routine cleaning. Warm water and unscented liquid soap. Wash by hand, thoroughly, including any grooves, seams, or textures. Rinse well, soap residue can cause irritation on next use. Dry completely with a clean, lint-free cloth before storage.

Periodic deep cleaning. Non-motorised silicone toys, dildos, plugs, non-electronic toys, can be sanitised by boiling. Bring water to a rolling boil, place the toy in, and boil for three minutes. Remove with tongs (the toy will be hot; don’t handle bare-handed), let cool, and dry. Boiling kills all bacteria and viruses. Do this every few weeks for regularly-used silicone toys, or before sharing between partners.

Silicone toys with electronics, vibrators, motorised anything, cannot be boiled. For these, wipe the electronic parts with a damp cloth (never submerge them), wash the silicone portion under running water without submerging the base, and clean the whole toy with a spray-on toy cleaner from a trusted manufacturer. Some silicone vibrators are marketed as fully waterproof and can be washed under running water; check the manual. “Splash-proof” is not the same as “waterproof”.

Dishwasher. Some non-electronic silicone toys can be run through a dishwasher on the top rack with no detergent. This is convenient but not necessary; hand-washing is sufficient.

ABS Plastic and Hard Plastic

ABS plastic is the material of most vibrator handles and shells. It is non-porous and easy to clean.

Warm water, unscented soap, gentle scrub. Rinse and dry. That is the entire protocol. Do not submerge an ABS-shelled toy that has electronics inside unless it is specifically marked as waterproof.

Glass Toys

Borosilicate glass is non-porous and can be sanitised at high temperatures.

Routine cleaning. Warm water and unscented soap. Rinse and dry with a soft cloth.

Deep cleaning. Glass toys can be boiled for three minutes, run through the dishwasher (top rack, no detergent), or sanitised with 10% bleach solution followed by very thorough rinsing. Boiling is the easiest option for most users.

Handling caution. Glass is glass. Inspect for chips or cracks after every cleaning. Do not use a glass toy that shows any sign of damage. Store somewhere it won’t be jostled.

Stainless Steel Toys

Stainless steel is the most solid cleaning material on the shelf.

Warm water, unscented soap, thorough rinse, dry with a soft cloth. Steel can be boiled, dishwashered, or bleach-sanitised without concern. It is indestructible from a cleaning perspective. This is one of the reasons steel toys can be lifetime purchases; nothing about their material degrades under proper cleaning.

TPE and TPR Toys

This is where cleaning gets more complicated, because TPE is porous and cannot be truly sanitised.

Routine cleaning. Warm water and unscented soap. Be thorough, pay special attention to textured interiors, which is where residue accumulates. Rinse extremely well; soap residue in a porous material can cause irritation.

Drying. This is the crucial step for TPE. Trapped moisture in porous material grows bacteria. TPE strokers should be dried inside and out, many manufacturers recommend a drying stand or wrapping the interior with a lint-free cloth for several hours. Do not store a TPE toy until it is completely dry.

Renewal. Some TPE toys develop tackiness over time. This can be treated by dusting the toy lightly with cornstarch (not talc, which has separate health considerations) after cleaning and drying. This restores the surface feel and slightly extends the toy’s useful life.

Replacement. TPE toys are consumables. They should be replaced when they develop tearing, persistent tackiness, or a smell that persists after cleaning. Six to eighteen months of regular use is typical.

Do not share TPE toys across bodies. The porosity issue cannot be fully addressed by cleaning.

Leather (BDSM Equipment)

Leather cuffs, floggers, harnesses and similar equipment need different care than any other category on this list.

Wipe down with a leather-safe wipe or a slightly damp cloth after use. Do not submerge leather. Do not use soap or alcohol on leather; both will dry it out. Periodically apply a small amount of leather conditioner to keep the material supple.

Leather equipment used in ways that involve contact with bodily fluids should be considered personal, cleaning leather to the level of sanitisation you can achieve on silicone is not really possible.

App-Controlled and Waterproof Toys

Many modern toys are fully waterproof, which makes cleaning easier. Check the manual; waterproof toys can be washed under running water without concern, while “splash-proof” toys should not be submerged.

Charging ports on waterproof toys should still be kept dry. Even on toys with sealed ports, moisture in a charging port can cause connection issues over time.

Toy Cleaners

Purpose-made spray-on toy cleaners exist and are convenient. They are soap-and-water in a bottle with a mild antibacterial additive. They are not required, soap and water works fine, but they are useful for toys that can’t be submerged and for quick cleaning between uses in the same session.

Do not use household disinfectants that aren’t rated for skin contact, bleach solutions are acceptable at 10% concentration with very thorough rinsing, but random cleaning products are not.

What Not to Do

Do not use alcohol as a cleaner. It dries silicone and can damage electronics.

Do not use hydrogen peroxide. It can degrade some materials.

Do not use any soap or product that is heavily perfumed. Fragrances can irritate mucous membranes.

Do not submerge electronic toys unless they are specifically marked as waterproof. Even splash-proof toys can be damaged by full immersion.

Do not store toys wet or damp. This is the single most common mistake.

Do not share porous toys across bodies without a condom on the toy.

Frequency Summary

Routine cleaning: before and after every use.
Deep sanitisation (silicone, glass, steel): every few weeks for frequently-used toys, or before sharing across partners.
TPE renewal: every few months, or when the surface starts to feel tacky.
Replacement: silicone, glass, steel toys can last years. TPE toys should be replaced every six to eighteen months of regular use.