Sometimes, it is pretty obvious when you need to chuck a sex toy – it’s broken! Yet sometimes you notice little changes but find it hard to break away from your all-time favourite toy. We look at when the end is the end, and what steps you can take to extend the life of your collection.
Toss it?
Certain types of wear and tear signal a need to throw out your sex toys, for example:
- Noisy motor – it could be coming to the end of its life
- A motor that gets way too hot
- Wooden or glass toys with chips
- Toys with a lingering odour
- Porous, plastic toys that have discoloured over time
- Toys posing a safety risk i.e with a frayed cord
- Melted toys
- Plastic toys with have been in a cupboard too long and ooze a sticky oil
Let’s face it, if it was stored in the cupboard so long anyway, are you really going to miss it? It may have once been an important part of your life (or just sexuality) but sex toys are not something to hoard, and can easily be replaced with a newer, better model.
What TLC will prolong its life?
Don’t want to reach the above devastating circumstances? Although it is inevitable that most toys will reach their use by date, there are certain techniques that must be used in order to push that date further back, such as:
- If your toy has batteries, remove them between uses
- If rechargeable, do not leave it plugged in when it doesn’t need to be
- Use the correct lubrication – If you use the wrong lube, it can stick to the material and break down the surface of your toy
- Keep your sex toy clean – If you don’t, as well as being unhygienic, the material can degrade and discolour
- Store your toys in individual bags/boxes to stop dust forming on them, and stop toys with different materials clashing and materials causing damage
How to dispose?
If your toy is at the point of no return, the big question might be “How do I dispose of this subtly?” It is unlikely that anybody is going to want to buy your used toy (though not impossible) so you need to get rid of it in the traditional senses – in the bin or by recycling.
You might be able to get away with disguising your rubber dildo within general rubbish, and chucking a cheeky glass dildo in when you go to the bottle bank, but new recycling regulations mean that all electrical equipment must be disposed of at a designated electrical waste collection centre.
To avoid spreading germs, damaging your genitals, and having a strange collection of questionable sex toys, understand and recognise the signs, and get rid of your sex toys when necessary.
