TLDR: Before and after each use

Clean all toys before using them, including when they first arrive. Things are washed (usually repeatedly) before being sent out, but silicone has a way of collecting dust and, if you have pets, pet fur, so it’s always a good idea to wash the toy with at least soap and water before use, even if it seems clean.

Also wash toys after use so they can be stored in a sanitary way. The silicone itself is non-porous and shouldn’t breed bacteria, but that doesn’t mean it can’t transfer bacteria or bodily goo to other surfaces.

If you intend to share your toy with someone else, I suggest one of the more aggressive cleaning methods (boiling, dishwashing, bleaching) to ensure ultimate cleanliness.

In most cases, regular unscented soap and water are sufficient to clean a toy before and after use.

for a more aggressive cleaning you can…

1. Boil the toy for 3-5 minutes
   1. I don’t recommend boiling Near Clear as it can cause yellowing over time, temporary cloudiness, or the silicone getting permanently firmer
2. Soaking in a 5-10% bleach solution for 15-30 minutes (similar to how baby pacifiers are cleaned)
   1. Please do not boil water with bleach in it – it’s extremely hazardous to your health!
   2. Please allow sufficient time for the toy to dry completely to ensure there is no bleach left on it.
3. Throw it in the dishwasher on a sterilize setting
   1. Do NOT use any kind of dishwashing detergent when washing your toys!!!
   2. I also recommend not washing a toy with your dishes, but to each their own. 
   3. If your dish washer doesn’t have a sanitize setting, this is pointless.
   4. Consider not dish washing Near Clear toys as it’s a similar effect to boiling.

Please note there are some additional care requirements/considerations for Near Clear (listed below)

• Avoid colored lube as it can stain the toy.
• Avoid storing on textured surfaces as NC picks up texture imprints easily.
• NC will get permanently firmer when boiled, so use alternative methods for cleaning.
• Boiling may also cause temporary cloudiness that normally disappears after several hours.
• Boiling may expedite the yellowing of this silicone.
• NC will amber over the toy’s lifespan. Ambering does not affect usability or safety of the toy.

See this page for more specifics.

Water based lubes are ideal.

Silicone based lube should not be used with silicone toys as it may degrade the toy over time.

For Near Clear toys: darker colored lubes may discolor/stain the toy over time.

All silicone items from this shop can be safely stored with one another.

Do not store with toys of different materials (jelly, tpe, etc) as these may degrade the silicone over time.

Avoid storing on surfaces that are abrasive or sharp.

If the toy is stored on a textured surface, the silicone may take an imprint of the surface over time.

Odd note about extra soft: I’ve had issues with it sticking extremely aggressively to epoxy tabletops (like I had to trim the toys off it and it left gouges in the bottom type issues). I’m not sure what caused it, but I now refuse to store toys on epoxy surfaces for extended periods of time.