How to Clean Your Sex Toys: A Complete Care Guide by Material

Cleaning a sex toy properly takes about two minutes, and it is the single biggest thing you can do to make your toys last longer and keep yourself comfortable. The wrong cleaning method does real damage: it can turn a good silicone toy sticky, crack a coating, kill a motor, or leave bacteria sitting in a seam until next time.

This guide covers what to use, what never to use, and how the rules change depending on what your toy is made of.

The short version

• Wash before and after every single use. Before matters as much as after — toys pick up dust and residue in storage.
• Warm water and a mild, unscented soap handles the vast majority of toys.
• Never submerge a motorised toy unless it is explicitly rated waterproof.
• Dry it completely before it goes away. Trapped moisture is what causes most of the trouble.
• Store toys separately, not touching each other.

First, work out what your toy is made of

Every cleaning decision follows from the material, so it is worth knowing which of two groups your toy falls into.

Non-porous materials — 100% silicone, borosilicate glass, stainless steel, ABS plastic — have a sealed surface. Bacteria sit on top and wash away. These can be properly sanitised.

Porous materials — TPE, TPR, jelly rubber, PVC, elastomer, and most "realistic" skin-feel materials — have microscopic openings that bacteria can settle into. They can be cleaned, but they cannot be fully sterilised, no matter what you do. That is not a reason to avoid them; it is a reason to treat them differently, which we cover below.

If the packaging is long gone and you genuinely cannot tell, treat it as porous. That is the cautious assumption.

Cleaning by material

Silicone

The most common material for quality toys, and the easiest to look after.

• Wash with warm water and mild unscented soap, or a dedicated toy cleaner.
• If the toy is 100% silicone and has no motor, you can boil it for three to five minutes, or run it through the top rack of a dishwasher with no detergent.
• Never boil a motorised or rechargeable toy, even a silicone one. Heat destroys the motor and the seals.
• Keep silicone lubricant away from silicone toys — the two react and the surface can go tacky or degrade. Use a water-based lube instead.

Glass

Quality glass toys are made from borosilicate, the same glass used in laboratory equipment.

• Soap and warm water, or the top rack of a dishwasher.
• Non-motorised glass can be boiled.
• Inspect it every single time. Run a finger over the whole surface and check for chips, cracks or scratches in good light. A damaged glass toy should be retired immediately, not repaired.

Stainless steel and aluminium

The most durable material there is, and the easiest to sanitise.

• Soap and warm water, boiling, or the dishwasher — all fine.
• Steel tolerates isopropyl alcohol, which most other materials do not.
• Dry it thoroughly to avoid water spots, and check that any coating or plating is intact.

ABS plastic

The hard, smooth plastic used for many bullets, cases and handles.

• Soap and warm water only.
• Do not boil it and do not put it in the dishwasher — it warps.
• Most ABS toys are motorised, so treat them as electronics first.

TPE, TPR, jelly, PVC and other porous materials

These are the soft, skin-like materials used in many strokers, sleeves and budget toys. They feel excellent and they need more care.

• Wash with warm water and mild soap immediately after use. Do not let residue sit.
• Dry completely — inside and out. For a stroker or sleeve, turn it inside out if the design allows, or stand it open so air can move through.
• Use a condom if you want a genuinely clean surface every time. This is the single most effective step with porous toys.
• Do not share porous toys between partners, even after washing.
• Many are finished with renewing powder (usually cornstarch) once dry, which keeps the surface from going tacky. Never use talc.
• Replace them more often than non-porous toys. They are consumables.

Wood, stone and ceramic

Usually sealed with a body-safe finish. Wipe with a damp cloth and mild soap, dry immediately, and never soak or boil — water gets into the seal and lifts it.

Motorised and rechargeable toys

With anything that vibrates, the material tells you what to clean with and the electronics tell you how much water you can use.

• Fully waterproof (often marked IPX7): safe to rinse under running water. Still never boil it.
• Splashproof or water-resistant: a damp cloth only. These are not the same as waterproof.
• Not rated at all, or has a visible battery compartment: wipe the surface with a damp cloth and toy cleaner, and keep water away from the seam and the controls.

Pay attention to the places dirt actually collects: the seam where two halves of the shell meet, the ridge around the buttons, and the magnetic charging contacts. A soft toothbrush kept for the purpose gets into all three. Make sure charging contacts are bone dry before the toy goes back on its dock.

