Sex toys come in thousands of different sizes, shapes and functions -- you could have adifferent toy for every day of the week! But to narrow the search field, think about yourneeds and preferences, and consider the following questions:
* What shapes and sizes appeal to you most and is there anything that turns on you the most?
* Do you find some sex toys silly looking?
* Do you have a color preference for example a black dildo or lets say a pink one?
* Do you know what materials you like most: silicone, jelly, rubber or plastic as its very important to feel comfortable with it?
* Do you want stay traditional or try something new and wild and spice up your life a bit more than others?
* Do you have trouble reaching orgasm during penetration?
* Do you consider yourself to be "clitoral?"
* Do you want to use your toy alone or with a partner?There's no right answer to any of these questions -- whatever floats your boat is fine withus! However, you'll have an easier time selecting your pocket pal if you give it somethought before you try to buy.
Whichever toy you decide to try, let your desires be your guide. Don't let other people'sinhibitions bring you down. There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying, owning and usingsex toys! Whether you use your toys alone or with a partner, you are enhancing your life andpumping up your sex drive. Furthermore, you're keeping an open mind and trying somethingnew, which is the key to life-long learning. So relax and enjoy yourself. Who knows? Perhapssome day you'll have a whole treasure trove of titillating toys to tickle your fancy!
Selecting the Right Material for your sex toy
Sex toys can be made from just about anything, but most are composed of one of the following materials.
Silicone sex toys
Watch it wiggle, see it jiggle ... silicone is the supposed to be one of the better materials for just about every kind of sex toy. Life like with a soft, smooth texture, silicone quickly reaches and retains bodytemperature, making your sexual experience wonderfully warm and realistic. No hard edges, nosnags or imperfections - if you run your fingers over these toys with your eyes closed, you might think you're touching skin. Silicone sex toys also cleans up pretty well; it's non-porous, soyou can easily wash your toys with soap and water without having to worry about having anallergic reaction and that clears of you any worries. Because you can boil silicone, sex toys made from this material can be fully sterilized and are safe to share. Just make sure you clean them thoroughly between uses. In addition to being durable, silicone toys are nearly hypo allergenic; very rarely dopeople experience allergic reactions to them. The only drawback to this wonder-material is the price - because silicone toys are hand-cast, they can cost significantly more than theirrubber or jelly cousins. If you're looking for a high-quality, realistic toy that will last a long time, silicone is a good way to go.
Jelly sex toys
Jelly toys can be quite nice, at nearly half the price of their silicone sisters. While notas smooth or silky as sex toys made from silicone, jelly toys can still bring you atremendous amount of pleasure. The secret is water-based lubrication - use lots of it.Usually available in bright space-age colors, jelly toys are crafted from a thick,translucent, flexible rubber that isn't quite as jiggly as silicone. In fact, if you strokea jelly toy with your finger, your digit is liable to stick or skid a little on thematerial. Another weirdness is the smell of jelly - kind of like warm plastic. Most peopledon't really mind it, but some sensitive sniffers might not care for the scent. You don'twant to use soap or boiling water to clean your jelly toys, just warm water and a gentletouch. Unfortunately, that means these toys aren't safe to share unless you want to use acondom on them, but they're so inexpensive, your partner can just go out and buy his or herown! If you want a smooth, good-quality toy at a reasonable price, try jelly sex toys.
Rubber sex toys
While silicone and jelly are wiggly and wonderful, most sex toys are made out of simplelatex rubber. Quite a bit firmer than silicone or jelly toys, rubber toys are still soft andsomewhat flexible - but nothing like the real thing. When you play with a rubber dildo, youknow it's a rubber dildo. Regardless, latex rubber is very popular because of its low cost,versatility and resilience: it's cheap and it does the job just fine if you aren't toopicky. It won't last forever, though. Latex toys wear out much faster than silicone or jellytoys. And because they are very porous, rubber toys can be very hard to clean properly, sono sharing without a condom. Finally, some people are allergic to latex and can't use it atall. Also, rubber latex toys come in a wide range of colors, although "flesh-colored" andblack seem to be the most popular. If you're looking for an inexpensive toy that's lesslikely to smell like chemicals, rubber latex might be your best choice.
