CLEANING AND CARING FOR SEX TOYS

KATY THORN·MARCH 23, 2025

8 MINS READ

Last updated:September 2, 2025

Sex toys are special in how they’re designed to grant us thousands of hours of pleasure, but they’re even more special because of how they interact with intimate parts of our bodies.

But, as they say, with great power comes great responsibility, and one of the responsibilities with maximized pleasure is properly cleaning and caring for your sex toys.

While safeguarding your and your partner’s health may sound simple, there are actually some common sex toys cleaning and storing mistakes that should be avoided.

Following a few simple rules ensures that your products last as long as possible. Read on to learn how to clean silicone sex toys and more.

Why Cleaning Sex Toys is Important

Cleaning and sanitizing sex toys is essential. Insufficient cleaning, in fact, creates the risk of transmitting bacteria and fungi that can cause vaginosis and urinary tract infections, while improper cleaning, done with detergents or methods not suitable for your toy, can damage the coating or make it unusable as well as being harmful to your health.

That’s why is necessary not only to routinely clean your toys (i.e. every time you use them), but also schedule a deeper cleaning that, when possible, involves sterilizing the objects, which can be done one-off and which must follow very specific rules because it is the one in which it’s easier to make mistakes.

Understanding Sex Toy Materials

The cleaning methods for your toy will change depending on the material it is made of. Here is a short list of the main materials that sex toys are made of and what they mean for cleaning methods:

Silicone: non-porous, clean with soap and water; Glass & metal: sterilize in boiling water, easy to disinfect; Jelly Rubber & TPE/TPR: require care and condom use; ABS Plastic: non-porous, delicate cleaning.

How To Clean Sex Toys

Clean non-porous toys (silicone, glass, metal):

Clean non-porous toys with a damp cloth soaked in warm water and antibacterial soap.

Boil dildos (no electronics) for three minutes, but not plastic toys (heat sensitive).

Porous toys (rubber, some plastics, jelly, leather, wood, some ceramic and glass):

Consider that you can never thoroughly clean this kind of toy because the porosities of the surface are unreachable for germs. The best way to clean them is with water and soap if waterproof.

One way to maintain hygiene is to cover them with a condom before use. This method provides a barrier against germs, ensuring a safer and more hygienic experience.

A big difference in cleaning a sex toy is whether it is waterproof or not. Be careful, there are various ‘degrees’ of being water-resistant, requiring adapted approaches.

If a sex toy is not waterproof, you need to clean it with a damp cloth and, if possible, let it air dry. Remember to always remove the batteries, before you start cleaning it.

If a sex toy is splash-proof, this means that it has the minimum degree of water resistance; in this case too, it is advisable to clean it with a damp cloth, always taking care of the mechanical parts.

If a sex toy is water-resistant, or waterproof, this means that you can submerge it (usually to a maximum depth of a few meters) under water. Waterproof sex toys can be washed under water.

Let’s say that a sex toy is like a toothbrush and should never be shared with anyone. But if you’re part of a monogamous couple, where you have unprotected sex, it is possible that you also share one or more sex toys.

Disinfecting Shared or Anal Toys

When possible, that is, in the case of non-porous materials, non-plastic objects and without mechanical elements, the best solution remains to boil the sex toy for a few minutes. Otherwise, there are both cleaning sprays for sex toys and wipes and UV sterilizers on the market (be careful, however, that these sterilizers eliminate bacteria but do not clean the toy, so it must always be cleaned before being sanitized). Finally, where these methods are not applicable, it is possible to use condoms.

Storing Sex Toys Properly

Germs and bacteria are not the only agents that threaten our health and the lifespan of our pleasure objects. Dust and dirt are equally harmful to both, which is why, in addition to proper hygiene, it is also important to know how to store sex toys.

Again, the best solution varies based on the material our toy is made of, but there are some basic rules that are valid in all cases. Sex toys, of any shape and substance, should be stored in individual cases, so that they are protected from light and dust and, if you have more than one, they shouldn’t be kept close to each other, which, in some cases, could deteriorate the material. Plastic bags should also be avoided.

When choosing a detergent, always consider that the sex toy you clean will then come into contact with very delicate areas of the body, especially of the female body.

However, there are situations in which soap and water are not at hand or, even if they are, they are not the most convenient solution.

In most cases, a mild antibacterial soap and careful hygiene, perhaps with the help of a toothbrush to reach the most hidden parts, is more than enough.

And remember to rinse and dry them properly.

After every use. This is the simplest and most correct answer.

You should periodically check that the toy is intact and that the seams are in excellent condition.

Never use harsh detergents that can damage the material and cause irritation to your skin.

If the signs of deterioration are clearly visible, it definitely needs to be replaced for safety.

Remember to completely dry a sex toy before being stored to avoid the risk of fungi and mold.

Taking care of your sex toys is essential for their lifespan and for your and your partners’ health.

A few simple steps are enough to ensure safe play for toys and people, for a long time.

Choose a sex toy cleaner, and a few sprays will ensure a long life for your toy.

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Katy Thorn is a post-grad writer with a passion for writing about sex, sexuality, and all things rated R. She received her degree in Women’s Studies with a focus in Intersectionality at the University of California, Berkeley (Go Bears!).

She has a cat named Yoko, drinks too much black coffee, and hates writing bios.