As more and more people are venturing into the world of sex toys, the diversity of materials used to make them has expanded. Each new toy has a specific protocol for cleaning, especially those we come in close contact with or are designed to enter certain orifices.
Butt plugs are widely used by all sexes and in all relationship dynamics. Since butt plugs are inserted in the part of the body designed to excrete waste, the cleaning process and aftercare for the toys are of utmost importance. Additionally, all sex toys, including butt plugs that come in contact with bodily fluids, should be adequately cleaned after every use.
That said, butt plugs are incredibly easy to clean if you keep their features in mind and follow the manufacturer's guidelines for safe usage. In addition, we'll explore the different ways you can take care of your sex toys.
Different ways to clean your sex toys
There are three ways to clean butt plugs or all sex toys: surface cleaning, deep cleaning, and sanitizing.
Each method entails some dos and don'ts. When choosing which method to use, it's important to remember the materials that your sex toy is made of and where and how you've used it.
Surface cleaning
A simple scrub can be enough to clean almost any type of sex toy, but the toy is neither disinfected nor sterilized with this method. If you're the only one using the toy, a mixture of water and liquid soap is usually enough for thorough surface cleaning.
Always determine your toy's water safety rating before putting it in the sink. A toy that doesn't feature some mechanism is okay to wash with water. Additionally, mechanized toys with splashproof or waterproof ratings are safe to surface-clean with liquid. Of course, you must remove the battery before rinsing the buttery-operated toys with water.
On the other hand, if the toy isn't water-safe, it should be kept away from water and be rinsed with a damp towel or washcloth instead.
First, rinse the toy with water or wipe it to remove any excess bodily fluids or excess debris. You can afterward apply liquid soap and finish cleaning by washing it off or wiping it with another damp towel.
If the toy has a curved surface and crevices that gather debris and bacteria, you can use a soft brush to remove the excess dirt.
After you've rinsed or wiped the toy for the last time, you can leave it on a clean towel and give it time to air-dry. This way, you avoid lint getting stuck to your toys, and you save yourself the time of extra wiping. Battery-operated devices should be left to air dry with their buttery-case open.
Instead of using water, liquid, or castile soap, you can opt for sex toys cleaning products such as sprays and specially-designed wipes. Since most of the time, you still need to rinse the toys with water after using the products, they could be more convenient and energy-saving.
Deep cleaning
However convenient, sometimes surface cleaning isn't enough to make the toy safe. Suppose you're sharing the butt plug with another partner(s) or want to insert it vaginally and anally. In that case, disinfecting the toys is a must to prevent unnecessary STDs and genital infections.
Additionally, some toys, such as silicone butt plugs, may be easy to clean but retain some smell after being inserted anally. Deep cleaning is a great way to remove the odor without harming the toy's structure or functionality.
There are two ways to deep-clean and disinfect your toys - boiling them in water or putting them in the dishwasher. Boiling helps remove most of the pathogens left on the surface, while dishwashing kills all bacteria but can't do anything about viruses or fungi.
You can quickly disinfect stainless steel, borosilicate glass, and silicone toys by cleaning their surface and boiling them in water. You can also place a cloth over the glass toys to prevent them from breaking while the boiling water stirs them inside the pan. The whole process should take a maximum of a few minutes, and it's recommended to watch over it.
After you've disinfected them, you can use tongs to take the butt plugs out of the water and leave them to air dry. Avoid rinsing them with cold water while they're hot since the sudden temperature change can affect the toy's surface material.
The dishwasher is a practical deep-cleaning alternative for those who can't be bothered to boil their toys. You can place the butt plugs at the top part of the dishwasher and set the cycle to run without soap. However, since the water in the dishwasher is extremely hot and not boiling, this process may be less effective in disinfecting the toys.
Sanitizing
Sanitizing your toys has the same purpose as deep-cleaning them: to remove bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens from the toys without harming them.
The popular method to sanitize our tools is UV sanitizers. UV sanitizers aren't harmful to sex toys and are highly effective against all kinds of bacteria. Many people like them since the process is much shorter and easier to practice after every use of the toys.
On the other hand, UV sanitizers can be expensive, which is why many sex-toy communities avoid buying them. Additionally, these products can only sanitize the suitcases they can reach, which means that every butt plug containing some nooks or crannies won't be thoroughly sanitized in those areas.
Another method to sanitize your sex toys is by bleaching. The recommended ratio is five tablespoons of household bleach per gallon of water. You can spray the bleach onto the toy and leave it to do its magic. For toys that are labeled 100% waterproof, you can also submerge the whole toy into bleach. In both cases, the bleach solution should take effect for around 10 minutes.
The last step in the sanitation process is rinsing the toys with soap and water before leaving them to air dry.
Our top picks for UV sanitizers
How to clean butt plugs
The cleanness of your butt plug affects both your pleasure and health. Despite douching, you can never make your rectum squeaky clean, which means residual bacteria and maybe even some debris may be left on your butt plug right after you use it.
Since there's a variety of butt plugs available on the market, we've separated them into a few categories and explained how to clean each one properly. Based on the materials, we can divide butt plugs into porous and nonporous; however, additional details and attached gadgets may further influence the cleaning process.
How to clean porous butt plugs
Porous butt plugs are toys made from porous materials for those unfamiliar with the term. They're mostly made of cyber-skin, TPE or rubber, belly, PVC, and neoprene. These plugs have tiny pores throughout their whole surface, which retain bacteria and germs, making them harder to clean.
Fortunately, you won't find many butt plugs made from jelly these days. If you have bought one, you can thoroughly clean it using one of our deep-cleaning methods. If you opt for surface cleaning instead, use warm water and add the soup directly to it to create a disinfecting solution. An antibacterial soup might be a good idea, but not necessary. You can buy special butt plug cleaners from the store; however, most require rinsing the sex toy afterward.
It's essential to clean your porous butt plugs right after you've used them. Allowing time to pass helps the bacteria climb more profoundly into the pores and make the butt plug unsafe, even after deep cleaning. Additionally, don't use hard towels and clots for surface cleaning, as you might damage the sex toy.
How to clean vibrating butt plugs
Cleaning vibrating butt plugs mostly depends on the material, but for safety reasons, you can simplify the process and only use service cleaning.
Before cleansing the sex toy, you must read the manufacturer's guide and determine whether it is water-resistant. In most cases, manufacturers of waterproof vibrating butt plugs will give you the green light on ducking the whole toy into the water without removing the batteries.
For safety reasons, we recommend you always take the batteries out and pay attention to the level you're wetting the vibrating butt plug since you don't want to destroy or get into an accident.
You can use lukewarm water, dish soap to clean the sex toy, or a cleansing spray from the store.
How to clean tail butt plugs
These butt plugs rate higher on the maintenance scale. For starters, you need to find if the butt plug has real animal fur or faux fur attached. If it's the latter, then you have nothing to worry about. Put the faux fur tail into the warm, soapy water and rinse it until it's clean.
On the other hand, authenticity has a price. Real fur tail butt plugs shouldn't be in water and should be handled with extra care. Water adds excess weight to the fur, and in most cases, it causes it to break.
The best way to clean real fur is by gently stroking it with a damp towel and using a mild soap. Dry it with a hairdryer on low heat instead of hanging it to avoid damage.
How to clean inflatable butt plugs
Inflatable plugs are is easy to keep clean. For these butt plugs, using a sex toy cleaning spray might be the better option. You need to spray the formula onto the surface and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Afterward, use a clean cloth to wipe the solution off the inflatable butt plug and put it into storage. Washing it off with water is optional but not necessary.
If you want to keep it old school, warm water and antibacterial soap will do the trick. Keep in mind that the control panel for the inflatable butt plug shouldn't come into contact with water, whether remote or attached.
Storing Your Butt Plugs
After properly cleaning and thoroughly drying your butt plugs, it's time to put them away until subsequent use. Storing is equally as crucial as cleaning when it comes to sex toys, as improperly stored butt plugs may easily be affected by germs and bacteria, thus becoming unsafe to use without being cleaned again. In fear of infections, many people wash their sex toys twice - once after using them and once before.
However, this won't be necessary if you learn how to store your butt plugs properly.
The best way to keep your butt plugs clean is to put them in their original package. Most modern sex toy companies sell butt plugs with cases, pouches, or boxes that can be used to seal them between sex adventures. The butt plug mustn't get in contact with lint or dust, so any sealable bag can safely store nonporous sex toys.
Apart from paying attention to the ceiling case, you must also ensure the butt plugs are stored in a dry, cool, and somewhat dark place. Direct sunlight can particularly damage porous butt plugs. Additionally, getting them wet without proper drying will allow new bacteria to evolve on their surface, and if some butt plug isn't used for a long time, even mold can appear.
You can also store metal and glass butt plugs in plastic cases; however, the same isn't recommended for silicone toys. Even if your butt plug is relatively new, the plastic releases chemicals that may cause your sex toy to retain odor or temper with its surface. Most of the time, it is best to avoid plastic sealing bags or boxes for storage as they may induce or intensify the smell of the butt plug.
Nonmotorized butt plugs from nonporous materials are the most durable and easiest to store. However, they should be immediately disposed of when they show visible cracks. Such defects make the butt plug challenging to clean and dangerous to use.
Final thoughts
To keep your sex life fun and healthy, you must take utmost care of the toys and gadgets you use in the bedroom. Cleaning your butt plugs is mandatory, but it doesn't have to be a drag.
Whether you are the only user of your butt plugs or you share them with a partner, maintaining them and ensuring they're clean before and after every use will save you the trouble of pesky infections, possibly even STDs. You can cover the toys with condoms to make cleaning more manageable, but that doesn't mean you can skip it.
Traditional methods like water, soap, and a clean cloth can go a long way with any butt plug, whether porous or nonporous. Additionally, you can try boiling them, putting them in the dishwasher, or using a bleach solution to ensure all bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens on the butt plugs' surface are destroyed.
For practical lovers who want to focus more on pleasure and less on aftercare, buying specially designed cleaning products for sex toys is a great solution. However, remember to read the chemicals in the sex toy cleaner and determine whether they are body-safe and compatible with the butt plug's material. Last, store your toys in a clean and dry place to avoid damage while not using them.
The bottom line is that putting effort into cleaning your sex toys can only increase your pleasure while using them. Sticking with quality butt plugs is preferred, but no matter the material and type of butt plug you choose, with our guide for maintenance and proper cleaning methods, you can fully engage in anal play and throw your cares to the wind.