The soap you use on sex toys matters more than people assume. Residue on textured surfaces causes irritation; the wrong soap can damage some materials.
The right soap
What you want:
- Fragrance-free, no perfume, no scent additives.
- Liquid (not bar), bars can harbour bacteria in cracks; liquid rinses cleanly.
- Antibacterial, helps with the cleaning role.
- Mild pH, close to body pH (5-7) reduces irritation risk.
- No moisturising additives, they leave residue.
UK products that work
- Carex Original Antibacterial Liquid Soap, fragrance-free, widely available, £2-£3.
- Cussons Soft & Gentle Antibacterial, similar profile; ~£2.
- Sanex Zero Pure Skin, designed for sensitive skin; no scent; £3-£4.
- Method Free + Clear Hand Wash, fragrance-free; eco-friendly; £3-£4.
- Dr. Bronner's Unscented Castile Liquid Soap, pure plant-based; concentrated; £6-£10.
Dedicated toy cleaners
Optional but useful:
- Sliquid Shine (£12), purpose-made; mild; no residue.
- Sportsheets Sex & Mischief Toy Cleaner (£10).
- Fleshwash (£10), designed for Fleshlight care but works on any silicone.
- Pjur Toy Clean (£12).
These are essentially fragrance-free liquid soaps with brand markup. Functionally similar to Carex; aesthetically nicer; bigger price.
What to avoid
- Scented hand soap or shower gel, residue lingers in textured surfaces; causes irritation on next use.
- Bar soap, harbours bacteria; less hygienic; harder to rinse off.
- Moisturising soap, leaves residue; promotes bacterial growth on toys.
- Dish soap, too harsh; strips silicone of natural oils.
- Bleach, degrades silicone surface; harsh on body if residue remains.
- Hand sanitiser as a substitute, alcohol content; some sanitisers contain moisturisers that leave residue.
- "Natural" / "organic" / "essential oil" soaps, often contain plant oils that don't rinse clean.
The cleaning protocol
- Rinse with warm water first, removes visible residue.
- Apply small amount of soap, fingertip-sized; not a handful.
- Wash all surfaces, 30 seconds; pay attention to textured areas.
- Rinse thoroughly, until water runs clear and no slipperiness remains.
- Pat dry on clean cloth.
- Air-dry 10 minutes before storage.
For deeper sterilisation
Beyond soap, see can you sterilise a sex toy:
- Boiling 3 minutes (silicone, glass, steel, motor-free).
- Top-rack dishwasher (no detergent; no heated drying).
- 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe + water rinse.
Material-specific notes
- Silicone: standard soap protocol; any fragrance-free works.
- Glass / steel: robust; dish soap actually fine here but no advantage over standard hand soap.
- Leather: don't use soap; saddle-soap or leather cleaner only. See how to clean leather cuffs.
- Latex: very mild fragrance-free soap only; rinse thoroughly; air-dry.
- TPE / jelly: standard soap; but these materials can't be fully cleaned regardless.
Storage matters too
Even perfect cleaning is undone by poor storage. Air-dry fully; breathable cotton pouches; individual storage. See storage.