So in this post we will be looking at Hygeine for BDSM we will look at the risks and possible infection, any possible diseases that could be passed to you, your bottom, and the next person to use the space and the psychology impact which is as important as actual hygiene: If the bottom doesn’t think it’s clean, it becomes fear play. And finally I hope this post to share some good practices so share your knowledge for hygiene Before / During / After, & preparing to play below in the comments.

Beginners Hygiene for BDSM

Before play:

Clean you, your area, your toys

During

Barriers & disposables – condoms are good for lots of things
Address problems as they happen

After

Clean you
Clean your area (e.g., furniture)
Clean toys
Store toys properly

Cleaning toys

The first place to start is to wash with soap and water sterilization is not disinfection so below we will cover a more detailed information than below is provided What’s below is an initial summary.

Toys that you will need to sterilize

Silicone, pyrex, stainless steel, stone

• Boil or hot water (132 degrees) 8-10 minutes or Dishwasher, no soap – steam helps
• Autoclaving metal that will be used internally or to intentionally break skin – sounds and scalpels – is recommended. Stainless steel flesh hooks can be autoclaved.
• High carbon hooks rust badly and their use is not recommended. Autoclave for other stainless steel metal is nice overkill generally. Other metal can rust!

Toys to Clean every time

• Glass, finished wood, anything with a motor – wash with mild soap + damp cloth
• Vinyl – wash with mild soap and hot water
• Cyberskin – soap + warm/hot water. Alcohol. Avoid harsh detergents. Cornstarch or talc preserves the feel
• Synthetic Rope – washing machine on high
• Leather – leather cleaner + mild conditioner.
• Sheets – hydrogen peroxide then wash in hot water

Toys that just need to aired

Natural rope – Antibacterial wipe. 2 days in bright sunlight. Germs don’t live that long – 4-6 weeks in a dry place, germs die.

Toys to: Forget about cleaning well

Hard plastic, thermoplastic elastomer (TPR), jelly rubber, rubber – they’re porous. Can still contain bacteria/stds after cleaning. Use soap but don’t rely on it to be “really” clean. Use a condom over it for sharing.
Unfinished wood – once soiled it’s dirty dirty dirty

Cleaning surfaces

1. Personal protection devices for the worker performing the task [WEAR GLOVES WHEN YOU CLEAN]
2. All the blood must be cleaned thoroughly before applying the disinfectant; [WASH BEFORE DISINFECTING]
3. That the disposal of the infectious waste is in accordance with local regulations; [BIOHAZARD CONTAINERS]
4. That the surface is left wet with the disinfectant for 30 seconds for HIV-1 and 10 minutes for HBV.  MOST CHEMICALS HAVE 5-10 MINUTE DWELL TIMES

How to do stuff

How to wash hands

• http://www.who.int/gpsc/5may/How_To_HandWash_Poster…

How to remove gloves

• http://www.globus.co.uk/how-to-safely-remove-dispos…

Disinfectants

• FDA has a list of antimicrobials that kill HIV/HBV here
• Note: Many of these (e.g., Cidex, gluteraldehyde) are nasty and you want ventilation to use them.
• “Fresh solutions of diluted household bleach made up every 24 hours are also considered appropriate for disinfection of environmental surfaces and for decontamination of sites. Contact time for bleach is generally considered to be the time it takes the product to air dry.” (FDA)

Brands I like

Antibac wipes

• Clorox (no bleach!) – Kills most things besides MRSA
• Cavicide – Kills TB, HBV, HCV, viruses (hydrophilic and lipophilic), bacteria (including MRSA and VRE) and fungi.
• Protex (http://www.parkerlabs.com/protex.asp) – “A one-step cleaner/disinfectant, effective against a broad spectrum of pathogens, including MRSA, HIV, Staph and many others.”

Surgical scrub

• Techni-care – “Topical, Antiseptic for professional degerming, pre-op and post-op procedures. Advanced technology in skin disinfectants combining a substituted phenolic active ingredient in a synergic blend of surfactants and emollients. Broad spectrum efficacy on all gram-negative and gram-positive organisms tested in 30 seconds. Exceptionally mild formulation aids in healing hands and skin abused by toxic chemicals.”

Disinfectant

• Control III – concentrated disinfectant and germicide formulated for use on pre-cleaned surfaces and is used extensively in sleep labs and hospitals.

Cleaning sheets

• Hydrogen peroxide spray bottle is used in hospitals

Storage

• Keep the batteries out – acid + people is kinda bad
• Bag it – new ziplocks after cleaning. Old ziplocks & containers have old germs.

Scenarios

Impact

Before

• Clean surface/bag for toys
• Clean whatever they’re leaning on

During

• Watch for skin breaks. If skin breaks, check in, be careful. In public, it’s good form to get off the furniture.

After

• Inspect for skin breaks. Surgical scrub / triple antibiotic on person
• Antibacterial wipe on falls
• Clean whatever they were leaning on

Rope

Before

• Clean surface/bag
• If someone wants to use their own ropes, let them

During

• Mark (slip knots) or give away crotch ropes

After

• Tie soiled ropes differently from clean ones
• slip knot chain prevents knotting during cleaning
• Natural fiber – antibac wipe, 2 days in sun. Washing will weaken the rope. Needs to be dry or you get mold. Needs to be stretched or it shrinks
• Synthetic – dishwasher or washing machine in pillow case. Still should hang dry or you get funky smell…
• More excellent notes on cleaning rope here

Knives

Before

• Clean surface/bag
• Note that folding knives should be cleaned before use
• 1 knife per bottom per night is a nice if not essential rule.

During

• Generally don’t break skin with a knife. We have scalpels for that.

After

• Inspect for skin breaks. Surgical scrub / triple antibiotic on person as necessary
• Clean: 10 min hot water or dishwasher

Needles

Before

• Products to have at the ready (via HSA): sharps disposal containers, self-sheathing needles
• I like clean surfaces if they might lie down. Can use doctor paper.
• Wash hands, then gloves
• Disinfect the site
• Alcohol prep or better yet, surgical scrub

During

• Don’t touch the tip to anything but where you’re putting it in.
• Needles are single use
• Sterile surface for needles? Or at least don’t keep putting your hands in dirty places like a garbage bag…
• Sharps container

After

• Surgical scrub / triple antibiotic on person as necessary
• Clean whatever they were sitting on

What to do with a needlestick injury

• Wash needlesticks and cuts with soap and water
• Flush splashes to the nose, mouth, or skin with water
• Irrigate eyes with clean water, saline, or sterile irrigants
• Immediately seek medical treatment
• General note: For skin exposures, follow-up is indicated only if evidence exists of mucous membrane exposure or compromised skin integrity (e.g., dermatitis, abrasion, or open wound)

Vibrators

Before

• Clean surface/bag
• Condom over head. If using attachment, condom over attachment or 1 person per attachment if not silicone

During

• No transfer anal, genital

After

• Wash
• Disinfect via Antibac wipe or Boil if silicone
• Dry / store

Disclaimer:

This document is copyleft via the Gnu Public License which says it is 1) redistributable with credit and 2) that the author has no liability for what’s in here – standard legal-sounding stuff about using at your own risk and not taking responsibility for the health of every person who reads this.

Parts of this post was adapted from https://fetlife.com/users/1803532/posts/3446968