Basic Guidelines for the Care and Use of Your Toys

Once you start exploring with erotic toys, it is very important that you take care of the wonderful collection you accumulate. Yes, your sex toys do require some maintenance. Believe us: making this small effort is well worth it in the long run! The best way to ensure the longevity of your toys is to follow the directions for their use and maintenance from the manufacturer.

Here are some basic care tips for electric and battery-operated toys:

For longer life, remove the batteries when storing vibrators.
Never submerge electrical components in water. Use a damp, soapy washcloth to clean your electric toys.
Protect your water-resistant/waterproof vibes by making sure the rubber O-ring stays tight around the battery connection points. If the O-ring is missing or broken, the vibe is no longer safe to use in water.
For vibrators with cords, wrap a small piece of electrical tape around the wire's connection point and around the vibrator/wire connection point before washing.

How to use or clean your toy safely is determined by whether it’s made of porous or non-porous materials. Examples of non-porous materials include silicone, glass, Pyrex, and stainless steel. Toys made of these materials can be easily cleaned and disinfected in a few different ways. You can use warm, soapy water to wash toys made of any of these materials. You may also place all of these materials in the dishwasher. Finally, you may boil toys made of silicone, Pyrex, and stainless steel. Please note that glass toys should not be exposed to extreme temperatures as they may shatter.

Examples of porous materials include jelly-rubber, Cyberskin (also known as Ultraskin, Softskin, and Soft Packs), soft vinyl, hard plastic, acrylic, leather, vinyl, and nylon. Many of these materials cannot be completely disinfected; therefore, we recommend using condoms with any toys you plan to insert into yourself or others or which may otherwise facilitate the transfer of either bodily fluids or bacteria. You can clean items made of porous materials as follows:

Jelly-rubber: wipe with a soapy cloth and warm water.
Cyberskin: wash delicately with mild soap and warm water. Allow the toy to air dry and then powder it with a small amount of cornstarch (do not use talcum powder). Cyberskin toys should be stored in a plastic bag with a small amount of cornstarch to keep them from getting sticky.
Soft vinyl: wipe with a soapy cloth and warm water.
Hard plastic: wipe with a soapy cloth and warm water.
Acrylic: wash with mild soap and warm water.
Leather & vinyl: wipe with a damp, soapy cloth. Wipe down any toys that have come in contact with body fluids with 70% isopropyl rubbing alcohol. Leather products may also be cleaned with leather cleaner and/or conditioned after cleaning with a leather conditioner. Do not soak leather or vinyl and allow these items to air dry.
Nylon: hand or machine wash with a mild detergent.

Many people enjoy using lubes with their toys, and many toy manufacturers advise the use of lube with their toys. The type of lube you should use will depend not only on your personal preferences but also the type of material the toy is made of. Please note the following:

Water-based lubes are condom compatible and will not harm rubber toys.
Silicone lubes should never be used with silicone toys; the lube will damage the surface of the toy.
Use extreme caution with oil-based lubes; they should never be used with condoms or dental dams, as the oil can dissolve the latex and make them break. Lubes that are oil-based include vaseline, Please Stroke Cream, and Boy Butter.

For more detailed information on how to use toys safely, we recommend the following resources: