What should I do with old sex toys?

I’m moving on to a new sexual partner, and I’m not sure how to deal with my old sex toys. I imagine that the whips, crops, and restraints should be fine (if a bit awkward to introduce to my new partner), but what about other, penetrative toys?

Most of your old penetrative sex toys should be safe to use as long as they are properly cleaned, as they should be after each use and between uses in different orifices. Toys can be kept clean with condoms or rinsed in warm water with antibacterial soap. If electronic, this rinse should be done carefully. Non-electronic silicone and glass toys can also be boiled for two minutes or run through the dishwasher.

Rubber, latex, and jelly toys, however, are more porous, so even using a condom or careful cleaning won’t ensure these toys are safe to use with multiple partners. It’s cheaper and nicer to buy a new toy than to deal with treating an STI.

Your new sexual partner might also not be comfortable using your old sex toys, either out of concerns for their safety or because it would remind them of your previous partners in ways they’re uncomfortable with. In some respects, the simplest thing to do is talk to them, tell them anything they want to know about previous use, and see how they feel.

If your new partner knows you’ve had previous partners and you don’t introduce the old toys as if they were new (though a delay in admitting or showing that you own sex toys could mislead them), it would be flawed for them to assume you have not used your toys with previous partners, though it might still lead to an awkward revelation later. Of course, pretending they are new also solves the immediate problem, although it also creates a new one.

Regardless of your new partner, though, there’s no reason not to hang on to your old sex toys, perhaps for use with a future partner, but at least for use with yourself.

Recommendations: A few new sex toys you might get – even if you keep your your old ones, there are always new toys to try.