Five sex toy care mistakes almost everyone makes

01Using silicone lube on a silicone toy

Silicone bonds to silicone. Over time it makes the surface tacky, then gummy, then permanently degraded — and no amount of washing reverses it. Water-based lube is the safe default with every silicone toy, and it's what we pack with ours for exactly this reason. Oil-based lube is a separate problem: it destroys condoms.

02Cleaning with the wrong thing

Antibacterial hand soap, washing-up liquid and alcohol wipes all strip or dry out toy surfaces, and heavily fragranced soap leaves residue somewhere it shouldn't be. Warm water and a plain unscented soap does the job on non-porous materials. Anything with a motor gets wiped rather than submerged unless the box says it's fully waterproof.

03Putting it away damp

This is the big one. A toy stored slightly wet — especially in a drawer or a sealed pouch — is a perfect environment for the stuff you don't want near your body. Air-dry fully on a clean towel before storing, every single time.

04Storing everything jumbled together

• ◆Different materials react to each other: soft TPE pressed against silicone can leave both marked or sticky.
• ◆Loose toys in a drawer collect dust and fibres, which then need cleaning off before every use.
• ◆Buttons get pressed. A rechargeable toy that switched itself on in a bag is a dead battery and a noisy surprise.
• ◆Store each item in its own cotton or fabric bag, apart from the others, out of direct sunlight.

05Keeping a toy past its retirement date

Retire anything that's cracked, sticky, discoloured, tearing, or smells of plastic no matter how you wash it. Porous materials — jelly, TPE, anything that doesn't name its material — can never be fully sanitised, so they have a shorter life by design. A damaged surface cannot be cleaned, whatever you use on it.

Our body-safe materials guide explains which materials last and how to read a label, and the cleaning guide has the step-by-step version by material.

06The ninety-second routine

• ◆Rinse under warm water straight after use.
• ◆Wash with plain unscented soap, paying attention to seams and ridges.
• ◆Rinse again so no soap is left behind.
• ◆Pat dry, then air-dry fully on a clean towel.
• ◆Store in its own bag, away from other toys, with the battery charged.