The sex toys industry is starting to flourish as pop culture influence many people from millennials to baby boomers in using sex toys to pleasure themselves. With the rise of its popularity comes the concern of safety amongst its users. This is the reason why you must follow the rules in playing it safe with sex toys.
If you are a sex toy user or planning to acquire one, you should check out the guide provided below to help you ensure that you are getting the pleasure that you are looking for while not putting yourself in harm's way.
Choose The Right Material
Sex toys are made with different kinds of materials. Some are considered body-safe, yet some are highly discouraged to use due to safety concerns. There are two types of sex toys available in the market today. One is made with porous while the other is made with non-porous materials.
What you must stay away from are sex toys that are made with porous materials such as jelly rubber, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). These materials have tiny pores that make it impossible to clean completely no matter how hard you try.
The tiny pores that porous materials have can trap bacteria inside which can be dangerous once your body gets in contact with it. You can acquire an infection that can put your life in danger which is why it is highly discouraged to buy a sex toy that is made with a porous material.
Additionally, PVC sex toy materials can consist of phthalates that are already banned due to their harmful effect on the human body. Phthalates are chemicals used to make PVC or vinyl materials pliable and flexible. Although it is still unclear how the body gets affected by phthalates, it is still best to be sure and just opt for phthalate-free sex toys.
To ensure your safety, you should opt for non-porous sex toys. The most popular choice for most sex toy enthusiasts is the silicone material as it is easy to clean and can be used for temperature play.
When buying a silicone pleasure toy, always choose the one that is made with medical-grade silicone as this is the best quality of silicone that you can use. This might be more expensive than other sex toys made with non-silicone materials but it is the best and safest option for you.
Beware of cheap toys that are claiming to be made with silicone as they might not be made with 100% silicone. Chances are other materials are mixed in with the silicone that is not body-safe at all thus the reason why it is cheaper.
Other non-porous materials that are body-safe are glass, wood, plastic, and metal or stainless steel. However, the only downside of these materials is that it is inflexible and hard which can be unpleasurable to some people.
Buy From Trusted Seller
There are so many shady sex toy sellers everywhere claiming that their toys are body-safe and are made with 100% medical-grade silicone material. However, the truth is that their claim can be deceitful. Pleasure place is been around since 1994 giving people a chance to own safe and pleasurable toys to improve their sex life with or without a partner.
Aside from making sure that all our sex toys are 100% safe, we also offer the lowest price in the market to give more people access to sex toys and experience the great things it can offer. You can visit our branches or check out our website for a more discreet purchase.
Researching is still your best ally in ensuring that you are buying a sex toy from a trusted seller. Check what the company's customers are saying about them or their products through product reviews. Sex toy brands are also one way of checking the quality of sex toys which is why it is best to choose toys manufactured by well-known sex toy brands.
Clean Your Sex Toy Regularly
Cleaning your sex toy should be automatic especially if you are actively using it. It is very unhygienic to use or store your sex toy while it is still full of dirt or body fluids. It's not only disgusting but it is very dangerous to your health.
Sex toy experts advised toy enthusiasts to clean their pleasure toys in between sex acts or after every partner. It would be best to use a safe sex toy cleaner or a gentle soap when cleaning your sex toys. Check out our blog about safely cleaning your sex toy to guide you on how to properly wash your toy accordingly.
If you do not properly clean your pleasure toys, you can acquire UTI especially if it also comes in contact with your anus. The bacteria that cause UTI lives around your anus and can migrate to a woman's urethra through uncleaned sex toys.
Additionally, UTI is not the only infection that you can acquire from poorly cleaned sex toys. STIs or sexually transmitted infections can as well acquire from sex toys.
You might be wondering why you keep getting infections even if you do not have multiple partners, this is maybe because of the sex toys that you do not clean properly. This is why you must pay closer attention to your hygiene including the proper washing of your toys.
After properly cleaning your toys, make sure that you dry them before you store them in the correct storage location. Some sex toys come with storage bags but if you prefer to be more cautious you can opt to purchase a UV storage box that will sterilize your sex toys using a UV light.
Try Using A Condom
Another way to ensure safety when using a sex toy is to use condoms. This is also what most experts advised people who are using porous sex toys to ensure that they playing it safe. Condom is also the best defense for people who loves to share their sex toys with their partner.
Sometimes, no matter how hard you clean your sex toys, chances are there will still be small traces of bacterias on your toys that will cause infections. If you love using your sex toy on your different body parts, the use of a condom is a must. From using it in an anal play, you must change the condom before using it on your vagina.
Don't Avoid Lubricants
Sex toys can be more pleasurable when used with lube. However, when choosing a lubricant to use for your sex toy, you should consider the materials of your toy. For example, silicone-based lubricants are not compatible with silicone sex toys as both materials react to each other.
