PRODUCT 101

Cleaning Sex Toys: Best Way to Wash Vibrators, Dildos, and Fleshlights

The last thing you want to think about when you're basking in a post-orgasmic glow is cleaning the sex toy that helped get you there. It's tempting to toss it back into your night table drawer or the goodie box stashed under your bed. But cleaning sex toys is essential not only for toy maintenance and usage but also for avoiding the risk of infection.

We are going to give you the need-to-know details on cleaning sex toys. This includes washing internal external vibrators, dildos made from different materials, and fleshlights. Remember: using sex toys is about the pleasure, but you also want to stay safe!

How Often Should You Clean Your Vibrators?

You should clean your vibrators every time you use them. You should wash them well after each use and you might rinse them off before using them again in case they are dusty.

If you're sharing a sex toy with a partner(s) wash it before each new person uses it. By cleaning your toy thoroughly after each use, you should not have to worry about giving or getting an infection or UTI. If you use a condom on your sex toy, you can skip washing between partners, just put a new condom on it instead. Even so, you'll want to clean the toy well before putting it away for next time.

What Can Happen if You Don’t Wash Your Sex Toy?

Not cleaning your sex toys can result in bacteria spreading from the surface of the toy to your body. This can leave you susceptible to urinary tract infections (UTIs), fungal infections, and even sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Using a dirty vibrator may also give you a yeast infection if it introduces new bacteria into the genital area. That’s why it’s absolutely vital that you take the necessary time to clean your sex toys after each use.

How to Clean Sex Toys

Cleaning sex toys is often pretty straightforward. You want to hand wash using antibacterial soap and warm water – which is best for your hands and your toys. You can also use sex toy cleaners. Some adult toy cleaners come in wipe forms that make for easy clean-up – though many of these cleaners might also need to be rinsed off, anyway.

@trojanbrandcondoms Lather, rinse, repeat 💦 Here’s how to wash your vibrator to keep things squeaky clean! #LearnWithMe #LearnOnTikTok ♬ FEEL THE GROOVE - Queens Road, Fabian Graetz

How to Clean Silicone Vibrators

Many sex toys – including internal and external vibrators as well as vibrating rings and more – are made of silicone, so it’s important to know how to clean those materials. Follow these steps when cleaning silicone sex toys:

Use Antibacterial Soap: Most antibacterial soaps have added ingredients to help kill or reduce bacteria, so you should probably opt for antibacterial soap instead of cleaning your sex toys with plain hand soap.

Wash with Warm Water: There's nothing else to say here – warm water is best for your hands and your toys.

Lather, Rinse, Repeat: Just like when you're washing your hands, sing at least one round of Happy Birthday to make sure the toy has enough time with the soap and water.

Don't Forget Your Hands: While you're at it, wash your hands and wipe down your lube bottles to make sure everything is clean for next time.

Towel Dry and Store in a Clean Place: Gently towel dry your toy before putting it away. Many sex toys come with a fabric bag for storage which can help keep dust off. If you do not have a storage container, make sure you store sex toys in a cool, dark place. As is the case with condoms, a cooler environment is preferred for storage and longevity.

Don’t fret over the amount of water you use when cleaning sex toys. Nearly all Trojan™ vibrators and sex toys are water-resistant. The Trojan™ Tandem Couples Vibrating Ring is not water-resistant, but it’s also a single-use cock ring – so you want to discard it immediately after use, anyway. Just avoid fully submerging or soaking silicone and other sex toys when cleaning, and follow all cleaning instructions so you can reduce the risk of damaging your silicone sex toy.

How to Clean Dildos

Non-vibrating dildos are usually made of latex, rubber, or plastic. The steps are essentially the same for cleaning these materials as silicone sex toys – you want to wash them with soap and warm water.

However, some vibrating dildos are porous and made of materials like leather. These sex toys won’t run underwater. So, instead, you want to apply soap to a clean cloth and dampen it with warm water before wiping it down thoroughly to properly wash porous sex toys. You might also look for an adult toy cleaner if you own these kinds of sex toys.

Know what materials your dildos are made of and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning and handling.

How to Clean Fleshlights

A fleshlight, sometimes called a “pocket pussy” is a sex toy meant for people with a penis to stimulate vaginal, anal, or oral sex. The most important part of cleaning fleshlights is addressing the sleeve—or the area where you insert the penis for masturbation.

Remove the Sleeve: The first step in cleaning a fleshlight is removing the sleeve from the external case.

Wash the External Case: Just as you would with most other sex toys, wash your external case using soap and warm water.

Rinse the Sleeve: Before giving your fleshlight a deeper clean, run lukewarm water through both ends of the sleeve. Avoid using very hot or cold water, as this may damage the material. You should also consider covering one end of the sleeve after filling it up with water and shaking to help dislodge lingering lube or other materials.

Add Cleaner: The inner sleeve in fleshlights typically requires specific sex toy cleaners, since you cannot clean the sleeve with soap.

Allow Fleshlight to Dry: Place your fleshlight case on a paper towel and let it air dry. For the sleeve, you want to place it vertically so any water remaining inside can drip out. Most fleshlight brands will also include refreshing powder when you buy this type of sex toy – so add a little powder to the sleeve once it has dried before reassembling the fleshlight.

Again, fleshlights usually have added cleaning or refreshing accessories. If you decide to purchase a fleshlight, make sure you read the instructions for use and cleaning.

How to Remove Ejaculate Stains from Sex Toys

You can clean fresh ejaculate stains, like semen, from most sex toys using antibacterial soap and water or an adult toy cleaner following the steps we’ve covered in the sections above. You might consider using a cloth or paper towel to wipe off excess ejaculate before moving to cleaning. Regardless, follow your sex toy’s instructions for cleaning.

Remember, you want to clean any ejaculate from sex toys immediately after using. Aside from it being best practice, dried ejaculate can also be difficult to remove.

Keep it Sexy and Safe by Cleaning Your Sex Toys!

Whether you're introducing sex toys in a relationship or trying them solo, cleaning these items is a must. So, after you finish a mesmerizing solo masturbation session or playing with your partner, make sure to clean your sex toys to help reduce the risk of infection.

And, if you’re just making the plunge into sex toys, try a Trojan™ vibrator! From vibrating cock rings to remote control vibrators and more, find the right Trojan™ sex toy so you can help bring the orgasms to explosive new heights.