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Sex
Toy Hygiene
How
To Clean Sex Toys & Preventing STDs & Infections
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For those
who wonder if they can get STDs or infections from sex toys,
the answer is yes. You can get an STD if you share your sex
toys and you can get an infection from sharing your sex toys
or even using them without properly cleaning them just by
yourself.
The
basic rule of thumb is that you do not want to do anything
with a sex toy that you would not do with part of your body.
Using a sex toy with a separate condom for each partner
will help avoid spreading unwanted bacteria or viruses -
just as wearing a condom will during sex.
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Lisa
S. Lawless, Ph.D., C.E.O.
HolisticWisdom.com Founder |
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Allergies
Although rare, some people have an allergic reaction to
latex. If you or your partner has an allergic reaction to
your toy, we recommend discontinuing use of that toy. If
you cover it with a condom that is not made out of latex,
it might prevent such a reaction.
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Bacterial
Infections
Avoid using your sex toys (or anything else for that matter) anally,
and then inserting it directly from the anus into the vagina.
It's very important to avoid exposing you, or someone else's urethra
or vaginal opening to the E. coli bacteria that resides in the
anus. While not harmful to the anus, E. coli can cause urinary
tract infections if it is allowed to grow in the vagina. If you
want to use your sex toys in other areas after anal play, either
use a condom or wash it thoroughly. In this case, it might be
best to have a variety of toys, so that you don’t have to continually
interrupt play to carry out cleaning.
General Cleaning Tips
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Keep your toys clean with a little soap and warm water.
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If you want, break out the hydrogen peroxide.
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Don't submerge the part of a toy that holds the batteries.
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Do not submerge electric non-waterproof vibes at all.
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Nylon
webbing harnesses can go in the wash with the rest of your laundry.
~ Silicone
& Glass can be boiled up to 3 minutes, cleaned with a bleach
solution,
or run through your dishwasher.
~ Delicate
polymers stick to warm water and soap, and replace them every
so often,
as they are impossible to keep perfectly clean.
~ Oil products
destroy latex! That means oil-based lubricants, massage oils,
butter,
olive oil...anything containing oil. Use only
water-based lubricant with latex.
Sex Toy Cleaners And Before & After Sex Clean Up
Sex
Toy Materials
Silicone
This is often considered to be the ideal
material for just about every kind of sex toy. Lifelike with a
soft, smooth texture, silicone quickly reaches and retains body
temperature. There are no hard edges, no snags or imperfections.
Silicone is also easy to clean with soap and water. Because
you can boil silicone, sex toys made from this material can be
fully sterilized and are safe to share. Just make sure you clean
them thoroughly between uses. In addition to being durable, silicone
toys are nearly hypo allergenic. The only drawback to silicone
is the price - because silicone toys are hand-cast, they can cost
significantly more than rubber or jelly. If you're looking
for a high-quality, realistic toy that will last a long time,
silicone is a good choice.
Cleaning:
Run it through the dishwasher or boil it on the stove (3-5
minutes) and your toy is sterilized. |
Realistics-
Cyberskin™,
Futurotic™, NeoSkin®, Soft
Touch™, UltraSkin™, and Fauxskin™ are also known
as thermal plastic. Toys made from this material become warm with
use and are the closest thing to skin-to-skin sensation you'll
find in a sex toy. Cyberskin™ products work best when
used with the included powder and lubricant which has been specially
formulated to work with them.
Cleaning:
If
you're unsure of the type of material, check the packaging
or product page, or contact Customer Service. This type of
material is widely used for erection rings and masturbation
sleeves, as well as vibrators and dildos. Thoroughly wash
with warm (never hot) water and a liquid antibacterial soap,
then let air dry completely. Once dry, sprinkle with the included
"renewing" powder or cornstarch. Never use talcum powder or
baby powder, as these can cause irritation and sometimes larger
problems for women. Corn starch and a soft cloth may also
be used to bring the toy back to life. (Talcum powder
has been implicated as a possible cause of ovarian cancer.)
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Jelly
Jelly
toys are nearly half the price of silicone. While not as
smooth or silky as sex toys made from silicone, jelly toys can
still bring you a tremendous amount of pleasure. The secret
is using a generous amount of lubrication. Usually available
in bright colors, jelly toys are crafted from a thick, translucent,
flexible rubber. You don't want to use soap or boiling water
to clean your jelly toys, just warm water and a gentle touch.
