How to Clean and Store Sex Toys Properly
How to clean sex toys by material, when soap and water is enough, when to sterilise, and how to store toys so they last. A straightforward hygiene guide.
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Cleaning is the least interesting part of owning sex toys and the part that most affects both your health and how long they last. It takes about ninety seconds and most people get at least one detail wrong.
Here’s the whole thing, organised by material.
Why it matters more than it sounds
Toys used internally contact mucous membranes, which absorb far more readily than skin and host a bacterial balance that’s easy to disrupt. Introducing bacteria there can contribute to infections including bacterial vaginosis and yeast overgrowth.
Porous materials compound the problem — bacteria settle below the surface where washing can’t reach. This is the practical reason material choice matters so much, covered fully in our body-safe materials guide.
The default routine
For most toys, most of the time:
- Rinse with warm water immediately after use
- Wash with mild unscented soap, working over the entire surface including seams and the base
- Rinse thoroughly — soap residue is irritating to sensitive tissue
- Air dry completely on a clean towel before storing
That last step gets skipped constantly. Storing a damp toy encourages exactly the microbial growth you just washed off.
Use unscented soap. Fragranced and antibacterial soaps leave residues that irritate genital tissue. Plain, gentle, unscented is correct — the same logic that applies to washing that area of your body generally.
By material
Silicone (no electronics)
- Soap and water for routine cleaning
- Boil for three minutes for full sterilisation
- Or run through a dishwasher on the top rack, no detergent
Only for solid silicone with no motor, battery or seam concealing electronics.
Silicone (with a motor)
- Soap and water only, surface washed by hand
- Never submerge unless it’s rated fully waterproof
- Pay attention to the seam where the control panel meets the body — a common residue trap
Check the rating carefully. Waterproof and splash-resistant are different claims, and manufacturers use the weaker one when it’s accurate.
Glass and stainless steel
The easiest materials to clean. Soap and water, boiling, or dishwasher all work. Fully sterilisable.
Inspect glass for chips before every use and discard anything damaged.
ABS plastic
Soap and water. Don’t boil — it can warp. Fine for surface cleaning.
TPE, TPR and jelly rubber
Wash with soap and water, dry completely, and understand the limitation: these are porous and cannot be sterilised. No cleaning method fully removes what’s settled below the surface.
If you own them, don’t share them, use a condom over them, and replace them every year or two.
Sterilising: when it’s actually needed
Routine soap and water is enough for personal, single-user toys.
Sterilise when:
- Sharing between partners
- Switching between anal and vaginal use
- Returning to a toy after storage
- Recovering from any infection
Anal to vaginal is the one rule with no flexibility. Bacteria from the rectum introduced vaginally is a well-established infection route. Either sterilise fully between uses, change the condom, or keep separate toys — the last being simplest. See our anal toy guide for material considerations specific to that use.
Commercial toy cleaners
Convenient rather than necessary. They’re mostly a mild surfactant in spray form, and they don’t sterilise — they clean, the same as soap.
Genuinely useful when you don’t have easy sink access, or for toys with electronics where you want minimal moisture. Not a replacement for a proper wash.
Skip anything alcohol-based on silicone — it can dry and degrade the surface over time.
Storage
Where most damage actually happens.
Store toys separately, not touching. Some silicone formulations react on contact with each other or with certain plastics, leaving both surfaces permanently tacky. This is irreversible.
Use breathable fabric bags, not sealed plastic. Many quality toys ship with one. Plastic traps residual moisture; fabric doesn’t.
Keep them somewhere cool and dark. Heat and UV degrade silicone over time. A drawer is fine; a sunny windowsill is not.
Remove batteries from anything battery-powered during long storage. Leaking batteries destroy toys.
Store rechargeables partly charged. Lithium batteries degrade fastest at full charge and at empty. Around half is kindest for long gaps.
Travelling
- Use the travel lock if there is one — this is what it’s for
- Remove batteries entirely
- Charge before you leave rather than packing a charger you’ll forget
- Fabric pouch inside your case
Sex toys are legal to carry in most countries, but not all — a handful have import restrictions worth checking before you fly somewhere unfamiliar.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use rubbing alcohol? Not on silicone — it dries the surface over repeated use. Fine on glass and steel.
Do I need to clean a toy before first use? Yes. Manufacturing and packaging residue is real.
How often should I replace toys? Silicone, glass and steel last years with care. TPE and jelly should be replaced every one to two years. Replace anything cracked, sticky, discoloured or damaged immediately, regardless of age.
Can I use a condom instead of cleaning? A condom makes cleaning easier and makes porous toys shareable, but you still wash the toy afterwards. It reduces the job; it doesn’t remove it.
What if a toy smells even after washing? On a non-porous material, wash again with attention to the seams. On a porous material, persistent smell means bacteria below the surface — replace it.
The short version
Warm water, mild unscented soap, thorough rinse, complete air dry. Boil solid silicone, glass and steel when you need true sterilisation. Never share porous toys. Store separately in fabric, somewhere cool and dark.
Ninety seconds each time, and your toys last years instead of months.
