We sell a toy cleaner, and we'll still tell you this first: for most toys made of a non-porous material, warm water and a mild soap with no fragrance clean them well. Our own page for Uno, a silicone plug, says to rinse it with warm water and mild soap before and after use.
So the real question before adding a cleaner to your cart is whether it does something your soap can't do for you. This article lays out where each one fits, with the cost of each option. Our older guide on cleaning and storing your toys covers cleaning by material and storage, so we'll stay on the buying decision here.
In this article
- The short answer
- How to clean a toy with soap and water
- When a toy cleaner is worth having
- What to keep away from your toys
- What each option costs
- Toys that need more than either
- Frequently asked questions
The short answer
Soap and water is how most people already do it. In a survey of 800 women about their toy habits, researchers found that most women who use toys wash them, mainly with soap and water. The same study found people were unsure about the risks, and called for clearer, evidence-based hygiene advice.
For a non-porous toy, such as medical-grade silicone, glass or stainless steel, what you're removing sits on the surface. Any gentle cleanser plus a good rinse will lift it off. The soap matters more than the brand of cleaner: it should have no fragrance and nothing harsh in it, and it should rinse off easily.
A toy cleaner earns its place for reasons of convenience and formula more than power. If those reasons don't apply to you, a bar of plain soap by the sink is a fine choice.
How to clean a toy with soap and water
- Pick the right soap. Look for "fragrance-free" or "no fragrance" on the label. A plain, mild liquid soap is easiest to rinse from seams.
- Use warm running water. It's comfortable to work with and rinses soap away quickly.
- Lather in your hands and work it over the whole toy, including the base and any joins, for about 20 to 30 seconds.
- Rinse until the surface no longer feels slippery. Soap left behind is the easiest part to miss.
- Let it dry in the air on a clean cloth or paper towel before you put it away.
If the toy has a motor, make sure it's waterproof before it goes under the tap. If it isn't, use a damp, soapy cloth, then a clean damp cloth, and keep water away from the charging port.
The fragrance rule matters because of where the toy goes next. DermNet ranks fragrance just behind nickel among the causes of allergic contact dermatitis, and warns that products sold as unscented can still contain masking fragrances. Our article on fragrance in body wash explains how to read those labels.
When a toy cleaner is worth having
A dedicated cleaner doesn't clean a non-porous toy better than mild soap does. Where it helps is in the details around cleaning.
You know exactly what's in it. Many hand soaps carry fragrance, and the label doesn't always say so plainly. A toy cleaner made for this job lists a short set of ingredients. Clean, ours, starts with distilled water and eastern white cedar hydrosol, then polyglucose, a mild cleanser that comes from plants, with vegetable glycerin, jojoba oil and potassium sorbate. There's no fragrance and no alcohol in it. One buyer wrote: "Finding a more natural adult toy cleaner that doesn't oversexualize the product is very difficult to find. Happy we found one through Peach and Cream." (A.M., verified buyer, July 2024)
It's easier on the go. A spray bottle goes in a bag, while a bar of soap in a damp dish doesn't. If you travel with a toy, a cleaner and a sink are all you need.
It reaches seams more easily. A fine spray lands in grooves and around buttons, where lather tends to skip, and one bottle covers every non-porous material Clean's page lists, from silicone to glass and stainless steel.
It suits a quick clean before use. A toy that has sat in a drawer picks up dust and lint, and a spray, a rub and a rinse take less than a minute.
Whatever you use, the toy still gets rinsed with water and dried. That step is the same for soap and for a cleaner, and our article on whether you need to rinse off toy cleaner explains why.
What to keep away from your toys
Some cleaning products work well on a kitchen counter and badly on something that touches intimate skin. We'd skip these:
- Alcohol and alcohol wipes. Alcohol is a solvent, and the NHS lists solvents among the most common irritants that cause contact dermatitis. Whatever is left on the toy meets thin, warm skin. Check the maker's care sheet before using alcohol on any toy material.
- Bleach and household disinfectants. These are made for hard surfaces you don't put against your body. If a toy has a problem bleach seems needed for, it's usually time to replace it.
- Scented soaps and body washes. A scent that's lovely on your arms can bother intimate skin.
- Dish soap and harsh detergents. They clean well but are hard to rinse fully and can be drying.
- Anything abrasive. A scrubbing pad can scratch silicone, and a scratch is a spot cleaning can't reach well.
For silicone toys in particular, the bigger risk is the lubricant you pair them with. Silicone-based lube is not recommended with silicone toys, which is why our silicone Honey says so on its page. Use a water-based lube with silicone toys.