Unfortunately, that means these toys aren't safe to share unless
you want to use a condom on them, but they're so inexpensive,
your partner can just go out and buy his or her own! If
you want a smooth, good-quality toy at a reasonable price, try
jelly sex toys.
Cleaning:
This material is a non-porous form of rubber that can be cleaned
with mild soap and hot water. |
Rubber
Most sex toys are made out of simple latex rubber. Quite
a bit firmer than silicone or jelly toys, rubber toys are still
soft and somewhat flexible - but nothing like the real thing.
Regardless, latex rubber is very popular because of its low cost,
versatility and resilience: it's cheap and it does the job just
fine if you aren't too picky. Latex toys wear out much faster
than silicone or jelly toys, and because they are very porous,
rubber toys can be very hard to clean properly, so no sharing
without a condom. Finally, some people are allergic to latex
and can't use it at all. Also, rubber latex toys come in
a wide range of colors, although "flesh-colored" and
black seem to be the most popular. If you're looking for
an inexpensive toy, rubber latex might be your best choice.
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Cleaning:
Rubber dildos should always be used with condoms, but can
be cleaned with mild soap and water. Rubber dildos are porous
and it isn't really practical to completely sterilize them,
so you should either put condoms on them if you're going
to use them with multiple people or switch to silicone dildos
(which can be boiled to disinfect them).
NEVER
boil silicone sex toys with electrical components. Let them
air dry completely or dry with a lint-free cloth before
storage.
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Plastic
Plastic is hard, cold and completely inflexible.
However, some people really like plastic as there's something
about the cool, sleek casing and the strong internal vibrators
that often come inside. Plastic vibes aren't a top pick
for internal use or in-out thrusting, but they make wonderful
clitoral teasers. To clean it, soak a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol
and wipe down your toy. If you're nervous about bringing
alcohol in contact with your sensitive genitalia, you can follow
the alcohol wipe with a gentle water wipe-down. Try a plastic
sex toy if you like the sensation of cool metal and a hard, pulsing
vibration.
Cleaning:
Rubber dildos should always be used with condoms, but can
be cleaned with mild soap and water. |
Metal
Metal
can be great. Introduced from the S&M lovers, metal is know
making it's way more into main stream. Be careful whom you purchase
metal toys from as some metal toys are potentially harmful.
Cleaning:
Metal is non-porous, making cleanup a snap. It is easily disinfected
with a weak bleach solution (10% or less) or rubbing alcohol,
though gentle washing with soap and water are best for everyday
cleaning. Some people are fond of washing their sex toys in
the dishwasher. However, if you choose to use this method,
please don't use dish washing detergent or rinsing agents,
as they are bad for some metals. You should also select the
air dry cycle, as it will dry your toys enough to keep them
from rusting. If your metal toy takes batteries, do not put
it in the dishwasher. We also do not recommend putting Jeweled
metal toys in the dishwasher, as the adhesive that holds the
jewel in place may not hold up well. Dry thoroughly to avoid
rusting and spotting. It is especially important to make sure
that liquids are not allowed to sit any joints of toys because
they may rust. |
Vinyl
Similar
to rubber, this inexpensive and non-porous material is a favorite
with fetish lovers. Vinyl toys are light in weight, easy to clean,
and come in many different forms and colors.
Cleaning:
Vinyl
products are non-porous, and can be washed with mild soap
and hot water. |
Pyrex
Glass
Pyrex
is a special laboratory grade glass that is several magnitudes stronger
than regular glass. It makes a great material, as it is hard
and solid, yet has silky smooth caressing texture.
Cleaning:
This
is the easiest to clean. You can use nonabrasive antibacterial
hand or dish soap, rubbing alcohol (Isopropyl), bleach, or
even boiling water. Make sure the water is at room temperature
before adding or removing Pyrex glass as sudden, drastic temperature
changes may, on rare occasions, crack the glass. The easiest
is just to put it in the dishwasher although if you have kids
or company remember you put it in there or you could have
some fast "'splanin' to do!" Rinse well with warm
water after any kind of cleaning.
Due
to the non-porous, chemical and odor resistant properties
of Pyrex glass, almost any cleaner may be used. Remember
to stay away from abrasives so as not to scratch it.
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Acrylic
Its
firm texture makes acrylic perfect for PC muscle-strengthening
toys.
