Home › Guides

How to Clean and Store Sex Toys (What Manufacturers Actually Recommend)

By The BedsideBench Team · Research-based care guide · Published 2026-10-25 · Updated 2026-10-25

Quick answer: clean your toy before and after every use with warm water and a mild or antibacterial soap, or a toy cleaner made for the purpose. Rinse it, pat it dry with a lint-free cloth, and store it somewhere clean and dry, away from other toys. Don't boil it, put it in the dishwasher, or use alcohol, petrol or acetone unless the manufacturer explicitly says you can.¹² Your toy's manual always wins over generic advice, including ours.

This guide is research-based. It's compiled from manufacturer instructions, the IEC waterproofing standard, and peer-reviewed research. We haven't run laboratory tests ourselves.

Step 1: check how waterproof your toy is

How you clean a toy depends on whether you can put it under running water. Look for an IP rating in the specs:

• IPX7: protected against temporary immersion. Under IEC 60529, that's tested at a depth of 1 metre for 30 minutes on small devices.⁴ You can wash these under the tap. We-Vibe lists both Sync O and Chorus as IPX7.⁵⁶
• "Splash-proof" or IPX4-type ratings: under IEC 60529, IPX4 covers splashing water, not immersion.⁴ Don't hold these under the tap or submerge them. Wipe them clean instead, and follow the manual.
• No rating listed: treat it as not waterproof until the manufacturer confirms otherwise.

Watch out for accessories. We-Vibe says the Chorus toy is IPX7, but its Squeeze remote is only splash-proof.⁶ Clean remotes with a damp cloth, never under the tap.

Step 2: wash it (the method the brands agree on)

Here is what two major manufacturers say.

We-Vibe: "Simply wash your We-Vibe product with We-Vibe Clean (made by pjur) or soap and water after every use. A 10% bleach solution can be used to clean if desired."¹

LELO (from the SONA manual, a fully waterproof model): "Always clean your SONA thoroughly before and after each use. You can wash the silicone with warm water and antibacterial soap, rinse with clean hot water and pat dry with a lint-free cloth or towel." Alternatively: "Rinse and spray with LELO Toy Cleaner, then rinse again and allow to dry."²

Putting that together for a waterproof (IPX7) silicone toy:

1. Switch it off and make sure any charging port cover is closed, if it has one.
2. Rinse under warm running water.
3. Wash with a mild or antibacterial soap, or a dedicated toy cleaner. Pay attention to seams, ridges and the area around buttons.
4. Rinse thoroughly so no soap residue is left.
5. Pat dry with a clean, lint-free cloth, then let it air-dry completely before storing.

For non-waterproof toys, wipe with a cloth dampened with soapy water, then a cloth dampened with clean water, then dry. Keep water away from ports and seams.

Step 3: what never to do (unless your manual says otherwise)

• Don't boil it, put it in the dishwasher, or expose it to temperatures above body temperature. We-Vibe gives this warning "to avoid battery or motor damage".¹
• Don't use cleansers containing alcohol, petrol or acetone. LELO's manual says "Never use" them.²
• Be careful with silicone-based lubricants and hand creams on silicone toys. LELO's Smart Wand 2 manual warns that using these with the toy "may make the silicone permanently tacky".³
• Don't leave it in direct sunlight or expose it to extreme heat.²
• Don't use a charger the manufacturer didn't supply. LELO's SONA manual says: "Only use original chargers provided by LELO."²

A few non-motorised toys may be marketed as boil-safe. Boil one only if its manufacturer explicitly says so. Anything with a battery or motor should never be boiled.¹

Step 4: store it properly

LELO advises storing toys "in a dust-free place" and keeping them "away from products of other materials".² Many toys come with a bag for this:

• Sync O includes a storage bag.⁵
• Chorus includes a storage pouch and a charging case.⁶

LELO doesn't explain why toys should be kept away from other materials. Using one pouch per toy is a simple way to follow that advice, and it also keeps each toy clean.

Step 5: charging and battery care

• Let the toy dry fully before you charge it. LELO's instructions say to "allow to dry" after rinsing.² Check your manual for any specific charging-port guidance.
• Use the supplied cable or charging case. We-Vibe's Chorus charges through its case. We-Vibe says it fully charges "in approximately 120 minutes".⁶
• Long-term storage: follow the manual's guidance on charge level and standby. LELO, for example, lists standby of up to 90 days for both SONA and TIANI Harmony.²⁷

Sharing toys: what the research shows

If toys are shared between partners, cleaning matters more. In a small 2014 study in Sexually Transmitted Infections, researchers asked 12 women to use two vibrators, one made of TPE and one of silicone, and swabbed them before and after cleaning with a commercial cleaner.⁸

• HPV DNA was still detectable on some toys immediately after cleaning: 5 of 9 TPE swabs and 4 of 9 silicone swabs that had been positive before cleaning.
• 24 hours after cleaning: 2 of 5 positive TPE toys still tested positive. None of the silicone toys did.
• The authors concluded the results support "the potential for HPV transmission via shared sex toy use" and called for "evidence-based recommendations for sex toy cleaning".⁸

Practical takeaways:

• Cleaning reduces contamination but may not remove it completely, especially on porous materials. See our materials guide.
• If you share a toy, a fresh condom over it for each partner is a common precaution. Use a condom-compatible lubricant: water-based is safe with all condoms, according to the NHS.⁹ See our lube guide.
• Toys designed to be shared between partners during sex, like couples vibrators, should be cleaned before and after every session.

Do I need a special toy cleaner?

No. Both We-Vibe and LELO say plain soap and water is fine.¹² Dedicated toy cleaners are convenient, especially sprays for toys that can't be fully submerged. If you buy one, choose one the toy's manufacturer recommends, or one that is alcohol-free.

• We-Vibe store, including We-Vibe Clean
• Browse toy cleaners at Lovehoney

Quick checklist

Sources