Sex Toy Myths Debunked Part 2: Cleaning, Storage and Everyday Use

Part 1 of this series took on six confident claims — about glass, silicone, waterproof ratings, size, vibrators and cock rings — and checked each one against what our own listings and guides actually state. This second part stays closer to home: the everyday beliefs about cleaning, storage and use, the ones that sound like common sense until you read the guide that covers them. Same rule as before: where a listing does not state something, this article says so, instead of filling the gap.

Myth 1: A toy only needs cleaning when it looks dirty

What is true: looking clean is not the test. Our cleaning guide gives the routine without exception: every use ends the same way — rinse it, wash it with mild soap, rinse it again — and do it soon after use, while residue is still easy to remove, rather than leaving the toy until later. The same rule applies before the first use, too.

The case where a skipped wash matters immediately, not over time, is sharing. The guide answers it directly: clean the toy between users, the same way you would clean it between your own uses — wash, rinse, dry. A toy that is cleaned every time never needs a rescue clean, because nothing has been left to build up. See how to clean sex toys: a complete guide by material and design.

Myth 2: Boiling it, or putting it in the dishwasher, cleans any toy

What is true: no guide on this site recommends boiling a toy or putting one in a dishwasher, and the cleaning routine our guides actually give is much plainer: mild, unscented soap and warm water, rinse until no soap remains. The same guide says what not to do: no harsh cleaner, no bleach, nothing with a strong fragrance — and no heat source to speed up drying, not even a hair dryer.

Water has its own limit, too. A motorised toy goes under running water only if its listing states it can be rinsed or submerged; if the listing states no waterproof rating at all, treat the toy as not submersible and clean it with a damp cloth and mild soap, then wipe it dry. And if a maker gives specific cleaning instructions for a toy, those take priority over any general routine, including this one. See the cleaning guide and waterproof sex toys: how to choose for bath and shower.

Myth 3: Lube is optional for anal toys

What is true: for anal play, lube is not optional — that is the word our anal-beads guide uses. The anus does not lubricate itself, so the guide's instruction is to use plenty of it, with water-based lube as the safe default for every anal toy, applied to the beads and to yourself, with more added during use.

The same guide pairs lube with pace: start with the smallest bead, go one bead at a time with a pause between them, and stop when it feels full and comfortable — you do not have to insert all the beads. A feeling of pressure or fullness is normal; sharp pain is not, and the guide's answer to that is to stop, add lube, and try again another time if you need to. See anal beads: design, retrieval and cleaning basics.

Myth 4: Any toy can be used anally — a toy is a toy

What is true: design decides, and anal toys are designed differently on purpose. Our anal-beads guide puts it plainly: the beads are the toy, and the handle is the safety feature — never use beads without a handle or a retrieval loop. A butt plug is built the same way around the same idea: one tapered shape with a wide base, so it stays where it should.

That is the check to run before any toy is used that way: handle, loop or wide base. A suction cup, for example, is built to hold a toy still on a surface — it is not a retrieval handle, and it does not turn a toy designed for one use into an anal toy. Our range's beads carry the design in the name: Black Anal Beads with External Handle, 96 in stock. See the anal-beads guide and anal toy safety: bases, hygiene and comfort.

Myth 5: Toss them all in a drawer together — storage does not matter

What is true: storage is the second half of cleaning, and the guide is specific about it. Store a toy only when it is clean and fully dry — let it air dry completely on a clean towel or a clean dry surface first, and never seal it inside a drawer or a pouch while it is still wet, because damp storage is where smells and residue build up.

Then keep toys apart: a clean, dry pouch or box each, in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight and away from other toys. Storing toys touching each other, especially toys made of different materials, is how surfaces mark and stick to each other over time — our 9-inch dildo is PVC at $49 and our Thick Sucker is silicone at $80, the same 1.77-inch diameter, and the guides store them separately for exactly that reason. Do not store a toy with anything else in the same pouch — no charger, no bottle — and keep toys out of bathrooms for storage, the dampest room in a home. See the cleaning guide and sex toy materials, care and storage.

Myth 6: A small chip, crack or tear does not matter — keep using it

What is true: damage is found by inspection, and the guides treat inspection as part of the routine, not an extra. For glass the rule is absolute: inspect for chips or cracks before every use and never use one that has either — a small chip can become a sharp edge — and store it where it cannot knock against hard objects, ideally in a pouch or wrapped in cloth.

For other materials the same habit is how wear is caught: the cleaning guide's deep-clean step includes working into the texture by hand and inspecting while wet, because texture, grooves and suction bases are where residue — and damage — hides. If inspection finds a chip, a crack or a tear, do not pretend it is not there: the glass rule shows how seriously this site takes a damaged surface, and a toy with a damaged surface is not a toy to keep using on the assumption that it will be fine. See glass vs silicone dildos: feel and safety and the cleaning guide.

Six myths, one pattern again: the belief sounds like common sense, and the guide says something narrower. Wash after every use, dry fully before storing, store toys separately, check the design before the use — handle, loop or wide base — and read the spec table before the claim. Part 1 covered the claims about what a toy is made of and what it can do; this part covered what happens before and after use. If a word on a product page is still unclear, the A–Z glossary defines it in plain language, and part 1 of this series covers the six myths that came before these.