Title: We Like Our Porn Dirty and Our Sex Toys Clean
Author: Metis Black, Tantus Silicone

CHULA VISTA, Calif. — It’s late… her favorite adult DVD is in the player, remote in hand as she reaches for her new toy in the bedside drawer.
But what is this? It’s sticky… and what’s that smell?

After a night playing with a dildo that smells, many women awaken in the morning with inflamed skin, perhaps a rash, possibly even a discharge mimicking a yeast infection. And let’s
face it: If a couple plays with a dildo on Friday night and she has a bad reaction to that toy, they won’t play again at all for another two weeks and that's no fun for anyone.

So what is that smell? It’s phthalates. Yes, you read that correctly, even if you can’t pronounce it. Phthalates are chemicals used to soften much harder materials, such as PVC. Used as a pipe for plumbing, PVC is food-grade quality; but when you make it soft, for sex toys, it has a strong odor and leaches chemicals. Phthalates are known carcinogens and have been voluntarily eliminated
by manufacturers of baby teething toys, pacifiers, bottle nipples and pet chew toys. Novelty manufacturers, too, are extremely conscious of chemical sensitivities, and, as a consequence,
new toys are now available to meet consumer needs.

In terms of how the new generation of toys are used and cared for, store clerks are the new sex educators. They are asked—and must know how to answer—questions about intimacy: Why it is that Rabbit vibrators range in price from $19.99 to $120.00? How do I clean this toy? What lubricants should we use? How effective will this toy be? How safe is it?

As a general rule, customers aren’t opposed to paying more for something that will be effective in their quest for sexual delight; but they do want to know what they are paying for. So it directly benefits you to teach your employees how to answer your customers’ questions. Your customers are investing in their pleasure—help them invest wisely, and the returns will be well worth the effort.

Given the incredible variety of available toys, guiding your customers is no easy endeavor, especially with respect to the many different materials. What are the main benefits each material offers? The disadvantages? How is it supposed to be cleaned? Should you, and do you, recommend a “toy cleaner” with your sale? What kind of lubricant is compatible, and is special care necessary?

Let’s see if we can answer at least a few of those questions here, with a materials primer:

Soft Materials

Elastomers are unique, patented blends of polymers—a vague definition, but an accurate one. These are developed almost daily by highly skilled chemists who know what the Holy Grail is: health-smart materials at a reasonable cost. It’s just a matter of time until they come up with the magic formula; meanwhile, they are getting closer.

Many manufacturers, such as family-run Vibratex, make certain that all their vibrator bodies
are phthalate-free elastomers; “Phthalate Free” is emblazoned across the package on some new California Exotics products. If the product is phthalate-free, chances are it won’t cause an allergic reaction. Because elastomers are so new and so diverse, it’s hard to generalize about cleaning them. But when in doubt, toy cleaners and softer soaps are good options.

Silicone is the safest soft material currently on the market. Because it is chemically inert, it is hypoallergenic. It also has no pores in which to harbor bacteria. Therefore, it is hygienic and easy to clean, will never smell, will have no taste and won’t change color. Silicone is stable at temperatures
up to 600°, so you can boil the toy, as long as it has no electronic components. You can also bleach it in a 10 percent solution or clean it using rubbing alcohol or dishwashing soap. It is even dishwasher safe (top shelf). Silicone warms to the body and is very dense, so it vibrates quite well.

Depending on quality, silicone lube can bond to silicone toys, resulting in a gummy surface. Silicone lube is one of the few things that can hurt a silicone toy; the industry recommends that you never use a silicone lubricant on a silicone toy.

CyberSkin^™, SoftSkin^™, UltraSkin^™ and the like are flesh-like materials that are extremely soft, subtle and life-like. But to gain elasticity, they sacrifice durability. Because they are porous and some contain latex and silicone, care should be taken by customers who might be latex-sensitive. Advising your customers to use condoms over their CyberSkin^™ products will help the product last longer. Neither silicone- nor oil-based lubes are recommended for use with these toys.

Cleaning these materials is difficult, as you can’t rub them without making small tears—and cleaning CyberSkin^™ is important in maintaining the texture. Specialized toy cleaners or mild hand soaps are recommended. Also, these materials need to be dried thoroughly, inside and out. To keep the toy from getting sticky, customers should lightly dust all surfaces with cornstarch (not with talcum powder, which may cause cervical cancer) before the toys are put away.

Latex is the old standard in novelties; latex toys are both very common and very inexpensive. Latex novelties are the perfect avenue for customers to experiment with new sizes or shapes without making a huge investment. The material is very porous, so toys need to be cleaned thoroughly if they are to be safe. Latex toys should not be shared between partners unless a condom is used on the toy, when possible.

To clean latex, use a toy cleaner or soft soap. Harder soaps will break down the material quickly, while alcohol will break down latex, as will oil-based lubricants. Many people also have allergies to latex, of which they may not be aware—it often comes with extended exposure. So, a customer who has been pleased using latex toys for 10 years may suddenly get a rash.

Jelly & Rubber novelties are very common and inexpensive toys. They have a pretty, translucent quality. Jelly is PVC with phthalates softeners. It’s also semi-porous material, so cleaning is very important. Many vendors recommend that condoms always be used on a jelly rubber toy. Only water-soluble lubricants should be used, because other lubes will cause the jelly material to melt. Dishwashing liquid soaps are too harsh for this type of toy, and alcohol will dissolve it. Dedicated toy cleaners are strongly recommended.

Mystery Materials

Let’s face it, many products in the market are sold as “novelties,” and what they are made of is a mystery. Are they safe? If you don’t know what it is, cap it with a condom.

Hard Materials

Glass toys may seem like luxury items, but they are amazingly safe as nearly all manufacturers use medical-grade Pyrex. All lubes are safe for use with glass, and it doesn’t take much to get the toys sensually gliding over curves. The material’s pores are closed, so the novelty can’t harbor bacteria. Customers can clean glass toys with dishwasher soap or rubbing alcohol, they can boil them and they are dishwasher safe (top shelf). Pyrex glass is pretty resistant, but if the toy falls
or in some other way incurs a chip, it should be discarded.

Acrylic toys are not very common, but acrylic is a very durable material with many of the
same properties as glass toys. Acrylic novelties are non-porous, can be used with any lubricant and clean up easily with soap and water. They also can be immersed in a 10 percent bleach solution. Customers should not, however, use alcohol or products containing alcohol on acrylic, as the alcohol will chemically break down the acrylic over time. Acrylic toys are unbreakable, but can acquire surface scratches.

Hard plastic is also a very durable and safe material. Non-porous, hard plastic vibrates well and cleans up easily with dishwasher soap or rubbing alcohol. As with anything containing electronics, wash carefully, making certain the works are not exposed to moisture. Using a wet washcloth to clean and rinse is a safe bet for all vibrators.

Clearly, the combination of items and materials is almost infinite. But the basic rules about which lubes and cleaners should or should not be used with which materials are fairly simple, and that information is critical to your customers’ health and overall satisfaction with their purchase.

As retailers, we want our customers to come back time after time. As materials change and become more sophisticated, ensuring that customers receive accurate, relevant information from educated sales people is far and away the best way to make that happen.

I like my PORN dirty and my SEX TOYS clean

Metis Black, president of Tantus Silicone, strives to educate both consumers and retailers alike about the benefits of well-made products. Moonlighting as a writer, Metis has a column appearing in the Winter issue of On Our Backs magazine, and is currently writing an anal sex how-to book, Bend Over Beginner.