The best sex toy cleaner

I'm often asked what is the best way to clean your sex toys.

The answer isn't as simple as you might think. It really depends on what kind of toy you are talking about and what the surface is made of.

For the point of this post, I will be covering how to clean insertibles (butt plugs, dildos, vibrators, etc)

The best sanitizing method for pyrex or silicone toys that DO NOT have a motor or any electronic parts in them is to boil them. Make dildo soup once a month by throwing your toys in a pot of water, bringing it to a boil and letting them boil for about 5-10 minutes. Some sources will tell you to clean these toys in the dishwasher. I'd advise against it - the harsh soaps that you use to clean your dishes will leave residue on your toys that could cause you to have a bad reaction. I suppose you could run the dishwasher with nothing but your toys in it and refrain from using soap, but that would be a shameful waste of water!

Remember that only pyrex and silicone toys can be boiled. Latex/jelly and acrylic toys are not built to withstand those temperatures!

So, what to do with your cheaper toys and toys with motors? The thorough way of cleaning them is to use a warm, wet washcloth and unscented, anti-bacterial hand soap. Take the batteries out first and be very careful not to get water in the battery compartment. Most battery-operated toys are waterproof when used correctly, but that's no reason to be careless or submerge your toy under water.

What I usually recommend to everybody is to get some hand sanitizer and keep it with your toys for a quick cleanup after each use. Hand sanitizer is almost pure alcohol, it will kill 99.9% of the germs and bacteria on your toys (at least that's what the label says...); it dries quickly and is very handy for when you just want to roll over and go to sleep.

The only problem with hand sanitizer is that it's becoming increasingly difficult to find the straight-up alcohol kind. Make sure you use one that is not coloured, scented or containing vitamin E or aloe.

You may need to clean your toys, but you don't need to moisturize them.

Sex Toys are so Metal

Sorry for the lack of posts this past year or so, I've been extremely busy between Rockalily, Upfront, YWTF and all the other little projects. The 2nd annual No Pants Dance Party was a success! Thanks to Hush Money and The New Impressions of 2 FANS for warming up the crowd. We raised almost $100 for each the AIDS Committee of Ottawa and the Ottawa Humane Society! Thanks for all your support, Ottawa! And a super-big thanks to everyone who comes in from out of town to see our shows. Rockalily loves you all!

Today I thought of a tidbit about metal toys that I thought I should pass on.

Although they are a little pricey, steel, aluminum and titanium sex toys make a great addition to your naughty drawer. Like glass toys they are non-porous, easy to clean and can easily be heated or cooled to your liking. Unlike glass, they are unbreakable!

Titanium is going to be the most expensive, but is the lightest of the three metals.

Aluminum is your middle ground. A good metal, not too heavy but enough weight that you feel it.

Steel is very heavy - of the three metals most commonly used in sex toys this is the one that is most likely to cause damage. Extra care should be taken when using steel toys, especially butt plugs, as the weight is being held by your sphincter - something you do NOT want to damage.

Just something to keep in mind when shopping for metal toys!

Masturbation Gone Green!

Finalement!

We have recycling programs for grocery bags, batteries, paint, cell phones and most anything imaginable. With a little motivation one can find recycling depots for just about everything... but what to do with those old sex toys?

Now there's a recycling program for those too! Simply ship your toys to:

Dreamscapes Recycling Program
5450 Bruce B Downs Blvd #366
Wesley Chapel, FL 33544

Once received, your no longer loved toys are dismantled and it's parts are sent to the appropriate recycling plants. They even recycle batteries!

Include your email address with your package to receive a $10 gift card for one of Dreamscape's affiliate retailers.

For complete info, please visit Dreamspaces Recycling Program's website

They say that the colour green makes you horny... could "going green" have the same effect?

Tragedy for Local Sex Shoppe Owner

Around 3am on February 6th the strip mall next to the Brittania Pub, on Richmond road was set ablaze. The strip mall was gutted by fire. Included in the wreckage was locally owned and operated, Wicked Wanda's Adult Emporium.

