Almost every sex toy can be cleaned with a thorough scrubbing. This technique does not disinfect or sterilize the toy. But in most cases, if you are the only person who will be using the toy, surface cleaning will suffice.
Before you begin, determine the water safety level of your toy. If a toy is non-mechanized (such as a solid silicone dildo), or if it is mechanized but rated splash-proof or waterproof, it is safe to rinse the toy with water in the sink.
If a toy is splash-proof, this means it is safe to get its surface wet. If a toy is waterproof, then it is safe to submerge it completely to a certain depth. The box or instructions for the toy will usually indicate whether the toy is waterproof or splash-proof. If the toy is not waterproof, it should only be wiped with a damp paper towel or washcloth, not rinsed or submerged in water.
If the toy is battery operated, remove the batteries before cleaning.
Rinse the toy with water, or wipe the surface with a damp paper towel or washcloth to remove any surface debris. Then apply liquid soap directly to the toy and scrub, if you are cleaning in the sink, or wipe again with a damp cloth and some liquid soap.
If there are recesses or crevices on the toy where dirt is hidden, use your special soft toothbrush to remove any debris. Then rinse or wipe the toy with water until it is completely clean.
Place the clean toy on a clean towel and let it air dry. According to Deysach, “Air drying is best for most toys to avoid lint sticking to the toy and to give it time to let any nooks and crannies dry completely.” She also recommends letting battery-operated toys dry with the battery box open.
A note on sex toy cleaning sprays and wipes. There are a variety of products on the market specifically for cleaning sex toys, but in most cases, plain soap and water work just as well.” Deysach says, “Sprays and wipes may be convenient, but most need to be rinsed off, so they probably won’t save you time or effort.” The few products that don’t require rinsing are the exception, “such as AfterGlow cleaning wipes.
Disinfecting or sanitizing
Sometimes simple cleaning is not enough. These are some of the situations where it is recommended that toys be disinfected.
The toy will be shared by someone who does not have a liquid bond. (The toy can also be covered with a condom when shared).
Toys come into contact with genitals during active yeast, bacterial or sexually transmitted infections, and it may harbor associated pathogens. A 2014 study found that in some cases, human papillomavirus (HPV) could be detected on the surface of a vibrator within 24 hours of basic surface cleaning. (One of the study’s authors received “funding and non-financial support from Pure Romance, Inc.” a company that sells sex toys).
You want to use the same toy both anally and vaginally. Experts recommend using a condom in this case.
You want to remove the smell of anal toys. Silicone toys, in particular, can sometimes have problems with odor lingering.
These technologies will kill most pathogens. Also, dishwashers can effectively kill bacteria, but not viruses or fungi. These steps are also helpful in removing odors from silicone toys.
Boiling
You can sterilize 100 percent silicone, stainless steel and borosilicate glass toys by first surface cleaning them and then submerging them in a pot of boiling water for three minutes. Deysach recommends putting a towel in the pot with the glass toys as a cushion to prevent them from cracking or breaking as they “bounce around in the pot.” And it’s a good idea to carefully monitor the boiling process, Deysach says.
Use tongs to remove the boiled toy from the water and let it air dry on a clean towel. Don’t rinse with cold water immediately after boiling, as extreme temperature changes may stress the material.
Bleaching
Toys can be disinfected with a bleach solution after the surface has been cleaned. Chase recommends using a ratio of five tablespoons (⅓ cup) of household bleach per gallon of water to make a bleach solution. “Either spray the toy with the bleach solution and leave it for 10 minutes or submerge the toy in the bleach solution for 10 minutes,” she said.
Her advice is based on the CDC’s disinfection recommendations. Only toys rated as 100% waterproof (not splash-proof) can be safely submerged in a bleach solution. After the bleach treatment, wash the toy once more thoroughly with soap and water.
Skip UV sanitizers
While some people swear by UV boxes to sanitize sex toys, we prefer the bleach and boil methods because they are much less expensive and equally or more effective in most cases. “I don’t think the average sex toy owner needs such an expensive cleaning tool, it’s a niche product,” writes Dangerous Lilly in her article on UV light boxes.
One concern is that UV light only disinfects the areas it can reach. As a result, it may not be very effective for toys that have nooks and crannies.