Cleaning:
This
can be washed with warm water and antibacterial hand soap
and sterilized using an alcohol-soaked cotton ball (rinse
thoroughly afterward). |
Lucite
This
hard material provides firm pressure, making it a favorite for prostate
and g-spot stimulating toys.
Cleaning:
This
can be washed with warm water and antibacterial hand soap
and sterilized using an alcohol-soaked cotton ball (rinse
thoroughly afterward). |
Leather
Used
for harnesses and restraints, many people find leather tough and
sexy.
Cleaning:
Leather can be cleaned with a damp rag. |
Latex
Use only water-based lubes on latex, as oil-based
substances will break it down. These products are extremely porous,
so be sure to wash them thoroughly with warm water and antibacterial
hand soap, and rinse so that no trace of soap is left, as it can
degrade the material and cause irritation to you. Again, while it's
a good idea to use a condom with any insertable toys, it's an especially
good idea with these materials.
Cleaning:
Latex
is non-porous and easy to clean. |
When
To Replace Your Sex Toys
Not
all sex toys last forever, so how do you know when it's time to
say good-bye?
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Mechanical features slow or stop working, even after battery replacement
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Cracks are visible in plastic, acrylic, or glass toys, or on the
plastic pieces of other toys
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Mold or mildew has formed on the material, or the material is
deteriorating
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Battery corrosion is seen inside the battery pack
Storing
Your Sex Toys
How
you store your sex toys is as important as how you clean them,
and while we're not suggesting you need to invest in a temperature-controlled
vault, there are some basic things you can do to prolong the life
of any toy, as well as keep it clean and safe from harm. We created
the Sneaky Sack™ to do just
that which you can use to store your toys and more.
Below are some tips in making sure they are safely stored-
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Always remove the batteries when you're
done using any toy so they can't leak,
run down, or otherwise corrupt the toy; both
the batteries and the toy itself will
last longer!
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Be sure your toys are completely dry before storage to discourage
mold and mildew.
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Keep each item separate by wrapping it in a soft cloth (T-shirts,
wash cloths and
socks work well), because some materials are
not compatible with each other and
can cause melting or discoloration. If vibrating
bullets and eggs are removable, store
them separately from their respective toys
as well.
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Direct sunlight and excess heat may cause toys and condoms to
melt, discolor, or
dry out, so store these items in a cool, dark place
such as a dresser drawer or trunk.
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Extreme cold can also do damage to toys not made of acrylic, glass,
or silicone,
and only if those are not battery-operated,
so never refrigerate or freeze soft materials
or condoms.
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Always clean your sex toys before putting them back into their
storage spot and
when taking them out for use.
Sex
Toy Tips
How
To Clean Your Sex Toy When You Are Unsure Of The Material
If
you no longer have the toy packaging, you may not be sure what
material your toy is made of; use warm water and a mild soap on
a washcloth and let the product air dry.
Don't
Wash Waterproof Toys In The Dishwasher
Only
silicone and glass dildos that do not require batteries can be
washed in the dishwasher or boiled. Do not submerge any sex toy
that takes batteries, and never submerge electrical toys.
If
You Can't Use Cleaners Or Antibacterial Soap Due To Allergies
If
you have sever allergies, it would be best for you to only use
silicone-based toys (they're hypoallergenic); if it does not use
batteries, it can be boiled in hot water for cleaning and sterilizing,
so no soap is necessary.
Why
Use Condoms Over Sex Toys In A Monogamous Relationship?
Rubber,
latex, jelly, and realistic materials are porous and harder to
clean thoroughly, so using a condom will extend the life of the
product. Plus, a condom will keep you both safe from bacteria
if the toy is shared between you or switches orifices. An added
bonus is if you use a lubricated condom, no additional lube is
necessary!
Hiding
Sex Toys
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Keep
it in Reach of the Bed
There's
nothing worse than having to interrupt foreplay to walk
across the room and unpack a toy from its secret spot deep
in a drawer. If it's not close to the bed, it's not a good
place to store your toys. The same goes for lubricant and
massage oil. Keep ‘em handy, or plan ahead.
Keep
Them In The Nightstand
This is the number one place people store their sex
toys. It keeps them close by and out of site. If you have
children, this however may be a bad place for them as kids
tend to look through drawers for flashlights and other fun
things to play with.
Shoe
Boxes
Shoe boxes are not glamorous by any means, but they
are discreet and fit nicely under the bed.
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The
Holistic Wisdom Corporation