toycare

Lavicka smiles and digs out her notes again

Lavicka says: unless you guys have questions, im most likely just going to give alot of info....

Lavicka says: alot of info.....

Lavicka says: and im a little lagged, so hang with me :)

Lavicka says: so we're here for toy care...

Lavicka says: obviously, we need to clean our toys after use... every use.

Lavicka asks: why after every use?

xaveria says: get rid of germs

xaveria says: so you don't forget to do it.

Lavicka says: well, not only does it make our toys more appealing to those who may want to play with you and your toys, it also helps in the spread of STD'S.

juliet smiles

Lavicka says: even deadly microbes can be killed with good old soap and water and a little elbow grease.

Lavicka says: the most important thing to remember is you need to remove ALL body fluids and lubes EVERY time you clean your toys to minimize the risk of spreading disease.

Lavicka says: we can do this in several ways, depending on what materials we're dealing with, and i will cover some of the most common tonight.

Lavicka says: but first... :)

Lavicka says: a general safety warning.

Lavicka says: if it plugs in or takes batteries, do NOT submerge it. not only will you run the risk of killing yourself (with electrical toys), if you live through it you'll have to go buy new toys. and we all know how expensive that can be.

Lavicka says: we already pay enough... don't want to double the cost by needlessly breaking our fun stuff :)

Lavicka says: also, although some materials can be boiled safely, i wouldn't suggest you try to boil them in the microwave.

Lavicka says: i can't see why anyone would dream of doing this... but i can almost guarantee it's been done at least once

Beethoven nods

Lavicka says: i don't recommend this method for the life of your toys... or your microwave

Lavicka says: now for the do's...

Lavicka says: using a soft, damp cloth and anti-bacterial soap on your silicone, plastic, vinyl or rubber toys as soon as possible after use will help keep lubes and body fluids from drying on the surface

Lavicka says: which will make them much harder to clean later.

Lavicka says: you may want to consider having a washbasin of warm water and soap ready in your play area for this reason.

Lavicka says: once playtime is over, a more thorough cleaning should be done.

Lavicka says: this is when you should also inspect your toys for nicks and scratches, which can become a great hiding place for bacteria and, with jellies especially, can cause tears with later use.

Lavicka says: silicone is a non-porous material (meaning fluids aren't going to seep into the 'pores' of the material and stay there) and fairly easy to clean

Lavicka says: you can safely run silicone toys through the dishwasher (top rack only) or boil them in hot water for 3-5 minutes.

Lavicka says: you can also use a bleach solution to clean silicone, but i would recommend either the soap and water or dishwasher method as some people are allergic to bleach (namely me!!!), and I can't imagine the areas these toys are used on would be much fun with a rash