Caring for Your Pocket Pussy: Cleaning, Storage & Longevity Tips

Whether you’ve splurged on the latest and greatest masturbator or are testing the waters with a beginner-friendly stroker toy, it’s important to take good care of your pocket pussy, and that means proper cleaning, drying, and storage, after every use, no exceptions (and honestly, preferably before play as well). It might not be the most glamorous part of owning male sex toys, but practising pocket pussy maintenance will keep your toy in better condition for longer, and it also protects your own sexual health and hygiene so you can get the most out of your toy for many more sessions to come!

Cleaning male sex toys can be an intimidating process, especially if you don’t know the best way to clean a pocket pussy or how to get started, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. This toy cleaning guide will break everything down into simple steps, as well as some pocket pussy maintenance and safe storage tips for sex toys that deliver maximum longevity and pleasure!

Why Proper Pocket Pussy Care Matters

Protects Your Health & Hygiene

You wouldn’t eat off a plate that hasn't been cleaned since you (or somebody else) last used it, so why do the same with a stroker?

Bodily fluids and moisture residue that's left on sex toys can create a breeding ground for bacteria and yeast, increasing the risk of getting an infection when you insert a sensitive part of your body (like your penis) into that environment. This is especially true for male sex toys like masturbators, strokers, and pocket pussies since these are almost always made from porous materials like TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) and TPR (thermoplastic rubber). These materials are full of microscopic holes that can harbour buildup like skin cells, bacteria, mould, and fungi if not cleaned regularly (ideally before and after every use)!

But of course, cleaning your toy is a moot point if you’re not practising safe storage for sex toys too. You never know what kind of debris your toy might have picked up between uses while rolling around in your bedside drawers, like dust, lint, pet hair, and other nasties you don’t want anywhere near your intimate zones, so don’t just chuck your toy under your bed or in a drawer—get a proper storage container or lint-free bag so you can be sure your toy isn’t coming into contact with anything that might introduce bacteria and cause infections like STIs and gastrointestinal infections, depending on if the toy is used inside the anus.

Extend the Lifespan of Your Toy

As we mentioned above, male sex toys that are designed to resemble lifelike body parts are usually made of TPE and TPR to achieve that soft and squishy, realistic skin-like feeling that users love. However, these materials can be delicate and are sensitive to oils like body oils that humans secrete from their skin, and if there’s enough body oil residue or it’s left long enough to sink into the delicate surface, it can cause irreversible damage to the toy by degrading the material. Not only will this ruin the aesthetic of your toy’s appearance, but the material will also be more prone to breaks, splits, and disintegration, which leaves more openings for bacteria to make itself at home and render the toy unusable.

How to Clean a Pocket Pussy

What You’ll Need to Clean Your Pocket Pussy

• A private sink—cleaning a masturbator takes time and running water that’s somewhere between room temperature and warm.
• Clean and dry microfibre towels or extremely heavy-duty paper towels—tissues and toilet paper don’t have the structural integrity to dry a masturbator without disintegrating and leaving behind residue, and regular bath towels can shed fibres, both of which will only add to the mess you need to clean up.
• Adult toy cleaner—some soaps contain chemicals that can break down sex toy materials so it’s best to use a sex toy-specific cleaning product. Sexyland’s Fun Specialists are big fans of the Wicked® Cleene Antibacterial Unscented Toy Cleaner, which is enriched with lavender and olive leaf extracts to boost antibacterial effectiveness without fragrance, triclosan, alcohol, or parabens that can irritate sensitive skin.
• Renewal powder or cornstarch—over time, masturbator materials can start feeling oily or sticky, but a sprinkle of this will bring your stroker back to life. Just massage the powder into the flesh-like material, and it’ll feel soft, supple, and refreshed!
  
  Optional equipment
• A masturbator warming/drying stand—this will speed things up and ensure a more thorough drying process. Drying stands also double as sleeve warmers, so you can heat your pocket pussy up to body temperature before playtime for a more realistic experience!
• A long-handled internal cleaning tool (like the Cum Sponge)—this is useful for getting deeper into tight masturbators that can’t be flipped inside out, and highly textured interiors that trap fluids.

Step-By-Step Pocket Pussy Maintenance & Cleaning Process

1. Prep your space and keep all your materials near the sink so you don’t have to stop halfway through any of the steps in this toy cleaning guide. Lay out a microfibre towel so you can leave your masturbator to air dry on it.
2. If your toy has a hard outer case, the sleeve portion is often removable for easy cleaning, so try sliding it out. If you’re not sure whether your toy is designed to disassemble like this, double-check the care instructions in the user’s manual, or visit the manufacturer’s website and check the FAQs section. If your toy is just a soft sleeve without a hardshell case, skip to the next step.
3. Rinse with lukewarm water as hot water could melt the interior of your toy, and nobody wants that! Use strong jets of running warm water that’s slightly above body temperature. Higher pressure streams will dislodge any built-up fluids inside with ease. For trickier areas that won't budge with just water, use your scrubbing tool.
   
   Pro tip: if your toy is stretchy enough to turn inside-out without damaging it, flip it inside-out since this will make it easier to clean between all the nitty-gritty details of the inner texture.
4. Now that you've rinsed out all the fluids, spray liberally with your toy cleaner, all over the sleeve’s interior and exterior surface so you hit every inch and get as much coverage as possible. Let the cleaner sit for as long as the product instructions say to (which could be anywhere from 15 seconds to a minute), then rinse again.
5. Tap, shake, or spin your masturbator around to get as much of the water out of it as possible, or pat dry with your microfibre towels. If you turned your sleeve inside out during a previous step, you can leave it like this to help with airflow. 
6. Once you've shaken out the excess moisture, leave the sleeve outside of any hard case outers, then rest it on a microfiber towel to air-dry. You can also prop up the non-penetrable end at an angle to help the pocket pussy drain out excess water. 
7. You probably won’t need to do this step every time, but if your masturbator feels sticky or oily after cleaning, grab your renewal powder/cornstarch, apply it to your hands or a microfibre towel, and rub it into all the flesh-like areas of your masturbator. Don’t rinse it off, just rub it in thoroughly and let it sit for a while before use.

Drying & Air Circulation Tips

If you’ve ever noticed a damp, mildewy smell coming from your clothes after they’ve sat in the washing machine after a laundry cycle, you’ll know that getting the drying process right is just as important as cleaning. Male sex toys are usually textured inside and have lots of tight nooks and crannies for moisture to get trapped in, and any surface that remains wet has the potential to grow biofilms that can harbour mould and bacteria.

To ensure the most thorough drying process and good air flow, try flipping your pocket pussy inside-out (if the material can handle it), and angling your toy so excess water drains out of the entrance. You can also try using a drying/warming stand like this one from Fleshlight®.

Storing Your Pocket Pussy Safely

When it comes to soft, real-feel flesh-like male sex toys, store them apart from each other as they can melt and fuse together if they’re touching. Ideal safe storage for male sex toys are plastic containers and lint-free cotton toy bags, which have the added benefit of being breathable and protecting your toys from sunlight and prying eyes as well!

If you’re ready to get the most out of your stroker, shop Sexyland’s range of adult toy cleaners and sex toy storage solutions, or add a new masturbator to your collection by shopping online or at your nearest Sexyland adult store!