Plastic sex toys
Plastic is the big-city cousin of rubber: it's hard, cold and completely inflexible. Think"silver bullet" of adult film fame. However, some people really like plastic ... there'ssomething about the cool, sleek casing and the strong internal vibe. Since many plastic toyshave a metallic silver exterior, they have the added bonus of appearing sophisticated andhigh-tech. Plus, because the motor is encased in hard plastic instead of smooth rubberymaterial, you can really feel the vibe. Plastic vibes aren't a top pick for internal use orin-out thrusting, but they make wonderful clitoral teasers. To clean it, soak a cotton ballin rubbing alcohol and wipe down your toy. If you're nervous about bringing alcohol incontact with your sensitive genitalia, you can follow the alcohol wipe with a gentle waterwipedown. Try a plastic sex toy if you like the sensation of cool metal and a hard, pulsingvibration.
Other Materials
* CyberskinTM Also known as thermal plastic, toys made from this material become warmwith use and are the closest thing to skin-to-skin sensation you'll find in a sex toy. Onestep up from silicone, and the price reflects it.
* Metal Used mostly by S&M aficionados, metal toys are rare and potentially harmful:imagine a metal phallus clanging into your pubic bone. Ouch. Proceed with caution. Also usedin PC muscle exercisers.
* Vinyl Similar to rubber, this inexpensive material is a favorite with fetishists.
* Acrylic Its firm texture makes acrylic perfect for PC muscle-strengthening toys.
* Lucite This hard material provides firm pressure, making it a favorite forprostate-stimulating toys.
* Leather Used for harnesses and restraints, many people find leather tough and sexy.
Sex Toy Care & Maintenance
With all of the different types of sex toys available, and newer, more life like materials continuously being created, figuring out how to best take care of your sex toy can be a bitconfusing. We're here to help!
Maintaining Your Sex Toys
Maintenance involves many things, but taking these few quick and easy steps will ensure thebest performance from your toys, and the most pleasurable experience for you!
Using the Right Lubricant
Choosing the correct sexual lube is key to keeping your sex toy in the best shape possible,and it makes every experience more enjoyable. For more information on using lubricant withsex toys, check out Lubricant: How do I use it with sex toys? Just remember these simpletips:
* Water-based lubricant may be used with any sex toy.
* While silicone lubricants are perfect for use with a partner, a silicone lubricantshould never be used with silicone sex toys, nor should it be used on any realistic material(CyberskinTM, FuturoticTM, NeoSkinŽ, FauxskinTM, Soft TouchTM, UltraSkin).
* Never use an oil-based lube or petroleum jelly on any toy that will come into contact with or be inserted into the vagina (may increase risk of vaginal infections), or with anything made of rubber/latex, including latex condoms (will disintegrate latex).
Tips for Sharing Sex Toys
If you share your sex toys with a partner, or want to switch between anal and vaginal use,even on yourself, you must thoroughly clean the toy to avoid infection, and to avoidintroducing bacteria into the vagina. The best way to avoid bacteria transmission is to usea condom over the toy and change it whenever the toy is used for different partners ororifices. This method is hygienic, fast, and extends the life of your toys by protecting thematerial!
Proper Storage of Sex Toys
At the veryleast, be sure you have a place for your toys that keeps them separate, cool, and dry, awayfrom pets (and kids) and protected from dirt and dust. And always remove the batteriesbefore storing.
When to Replace Your
Toys
No sex toy lasts forever, and some, depending on frequency of use, may last a very shortwhile, so how do you know when it's time to say good-bye?
* Mechanical features slow or stop working, even after battery replacement
* Cracks are visible in plastic, acrylic, or glass toys, or on the plastic pieces ofother toys
* Mold or mildew has formed on the material, or the material is deteriorating
* Battery corrosion is seen inside the battery packMuch like shoes, the more you use a sex toy, the quicker it will wear out, so it's possibleto go through a toy a month-or to keep one for as long as a year. Just be sure to replaceyour sensual friend and not try to fix it yourself!
Cleaning Your Sex Toys
Regular cleaning is key to maintaining the integrity of the material of any sex toy. Be sureto wash before first use and immediately after each use before storing. Always be careful tokeep water and cleanser away from battery cartridges and electrical parts. The safest way toclean most of your sex toys is to use an antibacterial cleanser, such as For Play Adult Toy Cleaner. This formulation contains Nonoxynol-9, which kills all bacteria and is compatiblewith all sex-toy materials. Simply dilute with warm water (see bottle for instructions),wash the toy with a cloth, rinse it thoroughly, then towel dry with paper towels or a soft,lint-free cloth. However, each toy material is different and is best cleaned and cared forin its own special way.
