Sheets Stained by Dildo

Materials and Color Bleeding

Adult toys made from latex and to some degree jelly tend to "bleed" over time. This bleeding is basically part of the material's degradation process. It takes a long time for a vibrator or dildo to completely disintegrate, perhaps on the scale of many years depending on the storage environment, but the color and residue seepage can be quite noticeable - especially on lightly colored fabrics or paper. While this process in and of itself is not harmful the resulting stains can be quite annoying. Fortunately there are a few things you can do to minimize the amount of seepage and prevent stains from occurring.

Proper Adult Toy Storage

You will need to store your adult toys in a place that is dark, dry and has plenty of circulating air. Sunlight speeds up the bleeding process significantly. Exposing a vibrator or dildo to direct sunlight for any significant length of time, such as storing it in a south facing windowsill, is not a good idea. We've seen toys that have been stored in direct sun for a few months and it's not pretty. Colors fade, materials can break down and become "gooey" depending on the material, and the toys may ooze an oily residue that would surely leave a mark if it was in contact to clothing, sheets, wood or any other porous material. Moisture, while in our experience not directly related to color bleeding, is something to avoid at all costs. You never want to put a toy away wet, and you never want to store it in a place with poor air circulation like a plastic bag or wrapped tightly in a paper bag, towels or other tightly woven fabric. Moisture in combination with a lack of sunlight promotes bacterial growth. For obvious reasons you want to avoid this. You should always wash your toys before and after each use, and you should take the extra measure of drying them before putting them away to avoid contracting a bacterial infection. Storing toys in a dry, dark place with plenty of air circulation is the best way to minimize color bleed and stay healthy. Some toys will bleed regardless of what you do, but following the preceding advice will minimize the rate and keep your vibrator or dildo looking and feeling like new as long as possible.

Another way to avoid stains is to not let your adult toys sit for any length of time on your bed, clothing or other fabric. There are a wide variety of sex toy materials available and most do not have significant, if any, bleeding problems. However, the materials that do bleed will do so at different rates. One toy may not leave a stain unless left in contact with fabric for at least three or four days, and some may stain within a few hours. It all depends on what you've got. Remember, jelly sex toys and latex sex toys are more likely to bleed than silicone sex toys, which we have never seen or heard as having a bleeding problem. Even with a material that bleeds "heavily" you aren't likely to have a problem with staining for at least a few hours or perhaps a day or two. The easiest way to prevent stains is to store your toy away after each use. If you think you may not feel like cleaning up after your done, you can prepare by having a towel or some other item within reach that you wouldn't mind getting a stain. When you're done using your vibrator or dildo you can simply place it on the towel (or whatever you choose) and clean up later. If the toy does leave a stain it's no big deal. It may come out, and it may not. Remember to clean your toy within a reasonable amount of time. If you don't, you may get an infection. Using mild soap or a cleaner specially designed for sex toys like Before & After Adult Toy Cleaner or Antibacterial Sex Toy Cleaner will go a long way to keeping your toys clean and keeping you healthy.

Stain Removal

If you have the unfortunate experience of getting a stain, there may still be hope. The paints and dyes used to color adult toys are as varied as the toys themselves. Some may leave a permanent stain, and some may not. We've had some success presoaking fabrics in Shout stain remover. Another brand may work just as well, but this is the brand people have pointed to as having worked for them, and the one we've used. Wash the stained fabric in warm water after soaking it in the stain remover, and hope for the best. Sometimes the stain will be completely removed, and sometimes there will be a slight mark where the stain was. In the worst case, the stain will not come out. We haven't had this experience ourselves, but we've heard that this can happen. The best way to keep your sheets and clothing stain free is to avoid prolonged contact with your toys, and by following the advice mentioned above.