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We get it: Thinking about how to clean your sex toys probably doesn’t turn you on. Sex is about focusing solely on pleasure and letting life’s daily stressors melt away—not adding another chore to your to-do list. But if you want toys to play a role in getting you to that euphoric, clear-minded place (whether solo or with a partner), you’re going to have to de-germ them properly and regularly. Not only will routine maintenance help them last for years, but because they come into direct contact with bodily fluids, poor sex toy hygiene can be seriously unsanitary and even cause infections.
“Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HPV can be found on sex toys, so it’s important to clean them well, before and after use,” Sherry Ross, MD, an ob-gyn in Santa Monica and the author of She-ology, tells SELF. There’s also the potential for bacteria buildup, which puts you at risk for yeast and bacterial infections (including UTIs), Dr. Ross adds.
So, yes, it is that important to sanitize your little pleasure accessories—each and every time. But the process doesn’t have to be a huge hassle. The exact steps will depend on the type of toy you’re using, but once you learn them, we’re confident they’ll become second nature. Here, experts explain the correct way to clean every type of sex toy.
First, determine what your toy is made of.
You might think you can just dunk your sex toy in soap and water and be done with it. Please don’t do that (especially since many have batteries and other electric components). Instead, the first step is figuring out what it’s made of. You can divide most sex toys into two broad categories: those made of porous and nonporous materials.
If the material is porous, it has tiny holes (like pores) that can harbor bacteria, fungi, and general gunk, Dr. Ross says. Some common examples:
- Rubbery materials, like elastomer, jelly rubber, thermoplastic rubber (TPR), and thermoplastic elastomer (TRE), which are sometimes called “skin-safe rubber”
- Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
- PVC and silicone blends like UR3, which can help toys feel more like skin (these types of toys are sometimes referred to as “real feel”)
- Fabrics such as nylon, vinyl, and leather, often used on BDSM toys
- Latex
If your toy is made from nonporous materials, it doesn’t have those holes, so various microorganisms are less likely to stick around (sorry, you still have to clean it, though). Here are some common nonporous sex toy materials:
- Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic (a type of hard plastic)
- Borosilicate glass (a break-resistant kind of glass used in Pyrex products and similar glassware)
- 100% silicone (make sure it’s not a silicone blend, though, since those can be porous)
- Metals like stainless steel, aluminum, and gold
To find out the specific material you’re working with, check the box or look it up online. It’s worth noting right off the bat that even if you clean your porous sex toys, you probably won’t be able to remove as many germs as you can with nonporous ones, which is why many experts strongly recommend the latter.
Plus, some (though to be clear, not all) porous materials—PVC in particular—contain phthalates. These endocrine-disrupting chemicals, commonly used to make plastics, have recently come under fire for their potential to impact a number of the body’s systems, especially for pregnant people and children. (More research is needed, though, according to the National Library of Medicine.)
Regardless of your toy’s material, here’s why it’s super important to clean it after each use.
Though porous toys are more likely to harbor bacteria and other microorganisms than nonporous ones, you should clean any type of toy right after using it—as well as before sharing it with a partner. It might not be the sexiest part of your pleasure routine but it really is critical for your health.
If you have a vagina, you might already know that it’s home to myriad bacteria and fungi that help to keep it healthy. When you use a sex toy, odds are some of these microorganisms will attach themselves to the material. Most of the time, this won’t be harmful, Lauren Streicher, MD, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, tells SELF. Your vagina is already used to dealing with these microorganisms, so they don’t typically pose a threat, Dr. Streicher says.
That’s not always the case, though. Let’s say you have a vaginal or sexually transmitted infection and you decide to masturbate using a vibrator or dildo. Some of the pathogens causing the infection may remain on the toy’s surface (if it’s nonporous) or get inside the tiny holes (if it’s porous) and continue to live there, Peter Leone, MD, an infectious disease specialist at the UNC School of Medicine, tells SELF. If you don’t clean the toy before sharing it with a partner, it’s theoretically possible for you to spread the infection to them, Dr. Leone explains.
You need to be careful about gastrointestinal (GI) bacteria too, he adds. The rectum is home to all kinds of bacteria, such as E. coli, which could get transferred to a toy you use anally (or near your butt). If that bacteria comes in contact with your (or your partner’s) urinary tract, it could cause a urinary tract infection (UTI). That’s why using a sex toy anally and then vaginally without cleaning it first “is a big no-no,” Dr. Ross says.
Sure, you probably won’t get an infection every time you slack on thorough sex toy cleaning, but it’s important to know that this can happen. Plus, different microorganisms have different surface lifespans, some longer than others. Bacteria, for instance—including the kinds that can cause bacterial vaginosis and spread gonorrhea—generally can’t survive for very long on a nonporous toy because they thrive in damp environments, Meghan A. May, PhD, associate professor of microbiology at the University of New England College of Medicine, tells SELF.
