How to Clean Sex Toys Without Wrecking Them
4 min read
The short version? Wash most sex toys with warm water and mild soap after every use, then let them dry fully before they go away. Everything past that baseline depends on what the toy is made of. So knowing how to clean sex toys really comes down to knowing your materials.
Clean by Material
Here's the split that matters most. Non-porous materials can genuinely be sanitized. Porous ones can't, at least not all the way, no matter how hard you scrub.
100% Silicone
Warm soapy water handles the daily job. For non-motorized silicone you can go further, boiling it for up to three minutes or running it through the dishwasher on the top rack with no detergent. According to Healthline, that works for silicone, glass, and steel toys with no electronics inside. For something quick between deeper cleans there's also a dedicated product like the [product:B075D9ZV38], which is formulated for silicone.
Glass and Stainless Steel
Borosilicate glass and stainless steel are the easy ones. Tough, non-porous, and simple to keep clean. As Planned Parenthood explains, body-safe toys are made of non-porous materials like 100% silicone, hard plastic, stainless steel, or break-resistant glass, which don't absorb germs. Soap and water between uses, a deeper clean now and then.
Porous Materials (TPE, TPR, Jelly, PVC)
This is where care actually matters. These materials have microscopic channels that trap bacteria, so surface cleaning lowers the risk without erasing it. A study published in Sexually Transmitted Infections found HPV was still detectable on a porous vibrator material 24 hours after standard cleaning, while the silicone one tested clear. Wipe them down with mild soap and cool water, skip the heat, and use a condom on anything porous or shared.
Cleaning Is Not the Same as Sanitizing
Two different jobs. Cleaning is the wash-down you do every single time. Sanitizing is the occasional deep step, boiling or a disinfectant, that you save for non-porous toys, or before you share one, or after a long stretch in storage. Something like the [product:B07BFCL2X1] handles the sanitize step for toys you'd rather not boil.
What Not to Do
A few things quietly ruin toys, or your health.
Don't submerge a motorized toy. Ever. Water in the battery compartment kills the electronics, so pull the batteries and wipe the body only. Splashproof and waterproof are not the same thing. PASS Certified notes that fully waterproof toys can be submerged, while splashproof ones should only be wiped down.
Skip boiling on anything with a motor, and on plastic, which warps. Harsh chemicals and alcohol are another common mistake, since they can degrade silicone finishes over time. That's why an alcohol-free formula like the [product:21934654853] is the safer pick for regular use.
Drying and Storage
Let everything air-dry completely before it goes anywhere. Trapped moisture is how mildew and bacteria get comfortable. Store toys in breathable individual pouches instead of a sealed plastic bag, and keep different materials from touching, because some of them, silicone especially, can react with each other and turn tacky.
Clean gear lasts longer and keeps you safer. Not complicated, just consistent.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I clean my sex toys?
Every time you use them, both before and after. Fresh use, fresh wash. If a toy has been sitting in storage for a while, give it a quick clean before it touches your body again too.
Can I boil a silicone vibrator to sanitize it?
Only if it has no motor. A solid, non-motorized silicone toy can be boiled for a couple of minutes. Anything with batteries or wiring should never go in water. Remove the batteries and wipe it down instead.
What soap should I use?
Plain mild soap and warm water does the job. It's the scrubbing action that removes most bacteria, not the label on the bottle, so you don't need anything antibacterial or harsh. Fragrance-free is gentler on sensitive skin.
Are porous toys safe to share?
Not really, and not safely. Porous materials trap bacteria that cleaning can't fully reach, so put a condom on anything porous, and ideally keep porous toys to solo use only.
