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So,
you've finally taken the plunge and bought a sex toy. But how do
you take care of the darned thing? Here's our cheat sheet:
General tips and tricks:
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Clean toys before first use and right after each use, or before switching from anal
to vaginal use, as you will carry bacteria from one canal to the
other.
~
Lazy way of keeping toys bacteria-free: always cover them with a condom
(plus wash after use with soap and water). All non-silicone soft
toys are porous, and absorb bacteria, so the only way to keep them
safe is to never let the bacteria touch them in the first place.
~
Keep your toys out of extreme heat or sun; they can melt or become
discolored.
~
Keep electrical parts of toys away from water when cleaning. Wipe
down with soap and water rather than submerging; swab with
hydrogen peroxide for an extra level of clean.
~ If
you are storing your battery-operated toys for long periods
without use, remove the batteries; your toy and batteries will
last longer.
~
Don't use super-duper-fancy batteries for cheap battery-operated toys; their little Chinese motors can't handle
the extra power and will burn out faster.
~
Water-based lube
is safe for any toy.
It's
best not to use silicone lube on silicone toys, and never
use silicone lube on any “realistic” materials, like CyberskinTM,
FuturoticTM, NeoSkin®, FauxskinTM,
Soft TouchTM, UltraSkin.
Oil-based lube (or petroleum jelly) should
only be used for male masturbation; as it disintegrates latex
(like condoms or toys), and will cause vaginal infections if
inserted in the vagina.
Silicone toys:
How
to identify:
No
smell or taste, can be either transparent or opaque depending on
pigments added.
How
to clean:
Boil, bleach (10% solution),
dishwasher, soap and water
How
to store:
In a dust-free place, best kept away from toys of other materials.
Kind
of lube:
Water-based; silicone-based after doing a patch-test.
Silicone is by far the safest and most cleanable soft sex toy material. It's boilable, bleachable,
dishwasher
safe (if there are no electrical parts), hygienic and hypoallergenic. Silicone starts out as a liquid
and then catalysts are added to make it harden; so when the
process is done, it's hardened and won't harbor bacteria like most
soft sex toy materials. 100% silicone has no smell or taste; so if
your toy has a stench, the toy is either not pure silicone or it's
been siting next to another non-silicone toy long enough to take
on it's smell.
The
only thing that bonds to silicone is silicone; so the industry
recommends that you don't use silicone lube with silicone toys...
with lower grades of silicone, it can make the surface of your toy
permanently gummy.
The
truth is, higher grade silicone toys (like the platinum silicone used
by Tantus or Fun Factory) don't have any issues with silicone lube
(Fun Factory even packages silicone lube with their toys). Lesser
quality silicone will get tacky to the touch almost immediately
(either tin silicone, used by Vixen Creations, or many of the
silicone-latex mix toys being sold today as simply “silicone,” a
quick sniff will tell you which ones these are, as they smell like
aged tupperware).
Elastomer:
How
to identify:
Soft
material, Looks like clear latex, but has no smell.
How
to clean:
Non-porous so clean with soap and water. Do not submerge in water if there are electronics involved.
Towel or air dry.
How
to store:
In a dust-free place.
Kind
of lube:
Water- or silicone-based lubes.
Elastomer are a newly-developed soft material often used for
rabbit-style vibes (used exclusively by Vibratex for their toys).
Looks much like clear latex, but doesn't use phthalates to soften
it so there's no smell. The elastomer information from the
Vibratex website might sound a bit familiar, as elastomers have
many of the same characteristics as silicone: “Elastomers start
out soft and have product added to make them harder. This product
is then removed by high vacuum so there are no residual hardeners.
No solvents are used in this process and there is no latex.”
Latex/Rubber/PVC/Jelly:
How
to identify:
Smell
like your grandmother's Tupperware. Latex, rubber and
PVC are opaque, jelly is generally clear (though colored).
How
to clean:
Use condoms over them at all times if possible, then clean with
gentle soap and water. Do not submerge in water if there are electronics involved.
Dry completely with a lint-free cloth.
How
to store:
In a dust-free place, best kept away from toys of other materials,
as they may 'melt' to each other. I keep these items in separate
ziplock bags (after they are completely dry) to keep them from
touching each other.
Kind
of lube:
Water-based only. Oil-based lubes will melt toys.
These
are the most common soft sex toy materials. Most obvious
identifier? Their smell. These materials start out hard (like the PVC water pipes in your home), and
have chemical softeners, called phthalates, added to them. Over
time, they leech these chemicals, causing a
definite odor (think your grandmother's tupperware collection), and
can cause an oil ring on any surface they sit on. (Research is
being done to find out what happens when these chemicals are absorbed
in our bodies; some studies say they affect estrogen levels in
women and more.)
The
moral of this story? It is best to keep these chemicals away from
your body. Coupled with the fact that these materials are porous,
condoms become an even better idea.
Realistic soft toys:
How
to identify:
These
toys look and feel almost “real;” made of an opaque, soft
material, have an odor (think Tupperware).
How
to clean:
Use condoms over them at all times if possible, then clean with
gentle soap and warm (not hot) water. Do not submerge in water if there are
electronics involved. Let air dry completely, then sprinkle with cornstarch before
storage.
How
to store:
In a dust-free place, best kept away from toys of other materials,
as they may cause a chemical reaction and either “melt” or “bond”
from touching each other. I keep these items in their own ziplock
bag (though be sure they are completely dry first) to keep them
from touching each other or having their smell leech onto my
silicone toys.
Kind
of lube:
Water-based only. Oil-based lubes will melt these toys.
This material is used
often for masturbation sleeves, or erection rings, or for softer
vaginal toys. It can be called CyberskinTM,
FuturoticTM,
NeoSkin®, Soft TouchTM,
UltraSkin, and FauxskinTM,
to name just a few. and this type of material is widely used
for erection rings and masturbation sleeves, as well as vibrators
and
dildos. Use condoms over them at all times if possible, then clean
with gentle soap and warm (not hot) water. Do not submerge in
water if there are electronics involved. Let air dry completely,
then sprinkle with cornstarch or the manufacturer's “renewing”
powder (not talcum or baby powder, as these can cause issues with a woman's
delicate parts).
Plastic (or Acrylic)/Glass (Pyrex)/Metal/Stone:
How
to identify:
These
are a little more obvious than the above category; Plactic (and
it's higher-quality counterpart, acrylic) are clear and hard. All 4 kinds have no smell.
How
to clean:
Glass, acrylic (though not cheap plastic), and metal toys can be
boiled or be bleached (10% solution), are dishwasher safe (top
shelf), or can be washed with soap and water. Take more care with
stone toys, be sure they are non-porous before subjecting them to
harsh cleaning methods.
How
to store:
In a dust-free place, best kept away from toys of other materials.
Breakable toys should be kept in a padded pouch to help protect
them from chipping in case
dropped.
Kind
of lube:
Water- or silicone-based.
All acrylic, glass, and
metal toys are non-porous so can be washed with warm water and
anti-bacterial hand soap and sterilized using an alcohol-soaked cotton ball (rinse thoroughly afterward);
acrylic, glass and metal toys may be boiled or submerged
in hot water if they're not battery-operated.
Stone toys are often as resilient as the other materials in this
group, but as they are less common (and often hand-made),
be aware that they may not be as sturdy
as they look.
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