I don’t know whether this belongs in Tips or Care of, but I can’t find anything here on this site about this. I heard mention of it on the Multiamory website, and I have to say I’ve never really given this a thought.
I know to dispose of something if the material becomes questionable, as in: scratch in glass, smell of plastic, etc. but otherwise?
How long do you safely keep Dildoes and Leather goods, even if you maintain them well?
I have really old Silicone dildos that I never use (meaning they are barely used) that are like, 25 years old (includes my first),
and Plastic Jelly/ones that I adore, but are about 5 years old…
and with toys for Anal use, do we use them for anal play should they be tossed sooner, never mind the material or care of them???
Not an expert, but my understanding is if a toy is really silicone, as well as glass and metal toys, as long as you clean them properly they should be fine indefinitely, until you witness physical damage (chipped glass, silicone could rip or tear if you try hard enough, right?).
Toys made of other plastics have a more questionable lifespan.
I assume you throw away toys once they are completely worn out or damaged, and if they start showing signs of discolouration. The lifespan on toys would depend on if the toys are porous (e.g. jelly, PVC) or non porous (e.g. glass, silicone, metal). Non porous toys generally last longer than the porous ones. The way you clean the toys can have an impact on how long the toys last, so for example some harsh chemicals or abrasives can damage the toy surface. You should be able to use anal toys for a long time if they are in good condition and cleaned properly.
But what is a good guideline for when you should literally throw them out?
When do you all throw yours out? Can I literally use them forever?
Maybe I’m a crazy careful clean bot when it comes to sex toys but all of them are in like-new condition.
I’m wondering if it’s like cosmetics/makeup; manufacturers say you should use lipstick for 1 year tops, but I rarely encounter fellow women who don’t just keep them until they are used up…!
I think Lily O’Reily did a video on this but I’m not sure. She is literally an expert since she literally has many…many …many…many dildos and toys. I’d suggest watching her “let’s talk about (blank)” series as it’s very informative and educational.
This is because you get bacterial and microbial contamination that can’t be cleaned out of the product vs you can sterilize and/or clean most types of sex toys to some extent Glass, metal and medical grade silicone can last indefinitely if you sanitize them correctly, other materials like soft plastic and tpe can’t be entirely cleaned and should probably be tossed after signs of wear appear
I remember one particularly sad day when I went to use a jelly plug and it looked like it had been eaten!
It had sat in a drawer for a while with another toy leaning against it and whether it was the reactions of the 2 materials touching (silicone and jelly) or the start of the jelly degrading, it looked disgusting.
I threw out both toys that day.
I try to stick to silicone as it lasts better and use LH toy cleaner every time.
Glass, metal and medical grade silicone can last indefinitely if you sanitize them correctly, other materials like soft plastic and tpe can’t be entirely cleaned and should probably be tossed after signs of wear appear 
