So, you've finally taken the plunge and bought a sex toy. But how do you take care of the darned thing? Here's our Cheat Sheet:

General Tips and Tricks:

~ Clean toys before first use and right after each use, or before switching from anal to vaginal use, as you will carry any bacteria  from one canal to the other.

~Lazy way of keeping toys bacteria free: Always cover them with a condom (plus wash after use with soap and water). All non-silicone soft toys are porous and absorb bacteria, so the only way to keep then safe is to never let the bacteria touch them in the first place.

~Keep your toys out of extreme heat or sun; they can melt or become discolored.

~ Keep electrical parts of toys away from water when cleaning. Wipe down with soap and water rather than submerging, swab with hydrogen peroxide for an extra level of clean.

~If you are storing your battery- operated toys for long periods without use, remove batteries; your toy and batteries will last longer.

~Don't use super-duper-fancy batteries foe cheap battery operated toys; their little Chinese motors can't handle the extra power and will burn out faster.

~~~Water-based  lube is safe for any toy.

It's best not to use silicone lube on silicone toys, and never use silicone lube on any "realistic" materials like Cyberskin TM, Neoskin, FauxskinTM, Soft Touch TM, Ultra Skin.

Oil- based lube (or petroleum jelly) should only be used for male masturbation ; as it disintegrates latex (like condoms or toys), and will cause vaginal infections if inserted  in the vagina.

Silicone Toys:

How to identify: No smell or taste, can be either transparent  or opaque depending on pigments added.

How to clean:

Bleach (10%solution), dishwasher, soap and water

How to store

In a dust free place, best kept away from toys of other materials.

Kinds of lube: Water-based; silicone-based after doing a patch test.

Silicone is by far the safest and most cleanable soft sex toy material. It's boilable, bleachable, dishwasher safe (if there are no electric parts), hygienic and hypoallergenic. Silicone starts out as a liquid and then catalysts are added to make it harden; so when the process is done, its hardened and won't harbor bacteria like most soft sex toys materials. 100% silicone has no smell or taste; so if your toys has a stench, the other is either not pure silicone or it's been siting next to another non-silicone toy long enough to take on it's smell.

The only thing that bonds to silicone to silicone; so the industry recommends that you don't use silicone lube with silicone toys... with lower grades of silicone, it can make the surface of your toy permanently gummy.

The truth is, higher grade silicone toys like the US Brands Adam and Eve, Doc Johnson or Xandria Collection don't have any issue. Lesser quality silicone will get tacky to the touch almost immediately (either tin silicone, made in China toys or many of the silicone-latex mix toys being sold today as simply "silicone" a quick sniff will tell you which ones these are, they smell like aged Tupperware). Remember you get  what you pay for!

Latex/Rubber/PVC/Jelly

How to identify:  Smell like your grandmother's Tupperware. Latex, Rubber and PVC are opaque, Jelly is generally clear (though colored).

How to Clean: Use condoms over them at all times if possible, then clean with gentle soap and water. Do not submerge in water if there are electronic involved. dry completely with a lint-free cloth.

How to Store: In dust- free place, best kept away from other toys of other materials, as they may 'melt' tot each other. I keep these items in separate ziplock bags (after they are completely dry) to keep them from touching each other.

Kind of Lube:

Water-based only. Oil-based will melt toys.

These are the most common soft sex toy materials, commonly used by Chinese companies, remember cheap products use cheap materials. Most obvious identifier? Their smell and feel. These materials start out hard (like PVC water pipes in your home), and have chemical softeners, called phthalates, added to them. Over time, they leech these chemicals, causing a definite odor (think of your grandmother's Tupperware collection), and can cause an oil ring on any surface they sit on. (Research is being done to find out what happens when these chemicals are absorbed  in our bodies; some studies say they affect estrogen levels in women and more)

The moral of this story? When you buy cheap toys risk are involved. It is best to keep these chemicals away from our body. Coupled with the fact that these materials are porous, condoms become an even better idea. You get what you pay for.

Realistic Soft Toys:

How to Identify: These toys look and feel almost "real"; made of an opaque, soft material, have an odor (think Tupperware).

How to Clean:  Use condoms over them at all times if possible, then clean with gentle soap and warm (not hot) water. Do not submerge in water if there are electronics involved. Let air dry completely, then sprinkle with cornstarch before storage.

How to Store: In a dust-free place, best kept away from toys of other materials, as they may cause a chemical reaction and either "melt" or "bond" from touching each other. I keep these items in their own ziplock bag( though be sure they are completely dry first) to keep them from touching each other or having their smell leech onto my silicone toys.

Kind of Lube: Water-based only. Oil-based lubes will melt toys.

This material is used often for masturbation sleeves, or erection rings, or for softer vaginal toys. It can be called CyberskinTM, FuturoticTM, NeoSkin, SoftTouchTM, UltraSkin, and FauxSkinTM to name jsut few. and this typr of material is widely used for erection rings and masturbation sleeves, as well as vibrators and dildos. Use condoms over them at all times if possible, then clean with gentle soap and warm (not hot) water. Do not submerge in water if there are electronics involved. Let air dry completely , then sprinkle with cornstarch or the manufacturer's "renewing" powder( not talcum or baby powder as these can cause issues with woman's delicate parts)

Plastic (or Acrylic)/Glass/(Pyrex)/Metal/ Stone:

How to Identify: These are little more obvious than the above category; Plastic (and it's higher- quality counterpart, acrylic) are clear and hard. All 4 kinds have no smell.

How to Clean: Glass, Acrylic (though not cheap plastic), and metal toys cab be boiled  or be bleached (10% solution), are dishwasher safe (top shelf), or can be washed with soap and water. Take more care with stone toys, be sure they are non-porous before subjecting them to harsh cleaning methods.

How to Store: In a dust-free place, best kept away from toys of other materials, Breakable toys should be kept in a padded pouch to help protect them from chipping in case dropped.

Kind of Lube: Water- or silicone-based.

All acrylic, glass and metal toys are non-porous so can be washed with warm water and anti- bacterial hand soap and sterilized using an alcohol-soaked cotton ball (rinse thoroughly afterward); acrylic, glass and metal toys may be boiled  or submerged in hot water if they're not battery operated. Stone toys are often as resilient as the other materials in this group, but as they are less common (and often hand-made), beware that they may not be as sturdy as they look.