Two local residents have been charged with 5 counts of arson in relation to the Richmond Road fire that destroyed 4 other business as well as WW.

Wanda, the proprietor of Wicked Wanda's, was in London, Ontario at the time of the fire performing with the London edition of Sexapalooza. Wicked Wanda's Adult Emporium was a labour of love. Wanda thrived on educating the public on sexuality and offers workshops on various types of BDSM play and body discovery.

An Unofficial statement from a WW employee say "We will regroup and rebuild".

A fund has been started to help Wanda get back on her feet while the insurance dicks take their time figuring out how little they can pay out. If you are interested in donating please email me and I will put you in contact with the person in charge of raising money.

I wish Wanda nothing but the best and hope that she and her employees/friends (sometimes that line blurs) are all back on their feet really soon.

I know what it's like to have your world turned upside-down by a fire. On December 23rd '08 the apartment above mine was destroyed by a fire. The structure of my apartment was destroyed by flood and smoke. Luckily the contents were unharmed. I was displaced for 5 weeks, with no insurance and no proper compensation from the company I rent from. Not to mention the busses were not running! Renovations were finally fully completed last week and we're still unpacking and reorganizing.

My situation sucked more than I can express in words... I can only imagine how all the business owners who lost their stores in the Feb 6th fire feel.

My heart goes out to them.

(photo from Ottawa Citizen)

As if this needs my help...

Sexapalooza is this weekend at Lansdowne Park.

Despite what some people are saying, it's more than just a giant temporary mall of sexy retailers. There will be periodic stage shows throughout the weekend (Rockalily is part of this year's entertainment), a dungeon for you to learn all about BDSM the fun way, workshops and info sessions, a bar and some sexy greeters. Um.. did I mention the bar?

I'll be there the whole weekend, working in some capacity. Sometimes, for me, working includes gin and tonic; don't let a drink in my hand fool you, I am hard at work!

Anyway, this is a good chance to see a show, get spanked and take advantage of some trade show deals on toys and lingerie.

Sexapalooza Official Website

Full Toy Review: Pure Vibes Anal Plug

Pure Vibes Vibrating Anal Plug, $19.95: A small silicone plug with 4 speeds of vibration. Controller is on a wire connected to plug and had button controls. Can be used by men or women either for masturbation or to add a little buzz to vaginal intercourse. Never take a toy from the butt and put it in the vag without a thorough cleaning. Never share your insertables with other people.

Reviewed by Emma and Dave, Roommates.

It has a nice soft feel and is very smooth to get in - very little warm up needed ( one finger only!) nice shape ,really comfortable once it was in the ass. The 1st setting kind of tickled the fourth setting was the best. The top wasnt quite large enough for the plug to stay in on its own so it had to be held in place. Dave could feel it when he was fucking my cunt and I dont think it really did anything for him (the vibrating that is). The vibrating sensation on its own didnt get me off that much and it definitely could have been larger! Overall I give it three hard clits out of five...Its not as good as a cock in the ass but great for solo fun when
you just need to put something up there!! - Emma

Buy this toy!

Full Toy Review: Screaming O

Screaming O, $6.95: A disposable vibrating cock ring made of soft jelly. The vibrating part can be worn on the top of the shaft for clitoral stimulation during intercourse, on the bottom of the shaft to stimulate the testes of the wearer, or the perineum of the partner during man-on-man love. Vibrations last approximately 40 minutes. Never wear a cock ring for longer than 20 minutes.

Reviewed by Carly and Ian, dating.

