Putting off cleaning your sex toy to enjoy the ‘afterglow’ may be all too easy, just chuck it in the draw and leave the cleaning till next time but what’s the real cost of NOT cleaning your favourite partner?

Firstly, there’s the cost of an expensive product being left to degrade. You wouldn’t leave your bicycle covered in mud after a good, hard ride to just sit and rust? Well, it’s the same for your sex toys, they need to be cleaned after every use to stop degradation which could lead to the item not performing as it should or even worse, bacteria building up.

Loving Joy Toy Cleaner 100ml N6525

As boring as it sounds, your toys should be cleaned and stored in a dry, clean environment before and after every use. Can I hear a, ‘Yes Mom’?

So how should you clean your favourite playmates? Well, normally soapy water will do the trick or quality sex toy cleaning products, of course this will depend on the toy and the cleaning instructions the manufacturer suggests. Remember, not all toys are waterproof!

Experts also advise that you clean your new products before their first use, and before and after every use following that.

It’s important to remember that lubes and condoms also have expiration dates, so be sure to check these, especially as some may be ineffective or harmful after those dates.

The decline of a favourite toy may be heartbreaking but always give your friend a once over before use, tell-tale signs that you need to look for are surface degradation, rust and battery issues or corrosion. If you see any of these, your friend may have seen its last days but not to worry, we have a whole bunch of new toys just waiting to meet your acquaintance.