Care & Safety
Materials, cleaning, storage and lubricant compatibility — the practical side of owning a sex toy, written plainly and without scare tactics.
Body-Safe Sex Toy Materials: Silicone vs TPE vs ABS vs Steel vs Glass
Non-porous materials are the body-safe ones: medical-grade silicone, ABS plastic, stainless steel and borosilicate glass. They can be cleaned thoroughly and will not trap bacteria in the material itself. Porous materials — TPE, TPR, jelly, PVC, rubber — cannot be fully sanitised, so they should be used with a condom and replaced periodically.
Read the guide →How to Clean Sex Toys Properly, by Material
Wash every toy with mild unscented soap and warm water after every use, then dry it completely before storing. Non-porous, motor-free toys — solid silicone, stainless steel, borosilicate glass — can be sanitised further by boiling for three minutes. Anything with a motor gets washed by hand, never submerged unless it is rated waterproof, and porous toys can only ever be surface-washed.
Read the guide →Lube Compatibility: Which Lubricant Is Safe With Which Toy
Water-based lubricant is compatible with every toy material and every condom — if you only keep one, keep that. Silicone lubricant is safe on glass, steel and ABS but should be patch-tested on silicone toys, because some silicone swells or goes tacky against it. Oil-based lubricant degrades latex condoms and should not be used with them at all.
Read the guide →