How to Clean and Store Your Dildos

It is essential to know how to clean your dildos properly because they come in direct contact with your vulva, penis, or anus, and bodily fluids. As a general rule, cleaning your sex toys after use is recommended for your health and safety. Using unclean sex toys can introduce bacteria or other pathogens, particularly into your vulvar-vaginal environment, leading to bacterial vaginosis or urinary tract infections.

It is always best to check your toy’s user manual for specific cleaning and care instructions. These instructions are for dildos without motors*

 Remove material from the surface of the toy

  •  There should be no lube or bodily fluids left on your toy. If you are the only person using your toy, using soap, or toy cleaner and water is generally enough.
  •  Avoid using your sex toys if you have an infection such as sexually transmitted infection, urinary tract infection, or bacterial vaginosis (among others).
  • Most sex toys can be cleaned thoroughly with water and gentle liquid soap. This does not disinfect or sterilize your sex toy but is sufficient if you are the only person using the toy.
  • Disinfecting or sterilizing isn’t usually necessary unless you partake in invasive Kink play, like medical play. 

Step 1: Rinse the dildo with water to remove all lube and fluid. Then apply liquid soap or toy cleaner to the toy and scrub. Watch for crevices that trap debris! Then rinse the soap with plain water.

Step 2: Place the clean toy on a clean towel or paper towel and air dry.

 

Disinfecting and Sanitizing

There are situations when soap and water are not enough. Boiling is best to disinfect and kill bacteria particularly if:

  • If you are sharing your sex toys with persons you are not fluidly bonded with, you want to disinfect your toys. Remember, you can put condoms on sex toys too!
  • You’ve used your dildo during active vaginal infection or STI – in this instance, the toy may still hold pathogens.
  • If you want to use the same dildo vaginally and anally, it is advised to disinfect the toy. But, of course, you can always opt for condoms in this case.
  • If you want to remove odor from a booty toy. Order retention is common with silicone toys! 

How to boil your dildos

100% Silicone, stainless steel, borosilicate glass dildos sex toys can be disinfected in boiling water. Begin with surface cleaning them before submerging them into a pot of boiling water for three minutes. Next, remove the toy using tongs and air dry on a clean towel. Do not rinse with cold water after boiling; the extreme temperature change can stress the material.

*Double check the manufacturers guide before boiling a silicone dildo. Not all silicone is made equal! 
 

Storing your dildos and other sex toys

Your cleaned sex toys should be stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, like a shelf or a drawer. We recommend keeping your toys away from direct sunlight or anywhere they can get moist or wet. 

Most sex toys come with a storage pouch or box. If yours doesn’t, place it in a cloth bag to keep your toy away from dust, dirt, and lint. 

We recommend storing your toys individually because materials like silicone, rubber, and TPE tend to react to one another; you wouldn’t want to ruin your favorite toys.

Inspect your dildos and sex toys. If your dildo is getting old and has worn, it might be time to say goodbye.