It’s a sex toy safety question every toy lover eventually needs to ask for one reason or another. Is it okay to share a particular sex toy with more than one other person? Maybe you’re into casual sex or non-monogamy. Perhaps you built an incredible toy collection with a former partner and want to be able to safely use it with a new partner.
Whatever the case may be, you’re right to be thinking about the sexual health of all involved. Toy hygiene and sexual safety are essential concerns, and not just because they’re crucial parts of looking after your health. Making hygienic toy use a priority is better for your toys, too. Here are some things every toy lover should know about safely sharing their toys.
Start by choosing body-safe toys
First thing’s first when it comes to optimal sex toy safety – the construction of the toy itself. As far as the government is concerned, adult toys are considered novelty items. That means they’re not regulated by the FDA the way so many people assume. This puts the onus on potential toy owners to ensure they’re buying products that won’t jeopardize their health.
Always opt for body-safe sex toys that don’t contain phthalates and other harmful chemicals. (Phthalates are common softening agents that are also possible carcinogens.) Options made of medical-grade silicone or non-porous alternatives like metal, PVC, or glass are just a few examples to look for.
Know the basics of sex toy cleaning
It should go without saying that anything you plan on using on or around your genitals (or anyone else’s) needs to be nice and clean beforehand. However, while most people know this, they also fail to wash their sex toys anywhere near often enough. Whether or not you’re sharing a toy with anyone else, every sex toy should be cleaned both before and after every use to take as many bacteria as possible out of the equation.
In most cases, the toy cleaning process is pretty simple. Just wash them thoroughly with fragrance-free soap and plenty of warm water and allow them to dry completely before putting them away. Many people like to keep an easy spray-on, wipe-off toy cleaner on hand for instances where they need to sanitize a toy on the spot, but it doesn’t make sense to jump up and do a standard soap-and-water wash.
Condoms are your friend
No, really. Every pleasure seeker should keep plenty of condoms on hand, especially if they sleep with multiple people (or simply like to keep their options open). It’s not just about wearing them yourself (or making sure your partners do) either. You can just as easily use condoms to protect your toys and ensure maximum safety.
You can use condoms to make the use of any toy more hygienic. Switch out the condom before passing the toy to another person or anytime you switch from anal penetration to vaginal. And if you do use porous sex toys made of jelly rubber, elastomer, or any other similar material, you should consider covering them with condoms before use, in addition to washing them thoroughly with soap and water. This eliminates the possibility of stray bacteria coming into contact with your actual body.
Store your sex toys properly
Whether or not you’re currently sharing your toys with anyone else, it’s crucial to make sure you’re storing them the way you should. Don’t simply do what so many other people do and stuff your sex toys under your mattress or toss them into a nightstand drawer when you’re done with them. Instead, choose a dedicated storage option that keeps your toy safe and protected.
Your storage solution of choice can be as fancy as a lockable pleasure chest you keep at the foot of your bed or as humble as a shoe box you keep in your closet. If you’re storing multiple toys together, make sure each one is separated from all the others with a simple cloth bag, its original packaging, or a similar option. Many sex toys can warp, deteriorate, or corrode when they come into contact with an incompatible material another toy may be made of.
Always share wisely
Generally speaking, safer is always better when it comes to sex, so it’s always best to err on the side of caution. A good rule of thumb to follow if you’re intimate with multiple people is to consider whether or not the person you’re with at the moment is someone you’d be comfortable exchanging fluids with. If they’re not, then always protect any sex toys you use with condoms first.
If you’re into group sex, threesomes, or anything similar, set ground rules for sex toy safety use before you play. Keep plenty of condoms on hand and available to everyone to make staying safe as simple and convenient as possible. And, of course, choose your partners with care. Ideally, you want to be intimate with people who take safety as seriously as you do.
