Clean a sex toy according to its material, before and after every use. Non-porous toys with no motor, meaning solid silicone, borosilicate glass and stainless steel, can be boiled. Anything with a motor gets warm water and mild soap. Porous TPE, TPR and PVC get the same, and still cannot be fully sanitized.
Everyday cleaning
Warm water and an unscented, mild soap clean every material in the category. Wash the whole surface, paying attention to seams, buttons and the base where fluid collects. Rinse until no soap remains, because soap residue irritates. Pat dry with a lint-free cloth or let it air dry fully.
Toy cleaner sprays are convenient and mostly a mild surfactant in water. They work. They are not stronger than soap and water and do not make porous materials sanitizable.
Boiling
Boiling sanitizes non-porous toys with no electronics. That means solid silicone, glass and steel only.
- Silicone. Submerge in boiling water for a few minutes. Keep it off the bottom of the pan, where direct heat can mark it.
- Glass. Place it in cold water and bring the water to the boil together, then let it cool in the water. Dropping cold glass into boiling water is the one way to stress it.
- Stainless steel. Boil freely. Steel is the most tolerant material in the category.
Never boil anything with a motor, battery or charging port, whatever its waterproof rating. IPX7 means the sealed toy survives immersion in water at room temperature. It says nothing about heat.
Cleaning by material
| Material | Soap and water | Boil | Dishwasher | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silicone, no motor | Yes | Yes | Top rack, no detergent, if the maker allows | Keep off pan base |
| Silicone, motorized | Yes | No | No | Dry charging port before charging |
| Borosilicate glass | Yes | Yes, from cold | If the maker allows | Inspect for chips |
| Stainless steel | Yes | Yes | Yes | Dry fully to avoid spotting |
| ABS plastic | Yes | No | No | Usually a motor housing |
| TPE / TPR | Yes, gently | No | No | Dry completely, store separately |
| PVC / jelly | Yes, gently | No | No | Replace rather than deep clean |
Not sure which material you have? The sex toy materials page explains how to read the label, and a toy with no material named is safest treated as porous.
Strokers and sleeves
Strokers need more attention than any other type, because the sleeve is TPE and the case is closed. Rinse straight after use, wash with warm water and a little mild soap, rinse again, then let the sleeve dry completely outside the case. Some people turn sleeves inside out to dry. A sleeve stored damp is where mould starts. Light dusting with cornstarch-based renewing powder, where the maker recommends it, keeps TPE from going tacky.
Air-pulse toys
The nozzle on an air-pulse stimulator collects fluid inside its chamber. Remove it after every use, wash it separately with warm soapy water, and dry it before refitting. Wipe the chamber under the nozzle with a damp cloth rather than running water into the motor.
Storage
Store toys clean and fully dry, in a cloth bag or separate compartments, away from direct sunlight and heat. Keep soft TPE and PVC away from other toys. Plasticizers and softeners can migrate between soft materials and leave both surfaces sticky or discoloured. Silicone, glass and steel can sit together.
For rechargeable toys left unused for a while, a top-up charge every few months keeps a lithium-ion battery healthier than leaving it fully drained.
When to replace a toy
Replace a toy when its surface changes. Tackiness, cracks, tears, a white bloom, a smell that survives washing, or discoloration that was not there before are all signs the material has broken down. On glass, any chip. On motorized toys, a charging port that is corroded or a battery that swells or gets hot.
Porous toys wear out much sooner than non-porous ones. That is part of the price difference covered on the sex toys online page.