Just like anything, if you want it to last and be safe long term a certain degree of maintenance is required. Unsanitized sex toys can lead to nasty infections, and those are never fun. Hence, it is essential to learn how to wash and sterilize sex toys. My 5 go-to tips that I follow religiously when cleaning my sex toys are:

1. Know the Material. Based on what your toy is made out of will determine the best way to clean them. There are two general types – Porous and Non-Porous (glass, plastic, silicone, metals and varnished wood). In almost all cases you’ll be using Non-porous toys as they are becoming the industry standard, it is not recommended to use toys based on Porous materials. Here’s how you clean the different Non-Porous Toys:

Glass Toys: Clean them with disinfected warm water and soap. However, don’t expose glass toys to extremely high temperatures to avoid breakage or cracking.
Stainless Steel Toys: Use warm soapy water to clean them. You can also boil them in a pot or put them in a dishwasher.
Hard plastic Toys: Clean hard plastic toys with warm, sterilized, soapy water. However, do not expose them to extremely high temperatures.
Silicone Toys: You can clean them in boiling water or use a dishwasher. 

2. At Home Solutions. I use a mild soap that is free of harsh ingredients and fragrance. This is to avoid bodily irritation. Harsh ingredients and fragrances can alter the pH of the vagina.

3. Sex Toy Specific Cleaners. Generally I like to utilize cleaning sprays and wipes which are specifically formulated to clean sex toys and have the necessary components to disinfect them. They are pocket-friendly and ease the hustle of washing sex toys using a dishwasher or soapy water.

4. Safety First. Do not submerge electric toys in water. You risk damaging the device and shocking yourself.

5. Drying. I always use a clean towel or dry paper tissues to dry my sex toys after washing them. Storing sex toys while moist is not advisable.