Caring for a silicone product takes a minute and needs nothing you do not already have. This guide sets out the routine the makers describe, with the differences for powered and unpowered products and for the few places where a charging port or a rating changes the advice.
Before first use
Charge the product fully with the supplied lead, then wash it. Charge and run times are published for only two products in this range, so for the others plan on an hour or two for a first charge and stop when the indicator light changes. Wash as below before use, because products are handled during packing. Keep the box or bag; it is the storage you will use.
Washing
Warm water and a mild, unscented soap. For an unrated powered product, rinse under a tap with the charging contacts or port pointed away from the water, soap the body with your hand, rinse again and set it down to dry. For a product with no electronics, such as the ring set, wash it like a dish. Avoid anything abrasive and avoid oil-based or alcohol cleaners, which can mark silicone. There is no need for a dedicated cleaner; if you prefer one, choose one made for silicone and follow its label.
The button on most of these products is a silicone membrane over a switch, and the seal around it is as important as the one on the charging port. Press it with a fingertip rather than a nail, and do not pick at the edge of the membrane when cleaning.
Drying and charging
Dry fully before charging and before storage. Pay attention to the charging contacts or the pin socket; a drop of water in a socket while current flows is the most common way these products fail. Magnetic contacts, like those on the bullet here, dry in seconds with a cloth. Pin sockets benefit from a minute with the product socket-down on a towel.
Charge from a computer port, a phone charger or a power bank, as the makers show. Do not use a high-power charger rated above the usual 5 volts, and do not run the product while it is charging; several makers say the product will not switch on with the lead attached, which is by design.
Storage
Silicone attracts lint and dust, so store each product in its own bag or in the maker's box once it is dry. Keep products apart from each other, because some soft plastics react with silicone over time, and keep them out of direct sun. Room temperature is right; a bathroom cabinet is fine if the product is dry.
Lubricants
Silicone-based lubricants can soften and mark silicone surfaces with repeated use, which is why the ring-set page mentions keeping them apart. Water-based products are the usual pairing for silicone. This store does not sell lubricants, and the choice is yours; the point here is only compatibility with the material.
Shared use and travel
Wash between users, every time, with the same soap-and-water routine; the makers' own instructions say nothing more elaborate and neither do we. For travel, charge the product fully, pack it switched off in its bag with the lead unplugged, and keep the lead separate so the contacts are not pressed against anything damp. The batteries in these products are small lithium cells of the kind found in earbuds and travel in hand luggage in the ordinary way; the travel guide, when it is published, will cover screening in more detail.
When to replace
Replace a silicone product if the surface becomes tacky, cracked or discoloured, or if a seal around a port or button has lifted. A powered product whose battery no longer holds a useful charge is at the end of its life; batteries in these products are not replaceable. None of this is a hygiene emergency, but a product past these points is not worth keeping.
The routine in one line
Warm water and mild soap, rinse with the contacts away from the water, dry fully, charge only when dry, store in a bag or box.