But that’s not the case for fungi like Candida albicans, which is responsible for yeast infections. It can live much longer on sex toys than bacteria, possibly for weeks or even months, research suggests. As for viruses like HIV and herpes, they usually die within hours in the open air. Human papillomavirus (HPV), however, may survive longer, Dr. Leone says.
The bottom line? You can never really tell whether potentially harmful microorganisms are lingering, so it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to cleaning your toys regularly.
Okay, here’s exactly how to clean your sex toys.
First, you’ll want to find the right soap. A mild hand or dish soap is usually a safe choice, as long as it’s unscented—the ingredients in scented soaps may throw your vaginal pH out of whack, which can make you more prone to infections.
Next, take out any removable batteries (and be super careful not to let water seep into the compartment when you start cleaning, FYI). If your toy is rechargeable, check to make sure it’s also fully water-resistant or waterproof, Kate Balestrieri, PsyD, a licensed psychologist and certified sex therapist, tells SELF. Alright, without further ado, here’s how to clean every type of sex toy:
Is your toy made of elastomer or latex? These porous materials are more sensitive to temperature, meaning they might get warped if they’re exposed to high heat. If your toy vibrates, wipe it down with a warm (not hot), damp, soapy washcloth. If it doesn’t vibrate (or vibrates but is waterproof), you can run it under warm water and clean it with a soapy washcloth. Again, sex toys made with porous materials are trickier to clean thoroughly, so you might also consider using them with a condom to be safe. This can add an extra layer of protection to help prevent lingering germs from entering your body, according to the experts we spoke with.
Is your elastomer toy specifically made of a skin-like blend like Fanta-Flesh, CyberSkin, or UR3? Do the same thing you’d do for the toys listed above, but with a couple of small tweaks: Use warm water with just a little bit of soap—the skin-like material of these types of toys is delicate, so too much soap can degrade it. It’s also a good idea to sprinkle on a little cornstarch to reduce moisture and help the toy retain its realistic texture after it’s fully air-dried.
Is your toy made of hard ABS plastic? Just like an elastomer or latex toy, you can wipe it down with a damp cloth and mild soap if it vibrates, or wash it with soap and water if it doesn’t (or it does but happens to be waterproof).
Is your toy made of borosilicate glass or a metal like stainless steel? You can clean these toys using soap and warm water, or a damp, soapy washcloth too. As an added bonus, if your steel or glass toy doesn’t vibrate, you can boil it for about three minutes to fully disinfect it. (But be extra sure there are no electrical components before submerging it, of course.)
Is your toy made of silicone? Lucky you: “Silicone is smooth, body-safe, and easy to clean,” notes Balestrieri. Wash these types of toys with warm, soapy water. (And if they’re 100% silicone, you can boil them too.)
Is your toy made of fabric? Nylon sex toys can sometimes go in the washing machine (but check the label to be safe) or you can carefully hand-wash them. Leather doesn’t hold up as well if it’s been soaked, so it’s best to wipe down leather toys with a damp, soapy cloth.
As for the dishwasher? Sex toys made of hard plastic and silicone are sometimes dishwasher-safe, but—broken records here!—check the product label to be 100% sure. In general, though, “it’s usually not recommended to put sex toys in the dishwasher, as the high heat and detergents can damage them,” Amir Marashi, MD, an ob-gyn in New York City and founder of sex toy company Cerē, tells SELF.
If you have an orgasm so earth-shattering you simply cannot motivate yourself to move afterward, you can wipe your sex toy down with an antibacterial sex toy cleaner and give it a thorough wash once you’re ready to get up, Dr. Ross says. This is better than nothing, though it can’t replace a deep, soap-and-water clean. There are tons of options online—just choose one that’s unscented and check the product description to make sure it’s compatible with your toy’s material.
Don’t forget to dry your toys before tucking them away for next time.
Finally, no matter how you wash your toy, double-check that it’s completely dry before storing it—again, this will make it harder for any pathogens to cling on for dear life. Your best bet is to dry it with a lint-free cloth or paper towel, Dr. Marashi says.
Oh, and, sorry, one more thing: Don’t just stuff it in your bedside drawer once it’s dry. If you get lint or dust near or inside your genitals, it could lead to infections, Dr. Marashi warns. Instead stash your toys in their original packaging or another container, like a plastic box or fabric bag (they make pouches specifically for sex toys, if you didn’t know). And make sure to keep them somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight, too—this will prevent the materials from degrading over time, Balestrieri says.
We get that this may sound like a lot of care to undertake for an inanimate object, but following the advice above keeps you safe—and makes it more likely that you and your sex toys can have a long, happy life (and a whole lot of orgasms) together.
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