How To: Care and Cleaning for Silicone Dildo Flops

We pride ourselves on creating high quality handmade toys. While minor flaws are inevitable, we still have strict standards, and toys that don’t meet those standards get tossed in the flop bin.

Generally, our flops are toys that have holes caused by an air bubble, an undissolved pigment clump lodged in the base, a small tear, or a coarse spot left by a scuff in the cast mold. These flaws don’t significantly impact the function of the toy as long as you treat them carefully and clean them thoughtfully. 

Here’s some tips: 

1) Familiarize yourself with the flaw. 

All of our flops come tagged with a note about what their physical defect is. When you first unbag your flop, take the time to inspect the flaw.

Many flaws are very small, so if you’re having trouble locating yours, try the following:

• Wipe the toy down with 70% isopropyl alcohol to get rid of any dust or lint. 
• Stand close to or directly beneath a light source. 
• Gently bend the toy to stretch the silicone surface. A small hole or tear may become more visible. But take care not to be too rough – you could accidentally worsen the flaw. 
• If you’re looking for a pigment clump, look for a tiny firm knot of color that doesn’t match the rest of the surface. 

If you own multiple toys, or if you don’t intend to use this toy frequently, it might be a good idea to keep the flaw tag. (You could also take a picture of it, or maybe just write yourself a note on your phone.) Sure, you won’t forget where that little air bubble is tomorrow – but what about a few years from now? 

2) Treat it gently. 

Silicone is durable but skin-like. Thin or delicate edges – like, say, the outline of a popped air bubble – can easily get torn or nicked. You don’t want to make your flop’s issue worse if you can help it. The bigger or more ragged a hole, tear, or scuff becomes, the more tedious it is to clean!

When I say “gently,” I mean:

• Use plenty of lube to reduce surface friction during use.
• Resist the urge to indulge in helicoptering or sword fighting.
• Store safely in a place where the toy won’t get scraped, tugged, or bent.
• Go slow when cleaning. Use the pads of your fingers, not your nails!

3) Clean thoroughly and thoughtfully.

If you’ve read our general Silicone Cleaning Guide, you already know that the best way to wash a dildo is with hot water and unscented anti-bacterial soap or toy cleaner. That’s still true for flops! 

You may find that soaps that can be lathered are better at getting into a toy’s nooks and crannies (...and holes and tears.)

I highly recommend using an extra soft toothbrush or soft silicone finger toothbrush for giving special attention to holes, tears, or coarse spots. Soft bristles can get into little crevices more effectively! 

(Make sure the brush is marketed as “extra soft,” like for infants or pets. The stiff plastic bristles on standard toothbrushes can scratch silicone up like fingernails.)

As you clean, take care to firmly massage the pad of your finger or thumb over any defect on the toy to ensure it’s getting soaped. Do it again as you rinse to make sure there’s no residue left behind. If it’s a hole, you may wish to also gently stretch the silicone around it as you rinse – just make sure you’re not tearing it further. 

Let your toy dry in open air. (If you’re hand drying, use a patting motion rather than wiping, to leave behind less towel lint or paper towel fibers. Rinse again before use.)

4) Sanitize more often than you usually would.

There are several ways to sanitize a silicone dildo (as explained in our Silicone Cleaning Guide), but giving your toy a quick dip in a pot of boiling water or a trip through the dishwasher on the top rack are great methods for periodically deep cleaning your flop.

From the guide: 

BOILING: Fill a pot with water, leaving enough room for the water to rise when you introduce your non-mechanical, silicone dildos. Bring it to a boil. Using tongs to avoid splashing, place your toys into the pot. Boil for about 1 to 5 minutes, occasionally moving the dildos with the tongs to prevent singeing. Let cool before handling.

DISHWASHER: To actually sanitize your non-mechanical, silicone dildos, your dishwasher needs to have a sanitize cycle (which uses much hotter water.) Line the toys in the top rack. Skip the detergent/dishpod, and leave those dirty dishes in the sink for later! Let the cycle run, then allow the toys to cool before handling.

5) If the flaw is too tedious to deep clean, use a condom.

Maybe meticulously cleaning your flop is trickier for you than you imagined, or the defect gets worse over time. Either way, if you want to avoid cumbersome cleaning, consider using a condom. 

Most condoms come pre-lubricated with silicone-based lubes (which can erode silicone toys), so a non-lubricated condom is ideal. Condoms are incredibly stretchy, so even if your flop is a large and unusually shaped fantasy toy, you can get a condom on it with gentle finagling.