Today we’ll talk about how to properly care for the sex toys that are lying around all over your home. We’ll describe the different materials used to make adult toys and provide the appropriate methods for hygienic cleaning and storage for each one.
Hygiene and cleaning of sex toys under the microscope
The basic rule is to always wash the toy before first use – many manufacturers treat toys with a special disinfectant that must be rinsed off. Usually, water with a little soap is enough—but this depends on the specific material. You can find this information on the retailer’s website or on the product packaging itself, and then check here for the individual types and their ideal cleaning methods.
Toy Materials and Care
We’ve selected the most common materials found in sex toys at a significant number of Czech online and brick-and-mortar sex shops. For each one, we’ve included the appropriate cleaning and disinfection instructions so you can always ensure your toy is thoroughly cleaned before and after use.
ABS plastic
This material has a very dense chemical structure (lattice), so its surface has no tiny holes where dirt or bacteria could accumulate. ABS plastic is a harder material similar to classic plastic (PVC), but unlike PVC, it does not release harmful substances (plasticizers – phthalates), making it suitable for sex toys. ABS plastic is primarily used for toys by major global players – LELO, Fun Factory, and other smaller companies (Odeco, FeelzToys, and others).
Cleaning: with hot water, soapy water, or an alcohol-based cleaner (such as Erotic Toy Cleaner)
Wood
Wood is a relatively problematic material and is rarely used for toys. Only a few companies worldwide specialize in the production of wooden toys—we are familiar with the German company WaldMichlsHoldi. The surface of wood is very porous, and therefore highly susceptible to the growth of bacteria and mold. Wooden toys therefore have a special glass-based glaze that prevents these harmful phenomena.
Cleaning: hot water, soapy water.
Ceramics
Ceramic is an excellent material for making toys—it has a very tight chemical lattice, so after glazing (applying a special durable layer to the surface of the ceramic) it is very strong and impermeable. Ceramic is used in very high-end toys. During play, you can take advantage of its properties, which are very similar to glass – it quickly absorbs cold/heat, is highly durable, and has a heavier weight.
Cleaning: with hot water or an alcohol-based cleaner.
Metal
Metals are rarely used in sex toys, and when they are, they are usually exclusive devices that can cost tens or even hundreds of thousands. Gold, silver, and platinum are used for these luxury bedroom toys—see the luxury collection from the Swedish brand LELO.
Cleaning: with hot water or an alcohol-based cleaner – they can withstand just about anything.
Jelly / gel
Jelly is a classic gel that you’re surely familiar with from many sex toys. It’s pleasantly soft to the touch, often transparent, and comes in a wide variety of shapes and colors. However, gel has its drawbacks—the surface is very porous, so it must be thoroughly cleaned after each use. Plus, many “gel toys” may contain unhealthy additives (such as plasticizers that are released into the mucous membranes during use). Over time, the gel material also ages and its properties deteriorate—it can crack and develop an unpleasant odor.
Cleaning: with hot water or an alcohol-based cleaner.
Latex
An increasing number of people are allergic to latex. Natural rubber contains a large amount of allergens – yet it is still used in many toys. For example, latex is a key component in inflatable anal plugs because other materials have problems with repeated stretching.
Cleaning: We do not recommend using alcohol-based cleaners or boiling water; use soapy water or special latex cleaning products.
Silicone
Silicone is one of the safest materials used in the adult industry. It is inert to the environment, hypoallergenic, and has a very dense structure—dirt and bacteria hardly adhere to its surface. Silicone is resistant to sunlight, has high color fastness, and does not degrade over time. Today, it is almost standard to use medical-grade silicone for sex toys.
Cleaning: Toys can be briefly boiled in water or cleaned with an alcohol-based solution.
Glass
A perfect material that is completely inert and has a very tight chemical lattice. Nothing sticks to its surface; when lubricating, just a small amount of gel or oil is enough for it to glide smoothly. It has recently become very popular for toy manufacturing. When it comes to cleaning and storage, glass is one of the best materials.
