Good Vibrations Magazine

from the Info Desk: Sexual Health Product Info

Sex toys have come a long way since the bulky machines found in our Antique Vibrator Museum, and we couldn’t be happier about it.

Today you can buy your vibrators, dildos, and butt plugs in a myriad of sizes, textures, colors, and most importantly materials, giving you more choices than ever when it comes to finding a toy that fits both your lifestyle and comfort levels. Now it’s just a matter of making sure your new toys get the special care their specific material requires, and we’ve got all the info to help keep your new toys clean and looking good.

Silicone

There’s a lot to love about silicone—it’s durable, quickly warms to body temperature, retains heat, and it’s non-porous, which makes clean up a snap. Silicone toys can be cleaned with warm water and anti-bacterial soap. Just make sure to rinse thoroughly and allow your toy to fully dry before storing. If you’re feeling a bit more “hands off”, silicone toys can be washed in the top rack of a dishwasher, or sterilized by being boiled in water for under 3 minutes (provided that the toy does not contain any plastic parts). But the main reason we love silicone probably has to do with its velvety soft texture combined with a not-too-hard/not-too-soft flexibility. To keep your toy in great shape, store it upright and don’t keep it in a plastic bag (or the silicone will get sticky).

It is important to note that some silicone toys will actually break down if combined with silicone-based lubricant, so only use water-based lube when necessary. Also, make sure your silicone toy’s surface stays away from sharp fingernails, teeth, pets, and harnesses that don’t have large enough openings for your toy to fit through. Small tears can easily grow into large tears and we’ve never found a glue that fixes them. If you plan on sharing your toy with another person, or switching it from anal to vaginal use, fitting it with a non-lubricated condom (and replacing it between those uses) can temporarily save your toy a trip to the sink.

We have lots of silicone dildos, vibrators and anal toys, making it easy to find one that’ll work for you. Although some manufacturers make toys with silicone blends, which aren’t always non-porous, all of our silicone toys are 100% silicone.
Jelly Rubber
Jelly rubber toys often appear in bright colors and are both flexible and soft. Because jelly rubber is porous by nature, we always recommend using jelly rubber toys with a condom (every time; even if you’re the only user). With any toy, you should always use and change the condom between partners, or if switching between anal and vaginal penetration.

After you take your jelly rubber toy home, remove it from its packaging, wash it and allow it to air out for a few hours. Jelly toys should be washed prior to their first use and again after every use since porous toys hang on to bacteria. The GV Toy Cleaner or the Medclean Wipes do a great job, but you can also use a mild soap and hot water to keep your jelly toy clean. If your toy isn’t waterproof, wipe it with a wash cloth, taking care to remove any soapy residue before allowing it to dry.

If you have a latex sensitivity, you might experience a similar reaction to jelly rubber. Using a non-latex condom such as the Avanti Condoms over your toy, or opting for another material like silicone, glass, or plastic might be something to consider.

While jelly rubber is a bit more high-maintenance than some other materials, it’s got some advantages, too. It tends to cost less, which may make it easier to try something new. While some companies continue to manufacture jelly rubber toys with phthalates, within the next year, every product that Good Vibrations sells will be phthalate-free. Using condoms with them is still a great way to make sure that the porous nature of jelly rubber doesn’t cause problems.

Softskin

Also referred to by some toy companies as Cyberskin, softskin toys are among the most realistically-textured toys on the market. In addition to how its softness and elasticity really reminds us of actual skin, softskin also quickly warms to body temperature and can be stretched, pulled or even yanked without losing its original shape.

Cleaning softskin toys correctly will help keep their texture soft and supple. The GV Toy Cleaner or a mild soap and hot water will do a good job, but softskin is quite porous so even if you’re the only person using it, we recommend using a condom on it. This is especially true if you’re using it for anal play or for women who are sensitive to yeast infections

Always allow your toy to fully dry before storing it and always keep it away from any heat source. This includes keeping your softskin toy away from the sun and other strong light sources, making a cool dry place your best bet for safe storage. Softskin gets sticky when it dries, so dusting your toy with cornstarch between uses is also helpful, but you’ll probably want to wash it off before re-using your toy. One easy way to do this is to put the toy in a paper bag with some cornstarch and shake it up. We highly recommend not using talc for this purpose since talc has been linked to cervical cancer.

Because of softskin’s delicate nature, we do not recommend combining them with jelly toys or even storing softskin toys next to jelly rubber toys, since this can damage the softskin material. If you are using a softskin sleeve, make sure to clean your toy well both inside and out. We also suggest keeping your softskin toys away from silicone-based lube and other oils to keep the softskin intact.