What each option costs
Here is the full comparison. Prices for Clean are from our store; the other options are what you probably already own.
| Option | Good for | Watch out for | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warm water and mild fragrance-free soap | Most non-porous toys, at home | Scented soap; soap left in seams | Close to nothing, if you already have the soap |
| Toy cleaner spray (Clean) | Non-porous toys at home or away; a quick clean before use | Still needs a rinse and a full dry | $16 CAD ($12 USD) for 4 oz; $24 CAD ($18 USD) for 8 oz |
| Alcohol wipes | Hard surfaces, not toys | A solvent left on something that touches you | A few dollars a pack |
| Boiling | Only if the toy maker's care sheet says so | A care sheet that doesn't mention it | Free |
Per mL, Clean's 4 oz bottle (118 mL) works out to about 14 cents CAD (about 10 cents USD). The 8 oz bottle (236 mL) is about 10 cents CAD per mL (about 8 cents USD). A spray uses a little at a time, though we can't give you a number of cleans per bottle, because that depends on the toy and on you.
On boiling, follow the toy maker's care sheet. If the sheet doesn't mention it, don't boil the toy.
If you're buying a lube anyway, the basics kit puts Honey and Clean together for $40 to $50 CAD, depending on the Honey you choose. The Clean page has both bottle sizes.
Toys that need more than either
Neither soap nor a cleaner can fully clean inside a porous material. Jelly toys and many soft elastomers have tiny pores that hold on to residue after washing.
One small study shows why. Researchers compared a vibrator made of thermoplastic elastomer with a silicone one after cleaning with a commercial cleaner. Of the toys that still carried HPV right after cleaning, 2 of 5 elastomer toys still tested positive a day later, and none of the silicone toys did. The sample was small, but it points to the material mattering more than the cleaner.
For a porous toy, the honest options are a fresh condom over it every time, never sharing it, and replacing it sooner. For toys you plan to keep, a non-porous material makes either soap or a cleaner work properly. Our vibrators and plugs, Uno included, are medical-grade silicone.
Moving a toy between body areas or between partners calls for a full clean each time, or a new condom. And if your skin stays red, itchy or sore after using a toy, whatever you cleaned it with, a doctor or pharmacist can help find the cause.
Frequently asked questions
Is soap and water enough to clean a sex toy?
For most non-porous toys, yes. Warm water and a mild soap with no fragrance, worked over the whole toy and then rinsed off well, clean silicone, glass and stainless steel properly. Dry the toy fully before storing it. A dedicated cleaner adds convenience and a known ingredient list rather than extra cleaning power.
What kind of soap should I use on toys?
A plain, mild soap labelled fragrance-free or with no fragrance. Liquid soap rinses out of seams more easily than a bar. Skip scented body washes, dish soap and antibacterial soaps with strong ingredients. The point is to clean the surface and leave nothing behind that could bother intimate skin.
Can I clean silicone toys with alcohol?
We wouldn't. Alcohol is a solvent, and solvents are among the most common causes of skin irritation, so anything left on the toy meets sensitive skin next. Check the toy's care sheet before using it on any material, and use mild soap or a toy cleaner instead.
Is it safe to boil a silicone toy?
Follow the toy maker's care sheet. Boil a toy only if the sheet says it can be boiled, and if it doesn't mention boiling, don't. For routine cleaning, warm water and a mild fragrance-free soap, a good rinse and a full dry clean a silicone toy well, and a toy cleaner does the same job.
Does a toy cleaner need to be rinsed off?
Yes. Once you've sprayed it on and worked it over the toy, wash it away under running water and leave the toy to dry in the air all the way. The Clean label includes the rinse as a step, and the same goes for soap. A cleaner is for the toy and isn't meant to stay on your skin.
How much does toy cleaner cost compared with soap?
Clean costs $16 CAD ($12 USD) for 4 oz and $24 CAD ($18 USD) for 8 oz, which is about 14 and 10 cents CAD per mL. Mild soap you already own costs close to nothing. The cleaner is worth it for travel, a quick clean before use, or a short, known ingredient list.
Sources
- How women clean their toys, and the call for clearer hygiene advice: Collar and others, Journal of Sex Research, 2022, PubMed 34919465
- Fragrance allergy and masking fragrances in unscented products: DermNet, Fragrance allergy
- Solvents, soaps and detergents as common skin irritants: NHS, Contact dermatitis
- HPV on elastomer and silicone toys before and after cleaning: Anderson and others, Sexually Transmitted Infections, 2014, PubMed 24739872
About this article
Written by the Peach & Cream team, based in Montréal. Published October 15, 2026. Last updated October 15, 2026. Product facts and prices come from the Clean, Uno and Honey product pages; the buyer quote is copied exactly from a verified review on our store. This article is general information, not medical advice.