Is your toy made of soda-lime glass? This kind of glass can be sensitive to temperature (which is part of why it can be so much fun during sexual play). Wash a soda-lime glass toy the same way you’d wash a latex or elastomer toy. Finn said that shopping at a trusted retailer can ensure that your toys are high quality and not made out of "novelty" materials like jelly rubber.

Whether it's a steel butt plug, a strap-on silicone dildo, vibrator, or glass anal beads, there is an extra level of risk when using them with a partner. If you're in a fluid-bonded relationship, meaning you know one another's STI status and don't use condoms, just clean the toys after use as you normally would. However, if you're using the same toy with multiple partners, or are sleeping with someone who you're not fluid-bonded with, you should implement safer sex practices. The beauty of nonporous toys is that, as long as they’re not motorized, can even be boiled or run through the dishwasher. When storing your toys, keeping them separate is a good idea, especially when it comes to certain materials, according to Deysach. Borosilicate glass and stainless-steel toys are the only ones safe for bleaching, Finn says, but you really don’t have to take this extra step. Washing as directed above is absolutely enough. If you do decide to bleach a sex toy, though, you want a weak solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water, Finn says. Let the toy soak for 10 to 15 minutes, rinse it off thoroughly, then wash it with mild soap and water. Bleach is persona non grata for your vagina and related parts. You need to make sure there’s not a trace left before using the toy. Silicone, Pyrex, stainless steel, or stone—and it's not motorized: For a deeper clean, place it in boiling water for eight to 10 minutes, or run it through the dishwasher without soap. (Seriously, the hot steam will help sterilize it, says Kerr.)

Regardless of your toy’s material, you should wash and dry it after each use so it’s as clean as possible.

If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that we should all try to be more mindful about sanitization — especially when it comes to the most sensitive areas of your body. While it may not seem sexy, cleaning your sex toys can just be another (perhaps the last) step when you masturbate or play with a partner. Just as you wash your body after sex and rigorously wash your hands after…well, touching anything, cleaning sex toys is crucial to being as safe and healthy as possible. FYI: If you have pets, that “other debris” will likely include pet hair, and that gets on everything. That’s not always the case, though. Let’s say you have a sexually transmitted infection or a vaginal infection, and you decide to masturbate using a toy. It’s possible that some of the pathogens causing the infection will remain on the toy’s surface (if it’s nonporous) or get inside the tiny holes (if it’s porous) and continue to live there, Peter Leone, M.D., an infectious disease specialist at the UNC School of Medicine, tells SELF. If you don’t clean the toy before sharing it with a partner, it’s theoretically possible for you to spread the infection to them, he explains. You may even be able to reintroduce the microorganism in question into your system after you’ve already cleared an infection. Furthermore, you'll want to find a clean space to store your clean sex toy. Not doing so would basically make washing them useless. It'd be like washing your hands only to cough into them seconds later; you'd have to rewash them. Many toys come with their own pouch, which is useful, but there are many other options available too. Into spanking? Head to the kitchen for a spatula. For the best results, seek out spatulas made from rubber or silicone. If you don’t have either of these, a wooden spoon can work, too. However, before engaging in any kind of sexual activity, especially BDSM or something that might involve pain, it’s imperative to have a conversation with your partner about consent, boundaries, and intentions.

To help you avoid getting into an unpleasant or even downright dangerous situation, Mashable spoke with three experts, including Fretz, about how to clean sex toys in the safest and most thorough way. What sex toy material can you clean?

How often should I clean my sex toys?

Your shower head can make for a fantastic clitoral stimulator. While it doesn’t exactly feel like a tongue, it definitely mimics the feel of a vibrator. If you haven't tried this out yet, turn your shower on, and experiment with a variety of temperature settings and speeds. Simply rinsing off your toys isn’t going to get them as clean as you need them to be, which is why using a sex-toy cleaner is oh so important. And while Santini says you can use a fragrance-free, antibacterial soap with no added lotions to clean up your sex toys, a cleanser that’s specifically made for your pleasure products is your safest bet. The material of your toy will determine how you should wash it, but generally speaking, you should keep these things in mind when shopping for sex-toy cleaners: Choose a Water-Based Formula If you have nonvibrating silicone toys (like dildos or butt plugs) you can take an added step and boil them in water for up to 3 minutes to sanitize them thoroughly,” Deysach explains. While you may not have been taught about sex toy cleaning — or sex toys, period — in sex ed, it's a crucial step to protect yourself and your partners. "Like any consumer product, you need to take care of it," said Fretz. "You oil your cast iron pots and cutting boards. You wind your watches. Part of the care of a sex toy, ensuring that it's the same quality product you received in the sanitary seal, in addition to charging or changing the batteries, is regular cleaning." Viral illnesses aren’t the only germs to worry about either. Bath toys and other toys that get wet, such as toys in the pool or those played with outside, are usually full of bacteria and mold. As a result, you want to make sure you’re cleaning every single toy in the house to keep your kids safe.

Washing sex toys before you use them as well will ensure they don't transmit anything harmful into your body, which can help you avoid issues like yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis. “Toys can attract dust and dirt while being stored in drawers, which can have a drastic effect on your vaginal pH,” sex and relationship coach Mike Anderson tells GLAMOUR US. Once you've cleaned your sex toy du jour, let it air-dry or wipe it down with a dry washcloth. Turn on the spin cycle, take a seat, and let the washing machine do all the work while it cleans your laundry. Oh yeah, and it works for sex, too — intercourse on top of the laundry machine can be incredibly stimulating and erotic. While a soapy washcloth and water works in many cases, you can also buy specialized sex toy cleaner. This is Mintz's preferred method, and she advises people to look for a water-based cleaner that's both alcohol and paraben-free. She recommends — and uses herself — LELO's Toy Cleaning Spray. For those looking to compare options, Babeland has a toy cleaner as well.Depending on your budget or what you and your partner(s) are comfortable with, either use a separate toy for each partner or use condoms. "To maintain the cleanliness of the toy it’s best to cover insertive toys with a condom and switch out the condom when switching orifices," Bard says. Yes, you can, but they're really best used in combination with other methods. "Post play wipes are great intermediate cleaning if you don’t have a cleaner or running water on hand," said Fretz, "but you’ll want to fully disinfect it with an anti-bacterial cleaner or soap and water as soon as you can." How often should I clean my sex toys? If you're using a sex toy cleanser, it's still a good idea to first wash your toys with mild soap after you use them. If you're working with non-porous toys like stainless steel and glass dildos or silicone models without any motor, “they should be boiled in hot water for a few minutes, then wiped with mild soap and air-dried,” says Dr. Grover. Motorized or battery-operated toys, however, should not be submerged in boiling water. These can be rinsed well in warm water and thoroughly wiped down with a mild soap, then left to air-dry. (Antibacterial soap isn't necessary in this case.)

Safety is the most important element to consider when looking for a toy cleaner. Ensure that there are no harmful chemicals in the cleaning agent, such as glycerin, triclosan, alcohol and parabens. You will also want to avoid sulfates, phthalates, synthetic dyes and fragrances, chlorine and formaldehyde.The bathtub faucet can be as effective as the shower head,” Jean tells Elite Daily. 7. Electric Toothbrush