Here's a breakdown of how to clean sex toys by material:
* Silicone: Hypoallergenic and easiest to maintain, silicone dildos andnon-battery-operated toys may be boiled for two to three minutes, or washed with soap andwater. NEVER boil silicone sex toys with electrical components. Let them air dry completelyor dry with a lint-free cloth before storing.
* Plastic/Acrylic/Glass: All can be washed with warm water and anti-bacterial hand soapand sterilized using an alcohol-soaked cotton ball (rinse thoroughly afterward); acrylic andglass toys may be boiled or submerged in hot water if they're not battery-operated.
* Rubber/Latex and Jelly: These products are extremely porous, so be sure to wash themthoroughly with warm water and anti-bacterial hand soap, and rinse so that no trace of soapis left, as it can degrade the material and cause irritation to you. Again, while it's agood idea to use a condom with any insertable toys, it's an especially good idea with thesematerials.
* Realistics: Names include CyberskinTM, FuturoticTM, NeoSkinŽ, Soft TouchTM, UltraSkin,and FauxskinTM (if you're unsure of the type of material, check the packaging or productpage, or contact Customer Service), and this type of material is widely used for erectionrings and masturbation sleeves, as well as vibrators and dildos. Thoroughly wash with warm(never hot) water and a liquid antibacterial soap, then let air dry completely. Once dry,sprinkle with the included "renewing" powder or cornstarch. Never use talcum powder or babypowder, as these can cause irritation and sometimes larger problems for women (pure talc isfine but very difficult to find).Because sex toys not only touch your skin, but touch very intimate areas of your body, it'sextremely important to know whether you have any allergies or sensitivities to certainmaterials, cleansers, etc. If you're not sure, we highly recommend that you do an allergytest on a small patch of skin, such as the wrist, before using any product. For moreinformation on cleaning toys and related subjects, please be sure to read the FAQ section ofthis article.
Storing Your Sex Toys
How you store your sex toys is as important as how you clean them, and while we're not suggesting you need to invest in a temperature-controlled vault, there are some basic thingsyou can do to prolong the life of any toy, as well as keep it clean and safe from harm.
* Always remove the batteries when you're done using any toy so they can't leak, rundown, or otherwise corrupt the toy; both the batteries and the toy itself will last longer!
* Be sure your toys are completely dry before storage to discourage mold and mildew.
* Keep each item separate by wrapping it in a soft cloth (T-shirts or socks work well),because some materials are not compatible with each other and can cause melting ordiscoloration. If vibrating bullets and eggs are removable, store them separately from theirrespective toys as well.
* Direct sunlight and excess heat may cause toys and condoms to melt, discolor, or dryout, so store these items in a cool, dark place such as a dresser drawer or trunk. Extremecold can also do damage to toys not made of acrylic, glass, or silicone, and only if thoseare not battery-operated, so never refrigerate or freeze soft materials or condoms.
* Always clean your sex toys before putting them back into their storage spot and whentaking them out for use.On a final note, if there's anything we haven't covered or that you need more informationabout, our Education section is a great resource for everything related to sex toys andtheir use, as well as for sexual health information in general.
* "I don't know the material my sex toy is made of-how do I clean it?" If you no longerhave the toy packaging, you may not be sure what material your toy is made of; use warmwater and a mild soap on a washcloth and let the product air dry.
* "If my vibrator is waterproof, can I wash it in the dishwasher?" Only silicone dildos that do not require batteries can be washed in the dishwasher or boiled. Do not submerge anysex toy that takes batteries, and never submerge electrical toys.
* "Will using a sex-toy cleaner with Nonoxynol-9 increase my risk of STIs?" No!Nonoxynol-9 will kill any bacteria on your sex toys and, if rinsed off properly afterwashing, it will not make you more susceptible to getting sexually transmitted infections.
* "I have ultrasensitive skin, so I can't use antibacterial soaps or toy cleaners-whatshould I do to clean my toys?" It would be best for you to only use silicone-based toys(they're hypoallergenic); if it does not use batteries, it can be boiled in hot water forcleaning and sterilizing, so no soap is necessary.
* "I only have one sex partner, my husband. Why would we need to use condoms with oursex toys?" Rubber, latex, jelly, and realistic materials are porous and harder to cleanthoroughly, so using a condom will extend the life of the product. Plus, a condom will keepyou both safe from bacteria if the toy is shared between you or switches orifices. An addedbonus is if you use a lubricated condom, no additional lube is necessary!