What never to use

• Bleach or household disinfectant. Harsh on materials and far harsher on you if any residue is left behind.
• Scented, antibacterial or heavily fragranced soap on anything going near genital tissue. It causes irritation and can upset vaginal pH. Plain and unscented is the goal.
• Alcohol on porous materials or painted finishes. It dries them out and lifts coatings.
• Boiling water on anything with a motor, battery or LED.
• Abrasive sponges or scouring pads. Scratches in a non-porous surface make it porous.
• Storing a toy while it is still damp. Common, and the cause of more problems than any product on this list.

Drying and storage

Air dry on a clean towel, or pat dry with a lint-free cloth. Give it longer than you think — silicone in particular holds moisture in seams and around bases.

Then store each toy on its own. Two points people miss:

• Silicone reacts with silicone, and with TPE. Two toys left touching in a drawer can bond, discolour, or go permanently sticky at the contact point. Individual pouches or bags solve this completely.
• Take the batteries out of anything battery-operated that you are not using for a while. A leaking battery ends the toy.

Keep everything somewhere cool, dry and out of direct sunlight. A lined storage case or a dedicated bag is worth the small cost — see our cleaners and storage range.

Anal toys, shared toys and strokers

Anal toys need the most thorough clean of anything you own, and they need a flared base — that is a safety requirement, not a style choice. Never move a toy from the anus to the vagina without washing it thoroughly or changing the condom. Browse anal toys designed with proper bases.

Shared toys can transmit STIs. Use a condom and change it between partners, and wash the toy in between. This applies to non-porous toys too — washing is good, but a fresh barrier is better.

Strokers and masturbation sleeves hold moisture better than almost anything else, which makes drying the critical step. Rinse thoroughly, dry completely inside and out, and store open rather than compressed. See our strokers and sleeves.

How often should you clean?

• Before every use — removes dust, lint and any residue picked up in storage.
• After every use, without exception, and ideally straight away rather than the next morning.
• Before and after sharing, or when moving between partners or between body parts.
• Occasionally when unused — a toy sitting in a drawer for months still collects dust.

UV sanitising cases are a genuinely useful extra step, but they are a supplement to washing rather than a replacement for it. UV light does not remove residue.

When to replace a toy

Retire a toy if you notice any of the following:

• The surface has gone sticky, tacky or gummy and stays that way after washing
• Cracks, splits, tears or chips of any size
• Discolouration, or a smell that does not wash out
• Flaking or peeling of a coating or finish
• A porous toy that has been in regular use for a long stretch — these wear out on a schedule, not on damage

A damaged surface cannot be cleaned properly, and that is the point at which a toy stops being worth keeping.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use soap and water on every sex toy?

Almost. Mild unscented soap and warm water is safe for silicone, glass, steel, ABS and porous materials. The exceptions are non-waterproof motorised toys, which should only be wiped rather than washed, and sealed wood or stone, which should never soak.

Can I boil my sex toys?

Only if the toy is 100% silicone, glass or stainless steel and has no motor, battery, LED or electronics of any kind. Three to five minutes is plenty. Everything else is damaged by boiling.

Do I need a dedicated sex toy cleaner?

You do not need one, but it is convenient — particularly for motorised toys you cannot rinse, and for cleaning up quickly. What a toy cleaner mainly buys you is a formula that is already pH-appropriate and unscented, which takes the guesswork out.

Can I use rubbing alcohol?

On stainless steel, yes. On silicone, occasionally and sparingly. On porous materials, painted finishes or anything coated, no — it dries the material and lifts the finish.

Why did my toy go sticky?

Usually one of three things: it was stored touching another toy and the materials reacted, it was put away damp, or a silicone lubricant was used on a silicone toy. A sticky surface that does not wash clean means the material has broken down, and the toy should be replaced.

How should I clean a toy that cannot get wet?

Wipe the whole surface with a cloth dampened with warm soapy water or toy cleaner, then wipe again with a cloth dampened with plain water to lift the soap, then dry thoroughly. Use a soft toothbrush around seams, buttons and charging contacts.

The takeaway

Know your material, wash before and after with something mild and unscented, keep water away from motors that are not rated for it, dry completely, and store everything separately. That is the whole of it — and it is the difference between a toy that lasts years and one that does not last the season.

Stocking up? Take a look at our toy cleaners and storage and our water-based lubricants, which are safe with every material on this page.

This guide is general product care information, not medical advice. If you have symptoms of an infection or irritation, speak to a healthcare professional.