Keeping our sex toys sparkling clean is important to us all, but do you know what’s in your toy cleaner? FDA recently published a report that alerted us to the potential risks and even ineffectiveness of certain chemicals found in many antibacterial cleansers, so we wanted to keep you all posted so you can make informed shopping decisions!

Colleen Rogers, Ph.D., a lead microbiologist at FDA, shared in the report that there currently is no evidence that over-the-counter antibacterial soap products are any more effective at preventing the spread of illness than using plain soap and water, and might actually contribute to bacterial resistance to antibiotics. (Eek!)

But some sex toy makers warn that soap can dry out certain materials, which is why so many recommend specially made cleansers. However, there’s a common chemical ingredient found in some of these sex toy cleaners that FDA also appears to be skeptical about – triclosan.

According to the report, animal-testing has shown that certain chemical ingredients, including triclosan, may negatively affect hormonal function, which has led FDA to encourage further investigation into what kinds of effects these additives might have on humans.

“FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been closely collaborating on science and regulatory issues related to triclosan,” the FDA report states. “This joint effort will help to ensure government-wide consistency in the regulation of the chemical.”

So what does this mean for you?

While FDA’s report shares its concerns regarding these ingredients, there is no official evidence that proves triclosan and antibacterial cleansers are bad for humans, so there’s no need to panic! There are alternative sex toy cleaners out there for those of us who’d like to steer clear of antibacterial chemicals like triclosan while we wait for more research to be done. Just look at the labels before you buy! If you see “Triclosan-free” anywhere on the bottle, you should be good to go!

Read the full report here: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm378393.htm