How to Clean and Care for Your Dildo to Ensure Longevity

A clean dildo isn’t just about hygiene — it’s about respecting your pleasure and protecting your investment.

Whether you’ve just unboxed your first dildo or you’re managing a growing collection, proper care is key to both safety and durability. But not all dildos are created equal — and how you clean and store them depends a lot on what they’re made of.

Let’s break it down.

Start With the Material: Not All Dildos Need the Same Care

✅ Silicone — The Gold Standard (and What We Recommend)

• Why it matters: Medical-grade silicone is body-safe, non-porous, and highly durable — meaning it won't harbor bacteria if cleaned properly.
• Care tips: Use warm water and mild soap or a toy cleaner. For deep cleaning, you can boil it (if it has no electronics) or sanitize with 70% isopropyl alcohol.
• Storage: Store separately, in a dry place, away from direct sunlight and other toys to avoid material reactions.

At Domlust, we proudly use premium dual-layer silicone — ultra-soft outside, firm inside — across our fantasy and realistic dildos. We believe your pleasure tools should be as reliable as they are wild.

Explore our picks best-selling silicone dildos →

🔮 Glass & Metal — Sleek, Safe, and Low Maintenance

• Why it's easy: Both are non-porous, super smooth, and naturally temperature-responsive.
• Care tips: Wash with soap and warm water, or run through the dishwasher (no detergent).
• Storage: Just avoid dropping them — they’re strong, but not indestructible.

Glass and metal are ideal for those who like temperature play and ultra-smooth insertion.

⚠️ TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer) — Handle With Caution

• Common, but not ideal: TPE is porous, meaning it can absorb fluids and bacteria even after cleaning. Over time, it can break down, tear, or get sticky, especially without proper care.
• Why we don’t recommend it: Despite multiple material upgrades on the market, it still falls short in durability compared to silicone.

If you want something soft and safe, go for silicone. Every time.

The Basic Routine: Cleaning, Drying & Storing

“I clean my toy, but it still smells weird after a while.”
“How do I store silicone dildos without damaging them?”
“Can I just throw all my toys in a drawer together?”

We get these questions all the time — and the truth is, most toy issues come down to improper cleaning or storage. Whether it’s odor, discoloration, surface damage, or reduced lifespan, prevention is almost always simple once you know what to do.

Step 1: Clean Right After Use

Don’t wait — bacteria, fluids, and lubes left on a toy can degrade the material over time or create lingering smells. Here’s what to do:

1. Use warm water and mild, unscented soap, or a dedicated toy cleaner.
2. Avoid harsh antibacterial soap or alcohol (unless your toy is made from silicone or metal and you’re doing a deep clean).
3. Rinse thoroughly — leftover suds = skin irritation risk.
4. For extra hygiene with 100% silicone, glass, or stainless steel toys (no motors), you can:

• • Boil for 3–5 minutes
  • Place on the top rack of the dishwasher (no soap!)
  • Use 70% isopropyl alcohol (let air dry)

💡 Never boil TPE toys — they’ll warp or melt.

Step 2: Air Dry Fully

Moisture = mold risk. Always let your toy dry completely before storing:

• Pat dry gently with a lint-free cloth or paper towel.
• Then leave it out to air dry — ideally on a clean surface in a ventilated space.
• Don’t put a damp toy into a storage pouch or box — even a few drops of trapped water can lead to mildew or that dreaded "closet smell."

Step 3: Store Smart, Store Safe

This is where many users make mistakes — and where you can seriously extend your toy’s life by doing it right.

✅ General Storage Tips:

• Cool, dry, and dark: Avoid sunlight, heat sources, or steamy bathrooms.
• No PVC or plastic bags: These can leach chemicals and degrade silicone or soft surfaces. Better to use cotton bags if needed.
• No direct toy-on-toy contact: Especially with silicone or TPE — they can melt, bond, or react.
• Use storage pouches: Fabric pouches (cotton, satin, or microfiber) are great. Or use lined toy drawers or hard-shell cases.

💡 Pro Tip for Humid Areas:

Tropical climate? Basement drawer? Toss in a small silica gel pack (like the ones in shoe boxes) to absorb moisture. Replace every few months. especially works for silicone dildos.

🧷 What if You Have Multiple Toys?

• Use labelled pouches or sections in a storage box.
• Organize by material (silicone, glass, metal) or type (vibrators, dildos, plugs) for easy access and safe separation.

👀 Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Tossing a freshly washed toy into a drawer while still damp.
• Letting different materials touch (especially silicone on silicone).
• Storing in ziplock bags or PVC pouches.
• Leaving toys out in sunlight (this will discolor and degrade them!).

✨ When in doubt, treat your toy like lingerie — gentle wash, careful dry, and stored with love.

👀 Common Issue: Why Do Dark Marks Appear on Silicone Toys?

Sometimes you may notice that a dildo looks perfectly clean when you put it away, but when you take it out later — especially if it’s been stored in a backpack or touching fabrics — it suddenly has dark marks or stains. This can be confusing, but here’s what’s happening:

Silicone is a body-safe, non-porous material, but it can be a little “clingy” with dyes, fibers, or inks from surrounding materials. If a toy comes into contact with fabric (like the lining of a bag or dark clothing), the color can transfer onto the surface. In some cases, the pigments can even settle slightly into the outer layer of silicone, which makes the marks harder to remove completely.

What to do if this happens:

• Wash the toy with warm water and a mild, unscented soap.
• For more stubborn stains, gently wipe with rubbing alcohol or 3% hydrogen peroxide — this may help lift the marks.
• Avoid harsh cleaners (like bleach or acetone), as they can damage the silicone.
• To prevent future stains, store your toy separately in a cloth pouch or case, away from colored fabrics or printed paper.

The good news is that while these marks may affect the toy’s appearance, they usually don’t impact safety or performance. As long as the surface remains smooth and undamaged, your toy is still perfectly safe to use.

Domlust Silicone Dildos: Built to Last, Designed to Thrill

From lifelike G-spot curve dildos to wild fantasy creatures, every Domlust dildos is made with hand-finished details, ultra-soft silicone, and ergonomic design that fits your body naturally.

💡 Bonus: Many of our designs are strap-on compatible, suction-based, or hybrid-masturbator sleeves — meaning you're not just buying a toy, you're choosing an experience.

👉 Browse Domlust best-sellers

You Might Also Like:

To deepen your understanding of dildo care, pleasure, and selection, we recommend:

• Dildo Materials 101: Silicone, Glass, or Metal?
  (Perfect companion read to this article)
• Pregnancy & Postpartum: Safe and Comfortable Dildos for Moms
  (Care-focused guide for bodies in transition)
• The Importance of Choosing the Right Dildo
• How to Squirt: Pleasure, Pressure & Release
• Is an Inflatable Dildo Safe?
• Exploring Playful Dildo Bike Pleasure Adventures (for the bold & curious)
• 5 Dildos Every Advanced Collector Should Try

Final Thought

The more you care for your toys, the more they’ll give back.
Choose quality, clean regularly, store thoughtfully — and your pleasure tools will be with you for years of unforgettable experiences.