Since Platinum Cured Silicone is non-porous and heat-proof, it's much easier to clean than plastic toys. It can even be heat sanitized in boiling water while plastic toys would melt!

To Handwash: Thoroughly wash the toy with antibacterial soap and warm water, using your fingers to gently scrub and remove all excess lube. Avoid using brushes or other tools that may scratch the surface of the toy, as well as soaps that include ingredients that end in "-cone," such as Dimethicone, which can harm silicone toys. It's best to wash your toys as soon as convenient after playing, otherwise just be mindful to remove anything that may have dried.

Dongsmith's Note: Since Platinum Silicone is non-pourous, it cleans easily. As long as they're cleaned thoroughly, it's not truly necessary to heat sanitize our toys after each use. However, it's sometimes nice to know your toys are heat sanitized, such as before and after playing with different partners, or if you want to enjoy the same toy both vaginally and anally. As an added bonus, toys look beautiful after boiling since they air dry quickly without collecting lint as they will from towel drying.

Boil to Sanitize: To heat sanitize your toy after washing with soap and water, bring a pot of water to a boil and carefully place the toy in the pot for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the toy and stand it upright on a towel to air dry. We recommend using a kitchen towel as they usually shed less lint than bath towels.

We promise you won't hurt them! Platinum Cured Silicone can withstand temperatures up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, your toy has already been boiled! During post-processing, each and every HHT toy is washed with Dawn original dish soap then boiled for 10 minutes, a process that some affectionately refer to as "making dong soup."

Dishwasher: Load the dishwasher with toys only and run on "sanitize" or whichever cycle runs hottest* on your dishwasher. Do not use detergent as it's too harsh and can harm your toys!

Cycle temperatures are listed in the manual. If you don't have that, you can find the manual online by searching for your dishwasher's model number + "manual."

* Disclaimer: While all dishwashers, including those without a sanitize feature, will be able to remove most things from the surface a toy using very hot water, your dishwasher won't be able to truly sanitize your toys unless it can reach 150 degrees Fahrenheit (NSF).

Our cleaning instructions expand on Brown University's recommended sex toy sanitization methods.

We generally recommend using water-based lubes. Oil-based lubes are also just fine, but can be a little more difficult to clean off the toy.

We know silicone and hybrid lubes are popular, but we cannot recommend their use. There is a wide variety of formulations and ingredients that these may contain and some have the potential to harm your toy.

Yes, however this overview will just scratch the surface as this topic is too complex to fully cover here -- and this is already plenty long!

Again, lack of regulation is the heart of the problem as manufacturers can label toys however they want. While there are plenty of reputable brands doing it right, shady companies have been observed using misleading marketing at best, or outright deception at worst. Here’s a few examples of common issues with how plastic and silicone toys are marketed:

Plastic: Certain plastics may contain compounds that can cause nervous system damage or are linked to other significant health issues. For example, PVC toys may contain phthalates, which are linked to a host of medical issues. TPE is another common material, often what the popular clear jelly dildos are made from. While it's not as harmful as PVC, it's usually softened with mineral oil which can degrade the toy to the point it becomes unsafe for use -- ever had a toy get "sticky?" And while TPE and PVC toys are both porous, they can't be heat sanitized.

In either case, one must take the manufacturer's word that a PVC toy is made with phthalate-free PVC as claimed, or that the toy marketed as TPE is made of that and not a more problematic material. In both cases, you simply can’t know. 

Silicone: While Platinum Cured Silicone is body-safe, not all silicones are. For example, Tin Cure Silicone contains toxic ethanol and is not a safe material for sex toys. When toy shopping, it can be confusing because manufacturers know that people generally think of silicone as “better” than plastic and they’ve developed marketing terms to this effect. Toys can be found marketed as “100% silicone" or “premium silicone” which both sound good, but neither clarify which type of silicone the toy is made with.

One final wrinkle is that without regulation, there’s been very little comprehensive testing of these different plastics and silicones as sex toys. We don't truly know everything about them and their potential risks. On the other hand, Platinum Cured Silicone has been around since the 1950’s and has been extensively tested. It’s used in all sorts of applications where it’s critical that the material be non-toxic, body-safe, hygienic, and durable. This includes prosthetic limbs, implants, movie and theatrical “skin effects” makeup, and food, beverage, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Again, it's important to buy from companies with a good reputation, that you trust, and that are transparent about the materials they use. More information is always better. A company that uses Platinum Silicone will be loud and proud about their premium product and they'll want you to know why their products cost more than the “100% Silicone” toy! Here at HHT we exclusively use Ecoflex by Smooth-On, an industry leader in high-quality rubbers, plastics, and foams.

For more complete information, we recommending searching the internet for topics like “TPE dildo risks” or “phthalates in sex toys” for a cornucopia of well-sourced articles about these problematic materials. 

The main issue is toys that are marketed for anal use but lack an anal-safe base.

To be considered anal-safe, a toy should have a base that is at wider than the widest insertable portion of the toy, and that's thick enough so that it cannot fold and unintentionally slip inside the user.

Since the industry lacks labeling regulations, it can be tricky to tell which products are safe. Unfortunately, you can't just take the manufacturer's word at face value and instead you have to consider all of the available information and maybe do a bit of research.

You've probably noticed that our products cost more than most toys found at mainstream retailers that carry toys made of various plastics or "100% silicone." Platinum Silicone is a far more expensive raw material than plastic or other types of silicone and often times the price alone can tell you whether a toy is something that you'll want to put inside of you or not. If a toy seems too good of a deal to be true, it probably is. 

Perhaps resulting from the lack of regulation, a robust community has taken shape online and has aggregated an immense amount of knowledge on adult toys and flags companies with concerning practices. This includes companies that employ improper manufacturing processes and produce dangerous toys, or others that engage in IP theft by copying designs from reputable makers to mass produce using low-quality materials. These are usually priced to undercut the original maker.

Twitter user @HausGecko has compiled an excellent thread expanding on these topics and offers helpful clues to watch for when toy shopping: Let’s Talk About: Intellectual property (IP) theft, knock-offs, suspiciously cheap toys and more!

We've already mentioned this twice, but it bears repeating: It's important to buy from companies with a good reputation, that you trust, and that are transparent about the materials they use. More information is always better. A company that uses Platinum Silicone will be loud and proud about their premium product and they'll want you to know why their products cost more than the “100% Silicone” toy! Here at HHT we exclusively use Ecoflex by Smooth-On, an industry leader in high-quality rubbers, plastics, and foams.

Not at all! Metal, glass, and ceramic toys are all fantastic, beautiful alternatives that, like Platinum Silicone, are also nonporous and can be heat sanitized.

The main reason we prefer Platinum Cured Silicone over those materials is that in addition to having the same safety benefits, it feels realistic with a great squish.

It's not just for sex toys!

Platinum Cured Silicone is used in a variety of demanding applications where hygiene and durability are key, as well as being a non-toxic material. This include "skin effects" in theatrical and movie makeup, prosthetic limbs, as well as food, beverage, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. But, it also makes really great sex toys!