The experts at GlassVibrations specialize in manufacturing glass sex toys. They primarily produce anal plugs and dildos, but some pieces also feature built-in vibrations. Glass is safe for sex toys thanks to its high durability—borosilicate glass, often referred to as Pyrex, is used for this purpose.
Cleaning: can be boiled and cleaned with alcohol-based products, or washed in the dishwasher.
TPR / TPE
Thermoplastic rubber is a special material that has properties similar to human skin – pleasant to the touch, easily retains heat, and looks realistic. Many companies refer to this material by different names—Real Feel SuperSkin, Loveclone, Cyber Skin, Nature Skin, Super Clone, and others.
The downside of this material’s softness is that after use (and for storage), the surface must be dried and powdered – the rubber’s surface is so soft that during prolonged storage, it could irreversibly stick to the rest of the toy and ruin it.
Cleaning: do not use soapy water; instead, use only clean hot water, or a diluted sex toy disinfectant solution for heavy soiling.
How to store sex toys
Sex toys made of various materials should be stored in separate boxes (such as the ones they come in), or pouches (either those provided by the manufacturer—we tested Fun Factory Toybags). We made two large boxes for our toys, and the individual pieces are in pouches.
Storage is important to pay attention to—some materials can react with each other, leading to their degradation.
After six months of improper storage, we managed to ruin a lower-quality line of silicone (it was likely defective and shouldn’t have been sold at all)—it began to dissolve when it reacted with the gel (jelly).
How do you care for your toys, or how do you store them? Let us know in the comments.
Your opinions 4 opinions
Dobrý deň, chcela by som sa opýtať, či je možné po dezinfekcii erotickych pomôcok napríklad análneho kolíka pomocou prípravku obsahujúceho alkohol, dráždiť potom aj môjho priateľa, čiže by sme používali jeden analny kolik obaja, ale po použití by sme ho vyčistili. Je možné to takto používať? Alebo sa to neodporúča? Ďakujem za odpoveď.
Dobrý den,
takový přípravek je dobrý na dezinfekci, ale pro sdílení hraček bych se nebál (pokud je třeba ze silikonu a nemá uvnitř eletroniku) ho vyvařit ve vroucí vodě – právě třeba silikon je na takové dezinfikování stavěný a tím zneškodníte už veškeré bakterie a breberky.
Hezký den
všechny naše recenze – cca 80 jich najdete zde: https://www.lascero.com/eroticke-hracky-pomucky/.
Případně pro “netknuté” erotickými hračkami bych vám doporučil nějaké drobné pomůcky – malý vibrátor na klitoris/poštěváček, případně vibrační škrtící kroužek pro prodloužení erekci a lepší dráždění partnerky.
Škrtící kroužky máme otestované zde: https://www.lascero.com/tag/skrtici-krouzky/ a dobrým základním vibrátorem na klitoris je tento: https://www.lascero.com/eroticke-hracky-pomucky/klitoris-se-ma-na-co-tesit-vibrator-na-klitoris/.
TOP erotické hračky pro ženy/páry jsou We-Vibe (https://www.lascero.com/eroticke-hracky-pomucky/chci-tebe-a-tebe-test-vibratoru-we-vibe-4/ ), případně vibrátor pro oba – ideální jak při masturbace, předehře i samotném sexu pro oba: https://www.lascero.com/eroticke-hracky-pomucky/recenze-vibratoru-na-prsty-jimmyjane-hello-touch/.
Případně We-Vibe (partnerský vibrátor, který můžetepoužívat zároveň při klasickém sexu) lze koupit i levněji, ale je to starší verze, nemá dálkové ovládání, ale je stále dost prodávaný pro svou dobrou cenu: https://www.lascero.com/eroticke-hracky-pomucky/recenze-vibrator-pro-zeny-we-vibe/.
hledám něco pro přítelkyni a sebe…vibrátory, nějaké fajnovosti, vůbec jsme v tom zatím nejeli… pripadne vypichnout 4-5 věcí, jdeme po tom “nejlepším”. to je tak, když baba není doma…spíš něco pro oba dva..
Pečujeme o ně dobře,protože se řídíme radama v tomto článku s několikaletým předstihem:)
A skladuje v zásuvce.