Whether you can sterilise a sex toy depends entirely on its material.
Materials that can be sterilised
Non-porous materials are sterilisable to surgical standard:
- Platinum-cure silicone (motor-free pieces), boil for 3 minutes, top-rack dishwasher (no detergent), or 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe with water rinse.
- Borosilicate glass, boil, dishwasher, autoclave, or alcohol.
- 316L stainless steel, same as glass.
These materials don't have microscopic pores; bacteria and viral material can't embed in the surface. Cleaning with soap and water removes residue; sterilising kills any remaining microbial life.
Materials that cannot be sterilised
- TPE / TPR ("real-skin", "ultra-soft", "silicone-blend"), porous; bacteria embed in micro-pores that no cleaning method reaches.
- Jelly rubber, soft vinyl, PVC blends, highly porous; often contains plasticisers; cannot be made body-safe by cleaning.
- Untreated leather and rope, absorb fluids; cannot be sterilised. Leather can be cleaned but not sterilised; rope is replaced rather than sterilised.
How to sterilise the materials that allow it
Boiling (silicone, glass, steel)
Submerge in boiling water for 3 minutes. Use a pot reserved for the purpose. Lift out with tongs; allow to air-cool on a clean surface. Don't boil motor-containing toys or anything with electronics.
Top-rack dishwasher (silicone, glass, steel, no motor)
Place in the upper basket where there's no direct heat element contact. Normal cycle; no detergent (residue lingers); no heated drying. Effective for batch-cleaning multiple pieces.
70% isopropyl alcohol (any non-porous material; safe for motorised toys's silicone exteriors)
Wipe-down with 70% IPA on a microfibre cloth. Rinse with water afterwards, alcohol residue irritates mucous membranes. The right concentration is 70% specifically; 90%+ evaporates too fast to disinfect properly.
When sterilising matters
- Between sexual partners, every time.
- Between anal and vaginal use, gut bacteria in the vaginal microbiome causes UTIs and bacterial vaginosis.
- After STI exposure or testing concerns.
- Before long-term storage (over a month unused).
For toys used by one person with one body part and washed thoroughly after each use, routine soap-and-water cleaning is sufficient between sterilisation events.
What about motorised silicone toys?
Most motorised toys can't be boiled or dishwashed (electronics fail). The standard is 70% IPA wipe-down on the silicone exterior, followed by a water rinse. The silicone part is sterilised; the plastic body is wiped clean.
Premium suction toys (Womanizer, Lelo Sona) typically have a silicone tip that's removable or wipeable to surgical standard, and an ABS plastic body that's wipeable. The tip is what contacts the body; alcohol-wipe is sufficient.