How to look after your sex toys
Although it is not the most wild and exciting topic, this knowledge is crucial to having good clean fun, and will save you loads of time and worry later, giving you much more time doing the naughty things you really want to be doing. Chances are you’re here because you’ve got a new and exciting sex toy and you’re not sure how to care for it. Here are some of the few common questions I get about toy hygiene, if any of these sound like you, you’re in the right place.
Why can't I just use baby wipes or soap?
It’s important to note that you shouldn’t just use anything when cleaning your toys. You don’t use shampoo for your hands and soap or your hair, right? You might be wondering why you can’t use baby wipes or just water! But for toys you’re willing to use intimately, you want to make sure you’re taking the best care possible and unfortunately cleansers made for other areas of your body aren’t going to cut it. In most cases they are too harsh for the toy and for you. Especially if you have sensitive skin, are prone to infection or struggle with easily altered PH levels.
Do different materials need different cleaners?
The short answer, no, they don’t, one premium toy cleanser can be used for any sex toys.
Plastic toys can be rinsed mostly clean with water due to their hard shiny surface, as can PVC toys. Is this something I would be willing to do with my own toys? Hell no. This is for a few reasons, 1, you can never fully guarantee there’s no bacteria left on the toy and 2, toys of this material tend not to be waterproof, not a risk I’m willing to take.
High quality body safe/ medical grade silicone toys absolutely love a good toy cleaner. There’s something very satisfying about seeing your toy(s) sparkling in your drawer as if their still brand new.
Silicone is a fabulous toy material, it is flexible but firm, glides against the skin, and has more of a ‘real feel’ to it. It is also non- porous, meaning it doesn’t have small holes in the surface that can house bacteria easily. With toys like these, water can slip over it nicely, making the toy more resistant to water, if a toy is fully silicone, it might even be waterproof, but more on that another time!
When taken care of properly, silicone can last you a long period of time and will be your most favourite kind of toy! If it is not cleaned with care, with soaps that are too harsh or not at all, the material can deteriorate leaving it more porous and open to bacteria over time. This is even an even bigger risk if you use silicone-based lubricant with your silicone toy. Silicone reacts badly if left on silicone for too long. (okay, I’ve said silicone too much!)
The best way to avoid all this you ask. Specially designed toy cleaners that look after all of your toy needs and give you peace of mind. They should be used before and after use of each individual toy. After all, if you’re investing any money into your pleasure you want to make sure you follow through with aftercare.
What toy cleaners do you offer?
Here at Mintt we have a few options of antibacterial cleansers. specially formulated for your toys! The great thing about both of the following options is the sheer amount you get and how long it is going to last you, toy cleaners in bottles such as these not only last you way longer, but the minimal packaging also makes them better for the environment.
Are these products safe for sensitive skin?
Everyone is different and there is no one cleanser works for all. With this being said, both of the cleansers I’m about to suggest are designed with sensitive skin (all skin) in mind. If you are interested in their composition, I have handily listed all of the ingredients in both cleansers below for you, as well as what they do. Like I said, not the wildest article, but very informative. I would recommend having a quick read through to find out if you have allergies or sensitivity to any of the ingredients.
Side note - I find it helpful to have a face towel in my toy drawer for any cleaning, saves you using lots of tissue or getting into awkward situations when it’s time to clean up
The one I have been using the most at the moment is the Wicked Foam’n’ Fresh Anti-Bacterial Foaming Toy Cleaner, 240ml, £16.99, safe for all toy materials.
This one is simple to use and really does the trick. First, squirt a few pumps of the cleanser on to your toy, smooth over the toy to make sure the surface is all covered nicely. Leave for 10-15 seconds and then rinse off. Just from applying the foam I could already see it working and the mild fresh scent of the lavender, thyme and olive leaf extract really made it feel super clean. For fluids that are harder to clean feel free to get a face towel or cloth to give it an extra scrub. After rinsing, I left my toy out to dry but, if you’re a little shy and are wanting it hidden, you can always wipe it dry and pop it away. Simple right?
Ingredient’s breakdown-
Triclosan fragrance- paraben and alcohol free
Active ingredients:
Benzalkonium Chloride (0.10%) - antimicrobial against bacteria, fungi, and viruses
Other ingredients:
Water
Sodium c14-16 Olefin Sulfonate- this is just the foaming agent, not for prolonged use on the skin but is fine to use on toys as long as it is rinsed off.
Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate- a surfactant considered mild, gentle and effective for most skin types
Sodium Trideceth Sulphate- foaming agent very low in skin irritation as long as it is used briefly on the skin, as it doesn’t touch the skin at all this is not an issue
Cocamidopropyl Betaine- surfactant that bonds with dirt and oil sticking it to the cleaner and removing it from the toy
Propylene Glycol-can be used in food, but in this case is a stabilizer and emulsifier
Lavandula Angustifolia (lavender) flower extract- can sooth inflammation
Olea Earopaea (olive) leaf extract- antioxidant
Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) extract- antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti- inflammatory effects
Tetrasodium EDTA- foaming agent, antifungal and antibacterial
Citric Acid- mild disinfectant against viruses and bacteria
Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone- preservative active against bacteria, yeast and fungi, safe in small concentrations and when not left on the body.
Lelo Toy Cleanser, 60ml £8, suitable for silicone, latex and rubber toys.
My first thoughts here are oooo, Lelo!! This packaging looks like skincare, super discreet and fancy. I hold this brand in very high regards. They have such a fantastic collection of toys, and this cleanser is rated 5 stars on the Lelo website. What I love most is the fact that it is a spray, I can’t say it makes much difference to the way it cleans the toy compared to the foam, but it means that the toy is fully covered in cleaner without you having to smooth it over. This makes it a fraction easier to use if you don’t want to get your hands involved. A good thing to note about this product is the fragrance, this one definitely had more of a chemical-based smell than the Wick’d foam, I personally don’t like this so much, but someone else may prefer it. Something about a stronger smell may make you feel like it’s really working. You know the drill guys, ingredients below.
Alcohol and paraben free
Ingredients:
Water
Butylene Glycol- increases moisture
Glycerin- a moisturiser to prevent skin irritations
Sodium c14-16 Olefin Sulfonate- this is just the foaming agent, not for prolonged use on the skin but is fine to use on toys as long as it is rinsed off.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate- emulsifying cleaning agent
Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate- foam boosting cleanser
Poloxamer 184- a surfactant found in lots of facial cleansers
Decyl Glucoside- gentle surfactant
Chamomilia Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract- German Chamomile that is a natural moisturiser and anti- inflammatory
Thymol- anti-inflammatory and anti- bacterial
Phenoxeyethanol- a preservative
DMDM Hydantoin- antimicrobial
Triethanolamine- adjust the pH
After trying both, my judgements are in. If you have more to spend on your toy cleanser, go for the Wicked foam as it works out as £4.24 per 60 ml as opposed to Lelo £8 per 60ml, much better value for money. If you’re a bit of a brand snob (aren’t we all?) go for the Lelo. I don’t mind, so long as you’re staying clean and taking care of your sexy equipment you go for whatever one you like. Now that we’ve got the boring stuff out the way, go have some fun and live your best life Minties ???? any questions feel free to drop them below in the comment box or if you want to ask directly contact me at bettyloxley@109.70.148.169, until next time <3