The Materials Notebook
Iris Kemp
Materials specialist. Writes about what is in a sex toy, what is in a lubricant, what is in a piece of latex clothing, and what to do with it once you own it.
Iris writes the Materials & Care desk: the silicone-vs-glass comparisons, the latex care notes, the leather conditioning pieces, the "what is body-safe and what is not" explainers that sit at the technical heart of the site.
The editorial perspective here is consumer-rights led: there is no FDA-equivalent regulator for adult toys in the UK, so the buyer has to know what platinum-cure silicone actually is, why TPE eventually weeps plasticisers, and which condom materials tolerate which lubricants. Iris's pieces explain these one rule at a time.
Sources Iris draws on: the WHO/UNFPA Male Latex Condom Specification, the Public Health England guidance on body-safe materials, manufacturer technical data sheets, the academic literature on silicone-on-silicone bonding behaviour.
Areas of expertise
A note on this byline: Iris Kemp is a stable pen name owned by the BondageBox editorial team. Pieces published under this byline are written, fact-checked and edited to the standard set out in our editorial standards. Reach the editorial desk at [email protected].
Recent guides by Iris Kemp
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Sex Toy Materials Guide UK | Body-Safe Materials Explained 2026
The complete UK guide to sex-toy materials, what counts as body-safe, what doesn't, why the difference matters, and which materials to choose for your first or your tenth purchase.
2 Nov 2025 · 8 min read
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How to Clean Sex Toys UK | The Complete 2026 Care Guide
Plain-English cleaning instructions for every common sex-toy material, silicone, borosilicate glass, surgical steel, ABS plastic, TPE, leather and latex. Material-specific protocols, what to never use, and how often.
3 Oct 2025 · 9 min read
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Sex Toy Materials to Avoid: A Body-Safe Buyer's Checklist
The UK adult-novelty industry is unregulated. The label is your only protection. A plain-English guide to which materials are body-safe, which are marginal, and which to avoid entirely.
20 Jun 2025 · 9 min read
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When to Throw a Toy Away
When to throw a sex toy away: the failure signs by material, and the realistic replacement timeline for each type.
25 Feb 2025 · 8 min read
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Battery Care for Toys You Actually Use
How to care for a rechargeable sex toy battery so it lasts: charging habits, storage level, and charge-port care.
5 Jan 2025 · 8 min read
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A Note on "Body-Safe": What the Term Actually Means
What "body-safe" actually means as a term, what it guarantees, what it does not, and the label test that protects you.
24 Nov 2024 · 7 min read
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Why Metal Hardware Matters (And When It Doesn't)
Why bondage hardware quality matters: welded vs split rings, steel grades, and the honest line on where it is critical and where it is not.
11 Oct 2024 · 8 min read
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Storing a Growing Collection
How to store a growing collection of sex toys so they last: the material-contact rule, keeping things dry, and sensible organisation.
22 Aug 2024 · 8 min read
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Rope Materials Compared: Cotton, Jute, Hemp, Satin
Bondage rope materials compared: cotton, jute, hemp and satin, what each fibre is for, and the one material to avoid.
11 Jul 2024 · 8 min read
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How to Clean Silicone Toys, Properly
How to clean silicone sex toys properly: the routine method, when boiling is safe, and the one motorised-toy exception.
14 May 2024 · 7 min read
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Latex Care: Rubbing, Polishing, and Storing
The full latex care routine: dressing, shining, washing, drying and storing, so latex stays supple and glossy for years.
17 Apr 2024 · 8 min read
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On Leather: Bridle, Suede, and Bonded
Leather grades for bondage gear explained: full-grain bridle, suede, and the bonded leather to avoid, plus how to care for the good stuff.
26 Feb 2024 · 8 min read