If you constantly use a silicone-based lubricant, the silicone surface of your sex toy will eventually deteriorate and you will no other choice but to throw it away. Silicone-based lubes should only be used in adult toys made with glass, metals, plastics, and the likes.
You can opt for water-based lubricants instead or you can as well choose to use the oil-based version for longer usage without constant reapplication especially if you love doing an anal play. But you must remember that oil-based lubes are not compatible with latex condoms which is why you must avoid them if you are planning to use a latex condom for your sex toy.
Some people thought they do not need lubricants when using their sex toys. Little did they know that lubes are important to enhance sex toy usage and to provide protection as well. Without a lube, there is a tendency that your genitals will get irritated due to a lack of lubrication. Lubricants can be a huge help for women who are experiencing vaginal dryness.
Know When To Get Rid Of Sex Toys
Nothing lasts forever, including your sex toys. As part of the safe usage of adult toys is knowing when to get rid of them. The time will come that your favorite toy will have to retire and you will need to replace it with a new one especially if you are starting to notice the following:
When You See Openings
Sex toys will eventually have holes, cuts, or nicks especially if you have been using them for a long time. These openings can be a result of wear and tear but sometimes, poor handling of sex toys can as well result in cuts and holes.
Moreover, you can as well encounter sex toys with deteriorating seems which can cause an opening on the toy's surface. Once you notice any kind of opening on your sex toy, you should throw it away immediately and replace it with a brand new one.
When Your Toy Starts To Deform
Another clear tell-tale sign that you should toss away your adult toys is when you noticed they started to shape-shift. Sex toy deformity is common on jelly rubber toys and this is an indication that your toy has been exposed to heat.
Some jelly sex toy users reported that their toy looks like it is melting and you do not want to insert a melting dildo on your vagina won't you? It is best to get rid of deformed sex toys as they will not serve their purpose properly, instead, it can be a health risk.
Change In Color
Aside from the changes in its shape, you must as well pay attention to the toy's color. Once the color of the toy is starting to fade, this only means that the materials are deteriorating too. A faded sex toy can not only look bad on your collection but it can as well be dangerous for you.
Eroding materials are not safe to use anymore which is why it is best not to neglect any fading of color that you noticed on your sex toys. To avoid this from happening, you must store your adult toys in a cool and dry place making sure that your sex toys are not touching each other.
Motor Malfunction
If your vibrator's buzz is starting to slow down or you think that it is not functioning as well as it was before then it is a clear sign that your toy's motor is starting to fail. Although there is no direct danger it imposed on the user but the toy will become less effective.
There is no use in keeping vibrators that do not provide pleasure anymore. It will only take up the space meant for a new, and effective vibrator. If you have been happy with your vibrator's performance for a long time, it is now time to let go of it and let it rest forever.
Batteries for motorized sex toys should also be regularly checked or replaced. Batteries on sex toys should be taken out as much as possible to avoid potential corrosion. And because it is a motorized toy, you might as well want to check out all the buttons and the charging ports and try to discern any visible damages. This should be done regularly and as a part of a maintenance check for your sex toy.
Strong Odors
A high-quality sex toy that is made with 100% medical-grade silicone should not have a smelly odor especially if you clean it properly. Once you notice that your toys started to smell funny no matter how hard you are cleaning them, this may indicate that the toy is not made with 100% silicone.
Low-quality sex toys can trap bacteria which is why they will start to smell funny after usage. If this is the case, it is best to let go of this low-quality adult toy even if it is brand-new as this can pose a serious health problem for you.
Furthermore, when you buy a sex toy and noticed that it has a strong plastic-y smell, then this is an indication that the material used has phthalates. We already know that this chemical is harmful to our bodies and that we should stay away from it. So the next time you will buy a toy, it is best to use your sense of smell to identify whether the toy is phthalate-free or not.
Take Time To Read The Instruction
When you purchase a sex toy, you will see that there is a packet on its packaging. This packet is where the directions of usage for the sex toy are written. It is best that you carefully read it first before jumping into excitement and use it right away.
It will be safer if you first understand the intended use of the sex toy and the instructions on how to use it for the first time. You may have an idea of how the sex toy will work but you might not know how to safely do it.
Don't rush and read each page of the instruction packet to better understand the functionality of the sex toy. You might as well want to stick to the intended usage of the toy and not experiment too much on different usage as it can be hazardous to you.
To Wrap Things Up
Aside from ensuring you get the most pleasure out of a sex toy, you must also make sure that you are well protected from any potential health threat it can cause. In general, sex toys are not dangerous at all as long as you know how to properly use them and care for them. Now that you know how important sex toy safety is, it is best to follow the guide provided and enjoy safe and happy sex life.
