When a toy is shared between partners, the material stops being a quality question and becomes a hygiene one. A toy used by one person only has some tolerance for an imperfect material; a toy that moves between bodies has none. The reason is porosity. Porous materials, jelly, unsealed TPE, "rubber", and anything whose material is not disclosed, have microscopic pores that trap fluid and bacteria below the surface, where cleaning cannot reach. Used solo, that is a slow degradation problem. Shared, it is a route for passing bacteria or infection between partners. The fix is simple and absolute: shared toys must be non-porous, which in practice means the four body-safe materials, platinum-cure silicone, borosilicate glass, ABS plastic, and 304 or 316 stainless steel, because only non-porous materials can be cleaned thoroughly enough to truly share. Two further rules make shared use safe: use a fresh condom on the toy when switching between partners as a barrier, and clean thoroughly between users, not just between sessions. This guide covers the materials and the rules. For what "body-safe" means in general, see body-safe meaning; for the buyer-facing materials checklist, see body-safe sex toys UK.
Body-safe sex toys, shared toy hygiene, non-porous toys
"Body-safe sex toys", "shared toy hygiene" and "non-porous toys" all converge on the same point for couples: a toy that two people use has to be made of something that can genuinely be cleaned between them. The material is the hygiene decision.
Why porosity is the whole issue
A non-porous material has a sealed surface: fluid and bacteria stay on top, where soap, water, boiling or a toy cleaner remove them. A porous material has microscopic pores, the surface is, at a small scale, full of openings, and fluid and bacteria soak into them, below where any surface cleaning reaches. You can wipe a porous toy until it looks clean; what is in the pores is still there.
Used by one person, a porous toy is mostly a degradation and odour problem over time. Used by two, it becomes a transmission route: whatever soaked in from one partner is waiting in the pores for the next. That is the difference shared use makes, and it is why the material question is sharper for couples than for solo use.
The transmission concern is documented. A 2014 study in Sexually Transmitted Infections detected HPV on 67% of silicone vibrators and 89% of more porous thermoplastic ones after use, with detection markedly lower once the toys had been cleaned. That pattern is the whole argument for non-porous materials: cleaning measurably works on a sealed surface, and measurably cannot reach what has soaked into a porous one.
The four materials safe to share
| Material | Why it shares safely | Deep clean between users |
|---|---|---|
| Platinum-cure silicone (non-motorised) | Non-porous, heat-stable | Boil 3 min, or dishwasher top rack |
| Borosilicate glass | Non-porous, inert | Boil, or wash thoroughly with soap |
| Stainless steel (304/316) | Non-porous, inert | Boil, or wash thoroughly with soap |
| ABS plastic | Non-porous, hard surface | Thorough wash with soap and water |
| Motorised toys (any shell) | Shell may be non-porous, but cannot be boiled | Thorough surface clean + condom barrier strongly advised |
The non-motorised members of the body-safe four are the genuinely shareable toys, because they can be deep-cleaned (boiled or, for solid silicone, dishwashed) to a standard that surface-cleaning cannot match. Motorised toys have a non-porous shell but cannot be boiled, which is why the condom-barrier rule matters most for them.
What not to share
- Jelly, "rubber", and unsealed TPE. Porous. They cannot be cleaned thoroughly enough to share safely. If a couple owns one, it should be a solo toy at most, and ideally replaced.
- Anything with an undisclosed material. If the listing will not say what it is made of, treat it as porous. A shareable toy has a named, non-porous material.
- Toys with cracks, splits or a tacky surface. A breach in the surface is a place bacteria collect that cleaning cannot reach, even on a non-porous toy. A damaged toy is not a shareable toy. See when to throw a toy away.
The barrier rule
Even with a non-porous toy, the safest practice when switching between partners mid-session is a fresh condom on the toy. It is a clean barrier, changed between users the same way a condom is changed between activities, and it removes the need to fully clean a toy in the middle of a session. The condom-barrier rule is most important for:
- Motorised toys, which cannot be boiled, so a barrier does the work a deep clean would.
- Switching between partners within a single session, where stopping to thoroughly clean is impractical.
- Any switch between anal and vaginal use, where a fresh barrier (or a thorough clean) is essential regardless of how many people are involved.
