Intimate Hygiene in the USA

What is Intimate Hygiene for?

Here you will find everything you need to wash your sex toys and care for your intimate area. Keeping toys clean is essential, for your health and to help the materials last, because fluids and lubricant are left on them after every use. For toys there are spray, foam and gel cleaners, disinfectants, wipes, renewing powders for realistic skin and care products for latex. For your body there are intimate washes and foams, and anal douches and bulbs for cleaning the rectum before anal penetration. Lubricants, condoms and erotic cosmetics have their own category.

Types of Intimate Hygiene products

Toy cleaners and intimate cleansing products are on this same page. For your period there are two subcategories:

• Menstrual and vaginal cups: reusable cups that collect menstrual flow inside the vagina; you empty them, wash them and use them again. Some come in small and large sizes and with a pouch for sterilising them.
• Tampons: tampons for your period, including soft tampons.

What the studies say

Vaginal douching, meaning washing the inside of the vagina with water or another liquid, is among the most studied topics in intimate hygiene. In a study that followed 3,620 women for one year, regular douching was associated with a somewhat higher risk of bacterial vaginosis, with a relative risk of 1.21 compared with not douching (Brotman et al., 2008, Am J Epidemiol). This is an association: it does not show on its own that douching is the cause.

In those same 3,620 women, douching was more likely during periods when they noticed a strong vaginal odour or irritation (Brotman et al., 2008, Ann Epidemiol). If this happens to you, talk to your doctor before washing inside.

A 2024 clinical review notes that habits such as douching or using certain cleansers may be associated with a higher risk of problems in the genital area and the vagina (Graziottin et al., 2024, Womens Health). That is why it makes sense to use intimate washes on the outside only and to choose gentle formulas.

Caring for and cleaning your toys

Each material needs its own care. Silicone, stainless steel and borosilicate glass can be sterilised in boiling water for 5 minutes or on a dishwasher cycle without detergent, as long as the toy has no motor or battery. TPE, cyberskin, jelly and PVC should not be sterilised: they need mild soaps and, for realistic skin, renewing powder once it is dry.

Specific toy cleaners, in spray or antibacterial liquid form, are formulated to disinfect without degrading silicone, TPE or cyberskin. In the long term, scented soap can damage the material. After washing the toy, rinse it and leave it to air dry before putting it away.

How to choose

• Material: the cleaner's product page says which materials it is compatible with; compare this with your toy's material (silicone, TPE, cyberskin, latex).
• Format: spray for a quick clean, foam or gel for rubbing in, and wipes for when you have no water to hand.
• Alcohol: the product page states whether the formula contains alcohol; there are alcohol-free cleaners if you would rather avoid it.
• Use: check whether the product is for toys or for the body; a toy disinfectant is not an intimate wash.
• Cup size: the product page says whether the cup is small or large; compare the measurements before choosing.
• Quantity: the product page gives the millilitres or number of units; a small bottle fits in a bedside drawer or a wash bag.

Intimate Hygiene: frequently asked questions

Can I use ordinary soap to clean my toys?

Yes, for an occasional clean, a mild unscented soap with warm water works. For everyday use a toy cleaner is better, because scented soap can damage the material over time.

How do I sterilise a toy that is shared?

Only if it is made of silicone, stainless steel or borosilicate glass and has no motor: boiling water for 5 minutes or a dishwasher cycle without detergent. Toys made of TPE, cyberskin, jelly and PVC cannot be sterilised, so if you share one, put a condom on it and change it when passing it from one person to another.

Can I boil a vibrator?

No. It has a motor and a battery; clean it with warm water and mild soap or with a toy cleaner and leave it to air dry.

How often should I clean my toys?

After every use, and also before if they have been stored for a while. This stops fluids and lubricant building up.

Is douching a good idea?

The studies do not support it: regular douching was associated with a higher risk of bacterial vaginosis. For daily hygiene, wash the area on the outside with water or a gentle intimate wash.

What is an anal douche bulb for?

For cleaning the rectum before anal penetration, if that puts your mind at ease. Use a small amount of lukewarm water, and put a little anal lubricant on the nozzle.

What should I use for a realistic skin or cyberskin toy?

Warm water with mild soap or a cleaner compatible with that material. Dry it well and, once it is dry, apply renewing powder.

How do I clean a menstrual cup?

With water and mild soap each time you empty it, and by sterilising it as the manufacturer advises. Some cups come with their own sterilising pouch.

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