The first disappointment with this product occurred before it was even out of the package.. in fact, getting it out of the package was the problem. Luckily, there happened to be some sharp things just laying about that we utilized to open the offending wrapping. Things didn't improve much after that. I found the vibration of the ring actually diminished the stimulation I normally experience while being intimate with my partner. Basically, everything was overwhelmed by a boring buzz. I did end up acheiving climax. However, I did not orgasm any more than I normally do without using any toys. In fact, I may have orgasmed less. Let me reiterate... Bouurns! My partner also found this product to be lack lustre. He didn't find that it provided any additional pleasure. We tried 3 different positions: missionary, woman on top, and doggie style. For the last position mentioned, we turned the ring so that the vibrator was underneath the penis, in order to stimulate both the clitoris and the scrotum. Still, not particularly fun. One good thing he mentioned about it was that, unlike the similar products he had tried in the past, the 'screaming-O' has balls around the ring which actually make the vibration... well, noticable for the man.

Ultimately, we would not buy this product again. We won't even be using the one we have for a second time. Final verdict... Screaming NO. - Carly

Buy this toy!

Boner Pills: A Warning.

There are various erectile enhancement pills available over the counter in Canada. Almost all of them are sold for a period of time before they are pulled from the shelves for one reason or another. I've been in a position to monitor the sales and prohibitions of these products for about 2 and a half years and I've seen numerous brands launched, banned, rebranded with a slight change in formula and remarketed. Repeat. These pills are usually made up mostly of herbs and spices that are reputed as aphrodisiacs with a few benign substances and a dash of dangerous and often uncontrolled chemicals thrown in. They're not without side effects, the most common reported side effects being light sensitivity and headache but in most cases these pills do work to enhance male performance.

Sexual enhancement products, which I like to call "Boner Pills" are uncontrolled and often unauthorized for sale. The fall into a loophole within the customs laws and are imported and sold until Health Canada gets a proper chance to scrutinize them. Most of these pills are recalled and banned once Health Canada is done with them.

A his and hers brand called Eros was launched for sale in Ottawa in the past 12 months. The "Hers" pill is called Eros Desire and the "his" pill is called Eros Fire. Most recently, Health Canada has released a warning against the use of Eros Fire and has begun removing it from the Canadian market. Please do not use Eros Fire or any other unregulated sexual enhancement.

Controlled male enhancement pills, such as Viagra or Cialis can be prescribed by your physician. If your physician feels that you would experience more detriment than benefit from prescription sexual enhancement pills then you should definitely not being taking uncontrolled OTC drugs.

The release from Health Canada regarding Eros Fire can be found on the Health Canada website.

Sexapalooza Ottawa 2008

I got my ass kicked by this weekend's sex convention. Holy...Fucking...Shit.

Okay, I'll admit that I didn't attend friday night. I spent Friday night at an Aids Committee of Ottawa / In Spot / Disorganized event at Babylon. I tried to play it off as being a business thing, because of who it was put on by, but it was honestly just a drunken shitshow full of electronic music. I guess since I can't claim the cover charge as a business expense I don't mind admitting that the main reason I was there was to see Thunderheist. The secondary reason being to network with The Aids Committee of Ottawa and gather some information on In Spot. Unfortunately, by 2:00am I had damn near forgotten all about networking and stumbled out into the street piss drunk, with my friend Kayla, both of us laughing at me for pretending that I was there in the name of research.

I spent all day Saturday and all day Sunday at Sexapalooza. A good chunk of my time was taken up with demonstrating high end vibrators from Europe and Japan. One of the lines I was pushing is called Joy Division, which is ironically enough, German. They're fantastic vibrators. Hygienic silicone with 2 silent internal motors, ultra-flexible and come with a 5 year warranty. The only problem with the vibrator is that I can't imagine using it without a mental image of Ian Curtis hanging. Or worse, WWII concentration camps.

Sexapalooza was surprisingly well organized. Promotions for the show were left late, most of the vendors and demonstrators were expecting a disappointing turnout. To everyone's pleasant surprise, the venue reached capacity at least once each day. The chance Ottawa having of a bigger and better sex con next year is looking good.

Next time I'll bring business cards :)