UV Sterilizer: The Best Way to Clean Your Sex Toys
What's a UV sterilizer? Is it really effective? Pleasure product expert Gigi Engle reveals how to sterilize sex toys and shares the what's what on the best method of disinfecting them.
Hygiene is just about the most important part of owning sex toys. Yes, even more than the orgasm they provide. The sex toy Bible should state that cleaning your sex toys both before and after use is key to avoiding the spread of bacteria and STIs. Studies have shown that STIs like trichomoniasis can stay on silicone sex toys for days after use.
Clean. Your. Sex. Toys.
Sex toys (almost) always come with pretty clear directions on cleaning. The last thing you want to do is to screw up cleaning the toy and winding up with a broken vibrator or butt toy. Those things are expensive!
Usually, the maintenance directions are something along the lines of: "Clean using a mild soap and warm water." — This is great advice, and cleaning your sex toys with soap and water is effective, but let us tell you that nothing in this entire world compares to a UV sterilizer.
Haven't heard of a UV sex toy sterilizer? Prepare to have your mind blown. Once you've used a UV sex toy cleaner, you won't go back.
How to sterilize sex toys
First things first, let's talk about all of the (following) ways there are on how to clean your sex toy and when you should or should not use each method.
1. Boiling your sex toy
Boiling sex toys is a very effective way to sterilize them. Boiling water kills bacteria.
The problem? This is only OK for toys that do not contain a motor and are made of glass, stainless steel, or silicone. The motor is a significant factor here. If you boil a vibrating sex toy, you will destroy it.
2. Cleaning wipes
Cleaning wipes work well on sex toys because they are a "quick fix." When you're in a post-sex haze, you may not want to jump up right away and wash your sex toys. Clean up wipes are a good "just for now" option. With that being said, you should always thoroughly clean your sex toys before using them again.
3. Toy Cleaner
A toy cleaner is an excellent option to sterilize your toys. They can be used in place of the "mild soap" that is mentioned in your sex toy's cleaning directions. It is also a milder option that is both safer for your toys over time and is completely body-safe. Our b-Vibe Organic Toy Cleaner is a great, all-natural choice to use after a play session.
4. Dishwashers
Dishwashers are such an easy way to clean sex toys. Materials like pyrex, silicone, glass, and stainless steel can all go on the top rack of the dishwasher. Unless the toy has a motor.
Do not put any vibrating sex toys into the dishwasher. It will destroy them.
5. UV Sterilization
A UV sterilizer is the most effective way to eliminate bacteria. This method uses UV light to destroy all bacteria. No nook or cranny goes unsterilized. It is the only form of cleaning that is 100 percent effective at completely sterilizing a sex toy while also being compatible with every kind of sex toy.
What is a UV sterilizer?
A UV sex toy sterilizer AKA UV sex toy cleaner utilizes UV (ultraviolet) rays to destroy bacteria. This is extremely helpful considering microscopic particles can be left behind on a sex toy. This is especially true with butt toys. Fecal matter has a low-key way of getting everywhere.
These UV sex toy sterilizers are usually in the form of a box. They sometimes look like a tanning bed for dolls. Others come in more of a pouch-like form, which makes transporting your sterilizer super easy. You pop your sex toys in, close the lid or pouch, and it does the work for you. When you take your sex toys out, they are completely disinfected.
How does UV light technology work?
UV light kills bacteria by damaging the DNA in bacteria, pathogens, viruses, and other gross microscopic critters. The light stops these bugs from spreading, ultimately killing the bacteria or germ itself. UV light is like the kryptonite of microbes.
The b-Vibe UV Sterilizer Pouch (scroll on below) uses shortwave UV-C light to destroy the bacteria in this more specialized way. UV-C light is considered to be the most germicidal.
UV light is super effective because it kills a very large range of different microbes. Therefore when it comes to sex, and all of its many fluids, you know that you need a broad spectrum to disinfect any threat to you and your beloved sex toys. BYE BYE, GERMS!
How to use a UV sterilizer to clean your sex toy
If you want to get a UV sterilizer into your bedroom, look no further than the b-Vibe UV Sterilization Pouch. This little guy can kill 99.9% of bacteria in 3 minutes flat. It's super compact and easy to take around with you. If you're a person on the go, you definitely want a sleek UV sterilizer and not some clunky box.
What's more? You can kill bacteria on everything in your house that can fit in the pouch. Yes, it's not just sex toys. You can use this product to disinfect your most common household items such as TV remotes, toothbrushes, iPhones, headphones, etc.
I use a UV sterilizer on basically everything that I own. Once you have a UV Sex Toy Cleaner, you simply cannot have it any other way. It is the gold standard of disinfection.
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So, you're a fellow hypochondriac eh? You might enjoy our most-read hygiene article on how to prepare for anal sex. Or check out other popular guides on prostate play and analingus AKA oral sex on the anus.
