Caring for Your Pieces

A well-made piece is an investment in your own pleasure, and like anything you value it asks for a little care. The good news is that caring for it is simple. A minute before, a minute after, and a considered place to rest between uses is all most pieces will ever need.

This guide covers the essentials: why hygiene matters more than it might seem, how to clean each material properly, which products to keep away from which surfaces, and how to store and travel with your pieces so they stay as lovely as the day they arrived.

Why It Matters

The skin and tissue of your most intimate areas are delicate and absorbent. Anything you bring to them — a piece, a lubricant, a residue of yesterday — is welcomed in without much of a filter. Clean pieces protect your body's natural balance; a piece that is stored damp or cleaned with the wrong product can carry bacteria, irritants or degraded material back to you next time.

Care also protects the piece itself. Silicone that has met the wrong lubricant turns tacky, glass and stone that are knocked together chip, motors that are left uncharged for months lose their batteries. None of this is difficult to avoid once you know the handful of rules.

The Simple Rhythm: Before and After

Before use, a quick rinse under warm water is enough for a piece that was cleaned and stored properly last time. It removes dust and brings the material to a more comfortable temperature — particularly welcome with glass, crystal and steel.

After use, clean while it is still fresh rather than leaving it for the morning. Warm water and a gentle, fragrance-free soap, or a cleanser made for intimate pieces, worked over every surface for thirty seconds, then rinsed thoroughly. Pay attention to seams, ridges and the base of any handle where residue likes to hide. Dry with a clean lint-free cloth or let it air dry completely before it goes away. Damp is the enemy of every material.

"Care is not a chore that follows pleasure. It is the last, unhurried part of it."

Cleaning by Material

Body-safe silicone is the most forgiving material and the most common. Warm water and mild soap are all it needs day to day. Non-motorised silicone can be boiled for three to five minutes or run through the top rack of a dishwasher without detergent for a deeper clean. Never do this with anything that has a motor, a battery or a charging port.

Borosilicate glass and stainless steel are non-porous, which makes them the easiest of all to keep truly clean. Soap and water, or a soak in warm water with a little mild soap, then a thorough rinse. Both can be boiled if they contain no other material. Let glass return to room temperature on its own; sudden changes from hot to cold are what crack it.

Crystal and stone — rose quartz, obsidian, jade — are natural minerals and deserve a gentler hand. Warm (never hot) water and a mild soap, a soft cloth, and a full air dry. Do not boil them and do not soak them for long periods; some stones are more porous than they look and can absorb what they sit in. Keep them well away from other hard pieces so they are never chipped, and inspect the surface occasionally — a cracked or chipped stone piece should be retired.

Anything with a motor should be treated according to its water rating. Pieces described as waterproof can be washed under the tap and even submerged; those described as splash-proof should be wiped with a damp, soapy cloth and never submerged. Keep water away from charging ports and let everything dry fully before charging.

What to Keep Apart

The most common way a beautiful piece is ruined is a mismatch of lubricant and material. Silicone lubricants and silicone pieces do not mix: the lubricant slowly breaks down the surface, leaving it sticky and, eventually, unsafe. With silicone pieces, use a water-based lubricant. Glass, crystal, steel and ceramic are compatible with any lubricant, which is one of their quiet luxuries.

Avoid household cleaners, alcohol, bleach and anything scented or antibacterial. They are too harsh for intimate skin and can degrade materials over time. Avoid oil-based products with silicone and with latex barriers. And if a piece ever smells unusual, feels tacky or shows a change in texture or colour, stop using it — that is the material telling you it has reached the end of its life.

Sharing and Barriers

If a piece moves between partners, or between different parts of the body, clean it in between or cover it with a fresh barrier each time. Non-porous materials — glass, steel, silicone — can be cleaned between people; porous materials cannot be made fully clean and should be kept to one person. When in doubt, a barrier is the simplest answer.

Storage and Travel

Store each piece clean, completely dry and on its own. A soft cotton or satin pouch keeps dust away and stops materials from touching; some silicones react with each other and with certain plastics when stored in contact for long periods. A drawer or box that stays cool and out of direct sunlight is ideal. Heat and UV light are slow but certain enemies of every material.

For motorised pieces, charge fully before a long rest and top up every couple of months. Most have a travel lock — a long press of the button, in most cases — that stops them waking up in a bag. When travelling, pack pieces in their pouches inside a wash bag, keep the charger with them, and remember that glass and stone prefer to be cushioned.

When to Let a Piece Go

Well-cared-for glass, steel and stone last indefinitely. Silicone lasts for years. But everything has a lifespan. Retire a piece when it is cracked or chipped, when the surface has become tacky, rough or discoloured, when a seal has failed and water has found its way inside, or when a motor no longer holds a charge. Letting go of a worn piece is part of the same care that kept it beautiful.