Safety Tips and Uses

Here are some of the golden rules of playing safe with toys.

Learn them, live them and love them.

• Always clean a toy right after using it and let it dry thoroughly before putting it away.
• Store your toys with care, and they’ll last much longer. Plus, if you don’t store a toy properly, you’ll have to clean it again before using it. I.E. Toy Chest
• Know what material your toys are made of so you know how to clean it and what lube to use with them.  If you don’t know what material your toy is made of, put a condom on it.
• While most STDs can’t live outside the body for very long. The warm and moist environment of an in-use sex toy can harbor bacteria or viruses long enough for you to say “Pass the dildo, baby” So yes, you can get (or give) an STD from a shared sex toy. Even if you let hours pass before it’s swapped, there’s no way for you to tell what harmful bacteria still might be hanging around. Always put a condom on it (one per person, per use); unless you’re sure the toy is 100 percent nonporous and can therefore be completely sterilized between uses by different individuals. Even if you are putting on a fresh condom before each sway, we’d recommend washing the toy between condom changes, too, just to be on the safe side. Know the difference between porous and nonporous. 
• Never use vibrators on unexplained calf pain. (Random, we know-it’s because of the danger of dislodging a blood clot that might be causing said pain.) 
• Know what phthalates are. If a low-quality toy is seeping phthalates (i.e., it’s sticky and smells up a room), always use it with a condom a latex glove, or a dental dam, even if it’s a monogamous toy.  
• If you can see shit growing on it, don’t stick it inside you. But know this: you can’t always see the shit that might be growing on it. Even if your porous toy is phthalate free and monogamous, it can still harbor bacteria if you don’t clean it properly (which could cause a yeast infection, etc.). And if you have a particularly sensitive vagina, consider using a condom even with monogamous porous toys. 
• A sex toy should never be moved from an ass to a vagina without changing condoms or sterilizing it first, unless you’re prepared for a nasty bacterial infection. 
• If a toy comes with instructions, read them. If it doesn’t, ask/e-mail Amour Boutique to explain the toy to you. 
• Never put talc on your toys to dry them; it’s been linked to cervical cancer. Use cornstarch instead. 
• Never stick something up you butt that doesn’t have a flared base. 
• If you’re going to leave a toy in all day, you better be 110 percent sure it’s nonporous and sterilized. But we don’t recommend using a toy for more than a few hours at a time. 
• If you’re planning on dabbling in BDSM or serous sensation play, do your research first. 
• If you’re allergic to latex use polyurethane condom over any toy that you’re not 110 percent sure is latex free. Many sex toys contain latex, and the packaging isn’t always particularly clear on this fact. 
• Never try to fix a sex toy yourself. If it has protruding wires or is on the fritz, throw it out and start over. 
• Rumors abound that vibrators can cause permanent nerve damage. Okay, so, yes, there is a teeny-tiny chance this could happen-just as it could happen with your fingers, too. But it’s very, very rare. “We have only seen this in instances of severe alcohol or drug abuse, In a situation like this, the user’s judgment is clouded and their ability to feel is compromised; this isn’t how most people use toys or masturbate by hand.” So, there you go: Friends don’t let friends diddle drunk. Tipsy is fine (and often a fabulous idea, now that we think about it); shit-faced is not. By the way, your genitals might feel temporarily numb after using a particularly strong vibe or pressing down hard with a buzzing toy. If this is the case, you could try a toy with a more subtle vibe, or use your vibrator over a blanket or jeans.

Special Thanks to:

Emma Taylor & Lorelei Sharkey

Authors of: An A-Z Guide To Bedside

Accessories