When it comes to cleaning our sex toys, more isn’t always better. Just because you might use bleach, alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide while cleaning your bathtub or pesky stains, doesn’t mean you should use chemicals on sex toys. These aren’t just objects in your home, they are being inserted into areas of your body, meaning that what goes on them should be body-safe as well.
While we’re glad you’re eager to learn more about proper hygiene, remember that everything should be used in moderation, and overdoing it can lead to damaged toys or irritation on the body.
In this article, we’ll dive into body-safe cleaning alternatives as well as effective practices for keeping your sex toys clean without compromising their integrity.
While it’s true that all of these chemicals can be used when disinfecting sex toys, don’t overdo it. Each sex toy has specific guidelines and manufacturers’ instructions, so make sure you read them over before putting on your cleaning gloves.
Common harsh chemicals include:
If you’re using bleach to clean your sex toy, use a ratio of five tablespoons of unscented household bleach per gallon of water. Submerge your waterproof toy for 10 minutes and then wash it with soap and water afterward. Never use this type of method on a non-waterproof toy.
Refrain from using ammonia on your sex toy since it can be harmful to your skin. Silicone toys can also be heavily damaged if ammonia is used. Stick with fragrance-free soap and water instead of reaching for this chemical.
Isopropyl alcohol can be used for glass toys. Soak the toy in 1:3 solution for a few hours and rinse the toy completely to remove any chemicals.
Hydrogen peroxide shouldn’t be used often when cleaning sex toys since it can be irritating to the skin, plus it leads to degradation of the toy.
Fragrance-free is usually the gold standard when cleaning sex toys. If you do choose an antibacterial soap, make sure it’s fragrance-free and always ensure that all residue is removed from the toy afterward.
Harsh chemicals are, well, harsh. They clean things a little too well, and your sex toys don’t always need that much effort. Yes, hygiene is important, but not when the cleaning product could lead to more problems.
Harsh chemicals can lead to several risk factors, ranging from material safety to body safety.
Bleach can cause skin irritation and even chemical burns. If you’ve been exposed to bleach on your skin, rinse thoroughly under cool water for 10 minutes.
Prolonged exposure to chemicals like hydrogen peroxide can cause skin irritation, like redness, blistering, burning, and swelling.
Moreover, harsh chemicals can disrupt the body’s pH balance, which can lead to various health issues. A healthy vaginal pH is between 3.8 and 4.5. If the pH balance is thrown off, conditions like bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections, or urinary tract infections can occur.
Symptoms of an imbalanced pH include:
The average sex toy costs $125, and while sex toy cleaning can help your device’s longevity, it’s not recommended to use harsh chemicals on sex toys over long periods. The occasional deep clean won’t degrade your toy overnight, but using chemical-free cleaning can ensure that your toy will last long-term.
Sex toy cleaning can include body-safe sex toy cleaners and non-toxic methods that ensure hygiene and pH safety as well. Don’t overthink cleaning your time. Sometimes, the best practices for sex toy hygiene are already in your kitchen cabinet.
Safe alternatives for cleaning your sex toys include:
First, rinse your toy with warm water and use mild fragrance-free soap or body-safe cleaner and scrub the toy lightly. Using this method is safe for your body and pH balance.
If you want to clean your toy after shared use or give it a deep clean, this is when you can use hydrogen peroxide or bleach, one of the harsher chemical options, and rinse thoroughly afterward. Another deep cleaning method is boiling your toy for 10 to 15 minutes.
Make sure you store your toy in a dry and humidity-free space. Never store your toy if it’s damp, as this can lead to bacterial growth or mold.
If you want to clean your sex toy thoroughly, make sure you avoid these few common mistakes.
Chemicals on sex toys can do more harm than good. While sex toy cleaning is crucial and shouldn’t be neglected, making the switch to safe, body-friendly cleaning methods like we’ve outlined above is suitable for proper hygiene.
Try a body-safe cleaning routine, or check out LELO’s body-safe cleaning spray, and share your experience with us about the switch.
Discover pleasure with:
SONA 2
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