Reference
Material comparison
One table covering the properties that decide how an object should be treated and how long it will last.
The columns are ordered by how much each property decides. Porosity comes first, because it cannot be changed and it governs cleaning. Heat tolerance decides whether boiling is available. Lubricant compatibility decides what can be used alongside. Lifespan is a realistic figure for ordinary use rather than a warranty period.
| Material | Porous | Heat | Lubricant | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platinum cure silicone | No | Boiling, dishwasher | Water based | Years |
| Tin cure silicone | No | Boiling, with slow degradation | Water based | A few years |
| ABS, uncoated | No | Warm water only | Water or silicone | Years |
| ABS, soft touch coated | No while intact | Warm water only | Water based | Until the coating lifts |
| TPE and TPR blends | Yes | Warm water only | Water based | Months |
| Jelly and skin-like blends | Yes | Warm water only | Water based | Months |
| Borosilicate glass | No | Boiling, dishwasher | Any | Indefinite |
| 316 stainless steel | No | Boiling, dishwasher | Any | Indefinite |
| Sealed wood | No while sealed | Wipe only | Water based | Depends on the seal |
| Natural stone | Usually no | Warm water | Any | Indefinite |
How to use it
Read across from the material named on the product page. If the listing does not name a material, the object belongs in the blends row until proven otherwise, since that is the row nobody advertises. The porosity test settles the question in two minutes with a drop of water.
Two rows are conditional. A coated rigid shell behaves like an uncoated one until the coating begins to lift, after which the surface becomes tacky and collects dirt. Sealed wood is non porous while the seal is intact and porous at any scratch, which is difficult to inspect on a curved surface.
Heat, in practice
Boiling means several minutes at a rolling boil, for solid objects with no electronics inside. A dishwasher cycle on the top rack achieves something similar for glass, steel and solid silicone. Anything containing a motor, a battery or a magnet stays out of both, and is washed by hand as set out on the cleaning page.
Lifespan, honestly
Non porous objects usually fail mechanically rather than chemically: a battery that stops holding charge, a seal that hardens, a seam that opens. Porous objects fail chemically and biologically, on a timescale of months, and no amount of care changes that. The retirement page lists the signs for each.
When a listing says nothing
A number of listings describe an object as silicone when only the outer layer is silicone over a blend core. The give away is usually weight and firmness: a genuine silicone object of any size has heft, and a layered one flexes in a way solid silicone does not. Where a listing will not commit, treating the object as a blend and using a barrier is the safe interpretation.