Wash your toys with warm water and a mild, unscented soap after every use, let them dry all the way, and store them apart from each other. That is the whole job for most toys, and it takes about ninety seconds. The part that trips people up is that a silicone dildo and a cheap jelly sleeve do not get cleaned the same way, and getting it wrong means either a ruined toy or, worse, a yeast infection.
I spent six years on a shop floor before I started buying, and the single most common thing customers returned was a motorized toy that died because water got into the charging port. The second was a porous toy that grew a smell nothing could fix. Both are preventable in under two minutes.
Here is how to do it by material, plus the stuff nobody tells you: lube compatibility, storage, batteries, and when a toy is actually done.
Why the material decides everything
Before you clean anything, you need to know what it is made of, because that determines whether you can boil it, whether it holds bacteria, and which lube will melt it.
The line that matters is nonporous vs porous. Nonporous materials have no microscopic holes for bacteria to hide in, so a proper wash actually gets them clean. Porous materials do have those holes, which means you can wash the surface but never fully sanitize what is underneath.
- Nonporous, body-safe: 100 percent silicone, borosilicate glass, stainless steel, ABS plastic (the hard shiny plastic on bullets and vibrator handles).
- Porous, treat with caution: TPE and TPR, jelly, rubber, elastomer, some "realistic" cyberskin blends.
If your toy came with no material listed and it smells like a new shower curtain, assume porous. My honest take: for anything you put inside your body, buy nonporous. It costs more up front and lasts years longer, so it is cheaper per use. A good silicone vibrator or a solid silicone or glass dildo will outlive three jelly ones.
Quick material and care table
| Material | Porous? | How to clean | Can you boil / dishwasher? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100% silicone | No | Soap and water, or toy cleaner | Yes, if fully nonmotorized. Boil 3 min or top rack, no soap |
| Glass (borosilicate) | No | Soap and water | Yes, boil or top rack |
| Stainless steel | No | Soap and water | Yes, boil or top rack |
| ABS plastic | No | Soap and water, wipe, do not submerge if it has a battery | No |
| TPE / TPR / jelly | Yes | Soap and water only, gently, use a condom during use | No, heat wrecks it |
How to clean, step by step
The everyday wash (do this every single time)
- Rinse under warm, not hot, water.
- Use a mild, fragrance-free soap or a dedicated toy cleaner. Skip anything with heavy perfume or antibacterial additives, they can irritate genital skin.
- Work into any seams, ridges, or the base of a suction cup with your fingers. Bacteria hide in the crevices.
- Rinse thoroughly so no soap residue is left, then pat dry and air dry fully before storage.
Toy cleaner is a nice-to-have, not a must. Plain unscented soap does the same work for a third of the price. The one place I do recommend a spray cleaner is a textured stroker or masturbator, where getting a soapy hand into a long sleeve is a real hassle.
Motorized and rechargeable toys
Here is the rule that saves your gear: only submerge a toy if the box says waterproof. "Splashproof" and "water-resistant" mean wipe-clean only.
- For waterproof toys, close the charging port cover firmly, then wash the whole thing under running water.
- For splashproof toys, wipe the body with a damp soapy cloth, then a clean damp cloth, keeping the charging port dry.
- Never run a rechargeable toy under the tap with the port open. That is the number one killer of vibrators, and no warranty covers it.
Wand and rechargeable wand massagers almost always fall in the splashproof camp, so wipe the head and keep the motor housing dry.
Nonmotorized silicone, glass, and steel
These you can properly sanitize. Boil them in water for three minutes, or run them on the top rack of the dishwasher with no detergent. Do this if you are sharing a toy between partners, using it in more than one orifice, or coming back from a health issue. For everyday solo use, a soap wash is plenty.
Lube compatibility, the thing that quietly destroys silicone
Silicone lube feels incredible and lasts forever, but it can bond to and degrade a silicone toy, leaving the surface tacky and pitted. Match your lube to your toy:
- Silicone toys: use water-based lube. Safe every time.
- Glass and steel toys: anything goes, silicone or water-based.
- Not sure what the toy is: use water-based. It plays nice with everything.
- Oil-based lube: fine on skin and steel, but it degrades latex condoms and some porous toys, so keep it away from both.
If you love silicone lube and own silicone toys, do a patch test on the base first, or just keep a bottle of water-based on hand for toy nights.
Storage: keep them from touching each other
Two soft toys stored skin-to-skin can chemically react and turn into a melted, sticky mess. I have seen a jelly toy fuse to a silicone one in a drawer over a summer. Fix it with these habits:
- Give each toy its own cloth bag or a lidded box. Most quality toys ship with a storage pouch, use it.
- Store somewhere cool and dry, out of direct sunlight. Heat softens and warps materials.
- Pull the batteries out of anything battery-operated before long storage so they cannot leak and corrode the contacts.
- Keep porous toys separate from everything, they are the ones most likely to react.
This matters more the more you own. Once you have a women's bundle or men's bundle going, a shared drawer of loose toys is asking for trouble.
Anal toys have one extra rule
Anything that goes in the butt needs a flared base and a thorough clean, no exceptions. Anal play moves bacteria that do not belong anywhere else, so butt plugs and anal beads get washed before they touch any other part of the body, and never go from butt to vagina without a wash in between. Silicone and steel are the easiest here because you can boil them.
Common mistakes I see all the time
- Using antibacterial hand soap. Too harsh for genital contact and it can throw off vaginal pH. Unscented and mild wins.
- Storing toys wet. Trapped moisture breeds bacteria and mildew, especially in strokers. Dry fully.
- Rubbing alcohol on silicone. It can dry out and dull the surface over time. Save it for glass and steel if you use it at all.
- Keeping a smelly porous toy. If it smells after cleaning, it is holding bacteria you cannot reach. Toss it.
When to throw a toy out
Retire any toy that is cracked, torn, sticky, discolored, or holding a smell after a proper wash. Damaged surfaces trap bacteria and can scratch delicate tissue. Porous toys have a shorter life by design, budget on replacing them every year or so, while good silicone, glass, and steel can last many years with basic care.
FAQ
Can I use soap and water to clean my sex toys?
Yes, mild unscented soap and warm water is the standard for most toys. Just keep water out of the charging port on rechargeable toys unless they are labeled waterproof.
How do I sanitize a toy between partners?
For nonmotorized silicone, glass, or steel, boil it for three minutes or run it through the dishwasher top rack with no detergent. For motorized or porous toys that cannot be boiled, wash well and cover them with a condom during shared use.
What lube is safe for silicone toys?
Water-based lube is always safe on silicone. Silicone lube can degrade a silicone toy, so if you want to use it, choose glass or steel toys or do a patch test first.
How often should I replace my sex toys?
Nonporous silicone, glass, and steel last for years with basic care. Porous TPE and jelly toys wear out faster, plan on replacing them roughly yearly or sooner if they change texture or smell.
Is my toy waterproof or just splashproof?
Check the packaging, the two are not the same. Waterproof toys can be fully rinsed, splashproof toys should only be wiped with a damp cloth while keeping the motor and port dry.
Do you ship discreetly?
Yes. Everything ships in plain packaging with a discreet billing descriptor, so nothing on the box or your statement says what is inside.
About Ashley Bloom
Ashley Bloom spent six years on the shop floor of an adult store, which means she has had the awkward conversation a few thousand times and knows which questions people are really asking. She now buys for My Secret and writes the guides, which puts her in the unusual position of knowing both what sells and what quietly comes back. She would rather talk you out of a bad purchase than sell you an expensive one.