SEX TOY 101: Cleaning, Storing, and Caring for you sex toys… For Beginners
Sex toys are like magical living creatures. They cost a lot of money and should be properly taken care of. Now I’m not talking about those $3 dildos you can buy off wish (that are made from god knows what) but I’m talking about the good quality, safe, sexy sex toys from legitimate websites. I have spent thousands on sex toys, and I can say that I have a few that I bought over 10 years ago that still look and feel like I just took them out of the package. Ironically GOOD quality and expensive sex toys can easily break down and fall apart because of the material it is made from. Lubes, heat, and improper cleaning can all break down good silicone… It is really crazy to me that the expensive stuff is more easily broken down BUT even though it is tempting to buy a $3 dildo you need to think of what you are putting into your body and the long term possibly cancerous or deadly effects it can have on you.
- Safe Sex Toys
Let’s first talk about the quality of sex toys you can and are buying and what possible chemicals can be in them. Unfortunately, the FDA does not regulate the sex toy industry and just labels them as “Novelty Items”. Because of that you never know what chemicals are in the toys you are putting into your body. So just like you watch what’s in the food that you eat, or the makeup you put on your skin, you should also watch out for the things you put inside your pussy or asshole.
The First thing you want to watch out for is phthalates, these chemicals basically bond plastic together and make them more flexible. These are usually found more in the cheaper sex toys and have been links to a whole bunch of different things like, type 2 diabetes, male fertility, asthma just to name a few. Think about that before you go to dish out a few bucks for a cheap toy before buying the good quality items. Now here is where it gets kind of tricky, a lot of companies will have a label that says “Phthalate Free” however because it is not FDA regulated it can be a lie and there still may be Phthalates in them…
Other chemicals that may cause fetal damage to pregnant or nursing women and other chemicals that just aren’t safe and may cause more harm than good are…
- Phenol
- Carbon Disulfide
- Chlorine
- Timethytin Choloride
- Toluene
- Admium
- Aluminum
…just to name a few. If a toy does not have a label with the chemical ingredient list on it, a little trick that I use is to smell the toy. If the toy smells like a crazy chemical or just a super strong plastic smell and just doesn’t smell right, chances are you might not want to use it… It’s not worth it. Also try and avoid any toys made from Jelly, Rubber, PVC and Vinyl.
- Safer Sex Toys
Secondly, let’s talk about sex toys THAT ARE safe for the body and hell of a lot safer than the ones I have listed above. Now DON’T be scare to use sex toys, just do your research and purchase from reputable website and use this blog post as a great beginning step in proper research. These 4 types of material are usually my go to materials when choosing a proper sex toy… This may sound weird but when I purchase a sex toy its kid of like adopting a pet. You want to make sure you find the right one that will work best for you. You try to find one that is the right size, right breed, and perfect type of aggression. That being said, here is my list of some favorite materials.
Silicone: This is almost always my go to when purchasing a Dildo or sex toy. If it’s made from 100% body safe silicone, then it is my kind of toy. Silicone is not cheap so if you are trying to purchase a silicone dildo for $5 or less then it’s probably not silicone. Most of the silicone dildos I have purchased have been $30 or more and you can see a notable difference then with the cheaper sex toys. Silicone comes in a few different kinds of firmness and styles. My favorite is Eco Flex Silicone because it is very flexible and very life-like. If you prefer a firmer silicone that is also a possibility. The best method is trial and error and find what works best for you. Silicone can also be colored different colors and casted into pretty much any kind of design from basic penis shaped to crazy fantasy shapes.
Glass: A lot of people REALLY love these glass dildos and toys. However, they are not my cup of tea. I have found a few that I really do enjoy because of the smoothness and texture that they can create with these things but I’m not 100% dedicated to them. These do not change shape or form, Super easy to clean, and are non-porous so you don’t really have to worry about bacteria with proper cleaning.
Stainless Steel: Yes, the same steel used to make your dishwasher, sink, and medical tools. Similar to the glass but have a totally different look to them. They almost look space aged and really cool to have and play with. Again, super easy to clean and non-porous. The downfall is they are usually limited to the shape and design when compared to the silicone.
Lucite: Basically, a hard acrylic sex toys, feels like plastic but is safer. Usually found in Gspot stimulating toys, Kegel toys, and toys that do not require any kind of shape shifting or movability. Non-porous and easy to clean. Sometimes motorized and chargeable or battery operated.
Those are just my 4 main materials but every day it seems that there are more and more materials coming out. For example: Wood, Rock, Real Skin, Latex, etc.… I suggest you do your research and find good NON-porous toys that you enjoy and go from there.
- Caring for your toys
So now that you know the basics of toys, you want to make sure that once you spend those big bucks on the toys you love, you take care of them properly. Cleaning your toy often as well as after every use is very important. After cleaning you want to make sure to properly store and care for your toys. So, let's tackle cleaning and storage.
Cleaning: Sex toys should be cleaned and cleaned OFTEN. I like to clean my toys after every use and even clean my whole collection once a week to keep them dust and particles free. This might be overkill, but think about it, YOU ARE PUTTING THESE TOYS INSIDE OF YOU! This rule does not apply to all toys, for example: Nipple Clamps, Paddles, Handcuffs. Those types of toys really only need to be cleaned if they get bodily fluid on them or get dusty from being stored. I always wash and clean toys before use regardless.
Dildo Cleaning: For MY dildos and silicone sex toys I like to use a good quality toy cleaner in addition to a bi-monthly boil. I will boil them for a few minutes, let them cool down and then wash them by hand with a good toy cleaner like the one listed below. This product is also good for toys that are not waterproof and need a good cleaning.
https://loveyourlust.com/collections/toy-cleaners/products/passion-toy-cleaner
Glass, Steel, Lucite Cleaning: These toys are probably the easiest to clean and the most fun because of how spotless and brand new they look. What I like to do is soak these in toy cleaning and hand sanitizer like the one listed below. Then I love to throw them into the dishwasher (with no soap) and let the steam sterilize them as well as wash off any leftover sanitizer. I love to open that door and watch all the steam come out of the dishwasher and see all the shiny new spotless sparkly toys! It’s so satisfying to me.
https://loveyourlust.com/collections/toy-cleaners/products/advanced-hand-sanitizer-8-oz
Toy Storage after cleaning: There are so many ways to store cleaned toys. I actually have a whole closet full of sex toys and every toy is secured in its own silk or satin bag to prevent debris and dust from collecting on it, that way as I take them out they are all cleaned and ready to use. A toy should not just be thrown in a bedside draw. At the very least after it is cleaned and dried, put it in a Ziploc bag to prevent it from the elements. Most toys these days come with storage bags which is awesome. USE THEM, keep those toys clean!
Have fun and remember, SEX TOYS ARE NOT YOUR ENEMY THEY ARE YOUR TEAMMATES!!
-The Moist Mattress
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