All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission. Not only will routine maintenance help them last for years, but because they come into direct contact with bodily fluids, poor sex toy hygiene can be seriously unsanitary and even cause infections.
Ross adds. So, yes, it is that important to sanitize your little pleasure accessories—each and every time. Here, experts explain the correct way to clean every type of sex toy.
You might think you can just dunk your sex toy in soap and water and be done with it. You can divide most sex toys into two broad categories: those made of porous and nonporous materials.
If the material is porous, it has tiny holes like pores that can harbor bacteria, fungi, and general gunk, Dr. Ross says. Some common examples:. Here are some common nonporous sex toy materials:. Plus, some though to be clear, not all porous materials—PVC in particular—contain phthalates. More research is needed, though, according to the National Library of Medicine. Though porous toys are more likely to harbor bacteria and other microorganisms than nonporous ones, you should clean any type of toy right after using it—as well as before sharing it with a partner.
It might not be the sexiest part of your pleasure routine but it really is critical for your health. When you use a sex toy, odds are some of these microorganisms will attach themselves to the material. Streicher says. Leone explains. You need to be careful about gastrointestinal GI bacteria too, he adds. The rectum is home to all kinds of bacteria, such as E. Plus, different microorganisms have different surface lifespans, some longer than others.