If you like softskin, but want something easy to clean, check out our VixSkin™ toys. While they are a bit more expensive, VixSkin is a 100% silicone product that feels like softskin. They’re amazingly realistic in texture and come in several sizes and colors.

Glass

While at first, “glass” might bring to mind objects known for their fragility; our glass products are stress-tested for the long haul. Constructed from borosilicate glass (the same as Pyrex™) and tested with a polariscope to ensure durability, our unique glass pieces are works of art worthy of being displayed. In addition to their beauty, glass is remarkable for its ability to be heated or cooled to add a whole new dimension of sensation to your play. For heat, submerge your toy in warm water for 20-30 minutes. Depending on the toy’s size and the length of time the toy is submerged, it should stay warm for about 20-30 minutes. To cool your toy, place it in a bowl of ice water for 20-30 minutes or keep it in your refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Never put your glass toy in a microwave, boiling water, oven, or freezer since those extreme temperatures will weaken the glass.

Since glass is completely non-porous, it’s easy to keep your toy clean with GV Toy Cleaner or soap and water. Stay away from abrasive sponges and cleaners that can scratch your toy’s surface. Glass toys can also be damaged if they collide with another hard surface like cement, metal, or other glass. Since glass is so rigid, many people find that they prefer glass toys to be a bit smaller than their favorite silicone or jelly toys.

Elastomer

Elastomer is a material composed of various polymers that resemble rubber and are as versatile as the toys they go into–ranging in texture, firmness, and elasticity. These toys also run the gamut from being non-porous (the Laya) to very porous (the Maven Sleeve). Please check the product descriptions for each individual elastomer toy on the Good Vibrations web site for cleaning and care instructions.

Metal

You’ll usually find metal used to make G-spot toys, butt plugs and cock rings. Since metal is non-porous it can easily be cleaned with GV Toy Cleaner or mild soap and water. Just make sure to dry well!

Vinyl

Vinyl toys tend to be inexpensive and lightweight, and come in a variety of styles; including toys with flared bases (perfect for harnesses) and those with rubber nubs at the base that can act as clitoral stimulators. Vinyl toys are less porous than rubber, which makes them easier to clean, but they’re not 100% non-porous, so the same precautions for jelly rubber still apply.

Rubber

Like vinyl, many dildos list rubber as their main material and are available in about the same variety of styles. The biggest difference is that rubber toys are heavier than vinyl, and much more porous. We suggest always using condoms over rubber toys to help with clean up and to keep bacteria from becoming lodged inside your toy. It becomes especially important to use a new condom each time if your toy will have more than one user, or if it will be used both anally and vaginally.

Rubber can be tricky to keep clean since it is easy for dirt and bacteria to end up in little pockets beneath the surface of your toy and become impossible to scrub out. Unfortunately harsh scrubbing will only result in creating small rubber pills along your toy’s surface, and is definitely not recommended. If you are looking for a toy with easier clean up, you might consider another material such as silicone, glass or plastic.

If Your Toys Uses Batteries

If your toy contains a battery compartment, make sure that area is closed tight and kept dry while cleaning. Storing batteries outside of your vibrator will help maintain the life of your battery and your vibrator last longer (this will also help to ensure your vibrator is fully turned off and not accidentally left on a low setting). If it’s a waterproof toy, it’s much easier to clean it without betting water inside and ruining it.

Harness Care

Our main suggestion when it comes to the care and maintenance of your harness is to treat it the same way you would any intimate piece of apparel, with delicacy and some much deserved attention. So whether you’re harness is leather, fabric, lorica, or vinyl, proper cleaning will help keep your harness in top condition and made sure it will be ready to go whenever you are.

• Leather: To clean your leather harness, wash with mild soap and water, making sure to allow your toy to fully dry before storing it in order to prevent wet spots from collecting bacteria.
• Fabric: Fabric harnesses can be cleaned with mild soap and water and are also machine washable; we recommend using the delicate setting to keep the velvet lining in tact. Always remember to allow your toy to fully dry before putting it away.
• Lorica: These harnesses can be hand washed in mild soap and water or machine washed on delicate. Always allow your harness to fully dry before storing. It’s also important to note that Lorica is water repellent and permeable to water vapor.
• Vinyl: Taking care of a vinyl harness is basically the same as a fabric one. They can be washed with mild soap and water and are also machine washable (we recommend the delicate setting), and always remember to allow your harness to fully dry before putting it away.