Cleaning: between users, not just between sessions
Solo, a toy is cleaned between sessions. Shared, the standard rises: a toy is cleaned between users. For non-motorised body-safe toys, that means the deep-clean options, boiling for three minutes, or the dishwasher top rack for solid silicone, are not occasional extras but the routine when a toy has moved between partners. For motorised toys, a thorough surface clean plus the condom barrier is the practical standard. The principle: shared use means the cleaning bar is set by "is this safe for the next person", not "is this clean enough for me".
Common mistakes
- Sharing a porous toy. Jelly, "rubber" and unsealed TPE cannot be cleaned thoroughly enough to share. Non-porous only.
- Assuming "looks clean" is clean. A porous toy can look spotless with bacteria still in the pores. The material, not the appearance, decides shareability.
- Cleaning only between sessions. Shared toys are cleaned between users. The bar is higher.
- Skipping the condom barrier on motorised toys. They cannot be boiled, so the barrier does the work a deep clean would.
- Sharing a cracked or tacky toy. A damaged surface harbours bacteria even on a non-porous toy. Damaged is not shareable.
Related reading
- What "body-safe" actually means
- How to clean silicone toys
- Sex toy materials to avoid
- Browse body-safe sex toys
Frequently asked
- What materials are safe to share between partners?
- The four non-porous body-safe materials: platinum-cure silicone, borosilicate glass, ABS plastic, and 304 or 316 stainless steel. Only non-porous materials can be cleaned thoroughly enough to genuinely share, because they have no microscopic pores for bacteria and fluid to soak into below the surface.
- Why can't you share porous sex toys?
- Porous materials, jelly, unsealed TPE, "rubber", undisclosed materials, have microscopic pores that trap fluid and bacteria below the surface, where cleaning cannot reach. Used solo that is a slow degradation problem; shared, it becomes a route for passing bacteria or infection between partners, because whatever soaked in from one is waiting for the next.
- Do I need to use a condom on a shared sex toy?
- It is the safest practice when switching between partners, especially mid-session and especially with motorised toys that cannot be boiled. A fresh condom is a clean barrier, changed between users, that removes the need to fully clean a toy in the middle of a session. It is also essential when switching a toy between anal and vaginal use.
- How do I clean a sex toy between partners?
- The standard is higher than between sessions, you clean between users. For non-motorised body-safe toys, use the deep-clean options as routine: boil for three minutes, or the dishwasher top rack for solid silicone. For motorised toys, a thorough surface clean plus a condom barrier is the practical standard, as they cannot be boiled.
- Can couples share a vibrator?
- Yes, if it is made of a non-porous body-safe material and cleaned properly between users. Because most vibrators are motorised and cannot be boiled, the safest practice is a thorough surface clean plus a fresh condom barrier when switching between partners. A porous-material vibrator should not be shared.
- Is "body-safe" enough to know a toy can be shared?
- "Body-safe" points the right way but the specific material is what matters, and it must be non-porous. Confirm the toy is one of the four, platinum-cure silicone, borosilicate glass, ABS plastic, or 304/316 stainless steel. "Body-safe" is an unregulated claim, so check it against the named material. See body-safe meaning; for the buyer-facing materials checklist, see body-safe sex toys UK.
- Can a damaged toy be shared if it is the right material?
- No. A crack, split or tacky surface is a place bacteria collect that cleaning cannot reach, even on a non-porous toy, so a damaged toy is not a shareable toy regardless of material. If a shared toy shows any surface damage, retire it. See when to throw a toy away.
- Where can I buy body-safe shareable sex toys in the UK?
- BondageBox screens every product for body-safe materials, platinum-cure silicone, borosilicate glass, ABS plastic or 304/316 stainless steel, before listing, and names the material on the page. Free discreet UK delivery over £30, plain unmarked packaging. Browse the sex toys range.
- Can you catch an STI from a shared sex toy?
- It is possible if a toy is shared without cleaning or a barrier. A 2014 study in Sexually Transmitted Infections detected HPV on 67% of silicone vibrators after use, though detection dropped sharply once the toys were cleaned. The protective practice is the one this guide describes: non-porous materials only, a fresh condom on the toy when switching between partners, and a thorough clean between users.
Sources & further reading
- NHS, Sexual health hub, NHS UK
- ISO 10993, Biocompatibility for body-contact products, ISO
- ECHA, Restricted plasticisers in body-contact products, European Chemicals Agency
- Bringing sex toys out of the dark: exploring unmitigated risks (2023 review), PMC / NIH
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