I'm doing a comparison of the 2 plugs I bought. One is silicone and the other aluminium.
I've only tried the silicone one so far, and although I love how silky silicone feels to the touch (and looks) after using it I've cleaned it thoroughly 3 times with sex toy cleaner and it still has a backdoor smell.
In your opinion what is the best material for sex toys, and also for anal sex toys? and if you would be so kind, what do you consider to be the advantages and disadvantages of different materials?
I think silicon is good as is cyberskin. People swear by glass and metal but it can feel hard for sex toys, Mrs Pheebs ended up hating hers....
For anal toys I’d still say silicone but there are a few things you can consider. Always have a poo and clean yourself before using an anal toy. Use lots and lots of lube as this creates a barrier between the toy and your rectum. You can also use a douche to wash your rectum out, https://www.lovehoney.co.uk/sex-toys/anal-sex-toys/douches-enemas/ the Aluminium shower fitting is awesome but won’t work with a power shower, just make sure you get the temperature right.
A word of warning to people who use anal douches, please make sure the temp of the water is not too hot or cold. Too hot you can burn yourself, to cold you can put your bowels into convulsive shock, just think baby bath temperature and you’ll be fine. This a health warning from a health care professional who has seen lots of weird shit over their working life.
Finally get a really high quality cleaner from LH. This one is excellent https://www.lovehoney.co.uk/product.cfm?p=39564 , has some serious antibacterial and mechanical cleaning whack and smells lovely. Don’t be stingy with it!
Thanks for the info. Silicone seems OK so long as it's not for anal use, as I still can't get the smell off that plug. I think I'm definately gravitating towards metal anal toys.
Can I ask what product the silicone plug is? Did it have any smell to it before use? Have you considered using a different cleaning method? I have a number of silicone butt plugs and don't have the same problem.
I have a lot of silicone anal toys that dont smell after use. Sex toy cleaner is a disinfectant but generally I dont find it to be very good at cleaning toys on its own. I would highly reccomend using something like fairly liquid that lathers up well. If you do have a porous toy that smells a bit after you could try one of the pet odur and stain cleaners with enzymes that breakdown the odour causing chemical. You would need to soak to the toy for a while in it though (this has never been necessary for me though).
The best material for anal that I have found is by far the Doc Johnson Sil-A-Gel. It is comfortable, works with all lubes, and cleans up easily without an odour. After that I have toys in silicone, PVC, glass and TPR that are all good too.
I have this one and it seems to be a popular product on the forum. I haven't had any problem with smell so perhaps try a different cleaning product as others have suggested. I use antibacterial hand wash and hot water then the Lovehoney toy cleaner.
I would choose metal any day, feels so muh better. To clean i use hot soap and water, dry and then use toy cleaner on them. Never get any bad smells afterwards.
Silicone plugs can retain odour sometimes but I still feel it’s one of the better options. I like the firmness and temperature of glass and metal but use silicone often too.
I haven’t seen anyone here mention boiling it yet? If it’s genuinely silicone and has no vibrating parts, then you can boil it in a pan for a few moments. You could also try running it through the dishwasher (with no tablet or powder) or wiping it down with a 10% bleach solution and then rinse well and air out.
Edit: Just saw that it’s the So Divine plug and wanted to mention that the crystal can and should be removed before boiling or using a dishwasher as heat may melt the plastic.
Also, the blogger DangerousLilly wrote a post about other ways to resolve this problem. You can find it through a quick google search :)
It is my opinion, that for sex toys in general, a silicone material is an amazing material. However, I have read various claims in the matter regarding safety and cleanliness of silicone toys. I think that the quality of the silicone has to do with whether it harbors smell or not. I've used some silicone prostate massagers several times and never had a problem. I used a butt plug from a company and it had a smell after one use. When there is smell, I question if it is completely clean (there are micropores that retain that odor and in my mind that must mean possible trace amounts of bacteria). Silicone toys can only he boiled if they are 100% pure silicone material. And it goes without saying silicone lubes are a no no.
