Cleaning

Not on the smooth areas. It collects in the seam between two shell halves, in the groove around a control button, at the base of a ridge, inside the opening of an air pulse head and under the lip of a removable sleeve. A soft toothbrush kept for the purpose reaches all of those in under a minute.

Fully sealed objects can be submerged. Splash resistant objects cannot, whatever the listing implies. The difference matters most around charging contacts, which corrode quietly and then fail to charge. Wash with the contacts pointing down, dry them first and leave the object contacts upward while the rest of it dries.

A thorough wash with soap, or a boil where the material allows it, is the standard step before any other use. A condom over the object during use makes this straightforward, since the barrier is removed and discarded rather than cleaned. Sharing without a barrier means cleaning between users regardless of who they are, which the hygiene page sets out.

A no rinse spray or a pack of wipes solves the hotel room problem, where a private sink cannot be assumed. Neither replaces soap and water at home, and both work better on a rinsed object than on a used one. Storage until the next proper wash is where most of the harm happens, and the drying page covers that.

Mild means unscented, uncoloured and without antibacterial additives. A plain hand soap or a fragrance free body wash qualifies. Washing up liquid is harsher than it needs to be and leaves a residue that irritates skin. Whatever is used, the rinse matters as much as the wash, since residue left on a surface is what causes a reaction two days later.

Water temperature is a comfort question rather than a hygiene one below boiling. Warm water dissolves lubricant more readily than cold, which is the practical reason to use it. Hot water offers no additional benefit on a surface that is going to be dried and stored anyway.