The
last thing anyone wants to do after a good sex toy session is clean up
the aftermath. This seemingly arduous task, however, is important to
the continued safety and life of all adult toys. If not maintained
properly, sex toys can harbor bacteria and can even lose valuable
longevity. The information provided below should help you provide
healthy, helpful advice to your consumers to ensure they remain loyal
customers.
One failsafe method for customers who share their
insertable toys with a partner, or who switch toys between vaginal and
anal use, is to suggest they use condoms. The condom then can be
replaced with a fresh one before switching partners or before inserting
in other orifices. Some companies, including Pipedream Products, recommend not sharing toys as the best method for avoiding possible contamination.
Beyond this recommendation, Pipedream also offers an antibacterial
toy cleaner in the form of a spray as "an effective way to clean and
maintain all types of adult toys," according to Pipedream Chief
Operating Officer Nick Orlandino. "Our toy cleaner was developed and
tested in our research facilities to provide maximum bacteria-killing
power, without an offensive chemical smell or harm to skin."
In
addition to the general cleanliness factor, keeping sex toys clean
increases the longevity of the product. With the rapid advancement of
high-tech toys in the adult novelty industry, many sex toys have become
somewhat of an investment. Richie Harris, chief executive officer of Pjur USA,
made a good point, stating, "There has been an influx of high-end
brands... with manufacturer-suggested pricing well over $100."
Therefore, it is important to make sure your customers know how to keep
their investments clean.
An obvious method of cleaning one's
sex toys is good, old-fashioned antibacterial soap and hot water. But
that method is not exactly going to help increase sales at the end of
the day. This is why many manufacturers offer convenient cleaning
agents for sex-toy consumers.
Doc Johnson offers a toy cleaner in both spray and wipe forms. Chad Braverman, director of product development for Doc Johnson, shared his thoughts with ANB,
stating, "It goes along with any other type of antibacterial cleaner.
You don't necessarily need to use Purell; you can wash your hands with
soap and water. It's the ease of function that makes people use Purell.
The same is true for toys."
Considering the wide variety of
sex-toy cleaning products on the market, we asked some adult retailers
and distributors to shed some light on not only which products are
selling well for them, but also which products they personally
recommend.
Leslie Anderson, sales supervisor of adult novelty distributor Holiday Products, recommends Before & After, Pjur Med Clean, and Afterglow.
"Basically, you want to use something safe for use on your body," she
explained. "Most toy cleaners are based on detergent, so you need to
rinse the toy after using the cleaner, which is really bad for your
body."
In addition to killing viruses, bacteria, and fungus,
Pjur Med Clean wipes are alcohol free, and something people can use on
high-tech toys they don't feel comfortable washing in water. They also
are completely safe to use on skin.
Tammy Borde, owner of Chocolate Walrus Boutique,
reports that 90 percent of her customers buy Afterglow multi-packs,
another product safe to use on skin. "We have lots of repeat business
for Afterglow," she stated. "Because the product proves itself, and our
customers are educated consumers."
Adult retail owner Ian Denchasy of Freddy and Eddy
reports the three of the most popular toy cleaners in his
brick-and-mortar store are Afterglow, Before & After, and 4play.
"Afterglow is our most popular," he stated. "It's the easiest to use
because it's a wipe that you can keep under your pillow and quickly
clean things en route-so to speak. The others have to be applied and
either wiped or washed off."
So, no matter which toy cleaner
your customers choose, having a variety of options available will be
the key to boosting sales. For more sex-toy care and maintenance
information, visit MyPleasure.com's education section on sex toys.
Pleasure
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