That said for anal toys, it's hard to beat stainless steel. Especially the quality made by companies like njoy. It is completely dishwasher safe, and can be sanitized by boiling, is safe with all lubricant types, and due to how smooth it is does not need necessarily need as much lubricant. Not to mention there's no issue of smell! This material retains heat and cold though which depending on your likes might be a good or bad thing.
It is my opinion, that for sex toys in general, a silicone material is an amazing material. However, I have read various claims in the matter regarding safety and cleanliness of silicone toys. I think that the quality of the silicone has to do with whether it harbors smell or not. I've used some silicone prostate massagers several times and never had a problem. I used a butt plug from a company and it had a smell after one use. When there is smell, I question if it is completely clean (there are micropores that retain that odor and in my mind that must mean possible trace amounts of bacteria). Silicone toys can only he boiled if they are 100% pure silicone material. And it goes without saying silicone lubes are a no no.
That said for anal toys, it's hard to beat stainless steel. Especially the quality made by companies like njoy. It is completely dishwasher safe, and can be sanitized by boiling, is safe with all lubricant types, and due to how smooth it is does not need necessarily need as much lubricant. Not to mention there's no issue of smell! This material retains heat and cold though which depending on your likes might be a good or bad thing.
Exactly my thinking; if there's a smell then surely there must be tiny particles of bodily matter remaining and therefore it isn't completely clean. I saw the njoy range; I plan on getting one as for years now I've heard people say how comfortable they are, and the fact that you can clean them with simple soap and water is a huge bonus.
I know people have mentioned boiling silicone, putting it in the dishwasher etc. I really appreciate the advice but for me personally it's more trouble than it's worth. I'd take a basic wash under a tap over that any day.
I concur. Silicone and metal is best. We haven't experimented much with glass. Other materials have gone bad and I would not trust them to be used internally, mainly cheaper items.
I have a few glass toys, you need to be careful (same with metal) as they have no give or flex, so you can hurt yourself if not careful, not always the best to use with a partner. But they are so slick and smooth and very easy to clean. Need hardly any lube too.
The jelly type material (TPE) used on the Jelly Rancher toys is my new favourite material. Its smooth like glass, but is also soft and pliable, so is much more comfy to use. Its also odourless unlike some other jelly toys I have.
They only make a few toys that are on the smaller side at the moment, but i'm hoping they expand their range.
There are a few threads on toy material but I’ve revived this one to ask my question; does anyone know much about Doc Johnson’s premium real feel ULTRASKYN? (Apparently it’s soft plastic!)
Most of us know that glass, metal and silicone are best for their non-porous qualities and that is the reason that they are they only materials in my toy boxes (minus one dildo). I have spied the one linked below in the new toys and I am curious to know if this material would be porous like pvc and jelly toys or if it is as safe as silicone, does anyone know? Has anyone used and had problems with ULTRASKYN?
Also, does anyone know why there are no flesh brown silicone dildos? That is what I am looking for and is the colour of the one I own that isn’t silicone; do they not exist? Why? Haha
I’m still not sure where I stand on the ‘how porous is too porous’ argument, but this is from the LH Materials Guide:
Realistic Feel
Realistic feel is a very broad term for sex toys made with materials that are designed to be natural in both look and feel. CyberSkin, Real Feel Super Skin, Better-Than-Real, Fanta Flesh, Futurotic, Loveclone RX, UR3, Sensafirm – all of these are terms for essentially the same elastomer based material.
Buying a realistic feel sex toy such as a Fleshlight, will give you an ultra life-like experience - it even retains heat to keep it at body-temperature!
Realistic feel materials are porous, so it’s important to clean them thoroughly and powder them with cornflour or a renewer powder to keep them soft.
Compatible with: Water-based lubricants only.
Feel: Firm, tactile and life-like.
Smell: Strong rubbery smell.
Taste: Rubbery taste.
Check individual descriptions for latex and phthalates content.
Additional Note: Apparently Ultraskyn was formerly known as UR3 (and is a form of TPE).
