How to Prep a Toy for First Use

By GETAUVE Editorial Team · Published October 14, 2026

How to Prep a Toy for First Use

By the third day, the difference shows up. Either it holds its charge and feels easy, or it's already a fuss.

Most of that comes down to what you do in the first 20 minutes. Here's the short prep routine — charge, wash, set up, then start slow — that makes the first week go smoothly instead of ending in a drawer.

The Short Answer

Charge it fully before the first use, even if it powers on out of the box. Wash it with warm water and mild unscented soap, because new silicone can carry a light manufacturing residue. Read the manual once and find the travel lock. Then, on the first session, run the lowest setting for 1-2 minutes before stepping up. A 10 to 15 minute first session at low intensity is where most people land. Dry it, store it in a pouch, and you're set.

Charge It Before Anything Else

New devices usually arrive partially charged — enough for a demo, not enough for a week. Plug it in and let it reach full before the first session. There's no rush here, so do it on a Sunday afternoon rather than five minutes before you want it.

The reason is practical rather than technical. A device that starts at 40 percent and drops to 15 percent during a first session feels unreliable, and unreliable is the feeling that makes people stop reaching for something. A full charge on day one means the toy's first impression of itself is a good one.

Watch how it charges, too. Some devices take 60 minutes, some take 2 hours. Knowing that number now means you're never caught out later on a night when you actually want it.

The Two-Minute Wash Before First Use

A new toy should be washed before it touches anything. Nothing alarming is happening here — it's simply that a device has been in a factory, a box, and a warehouse, and a quick wash removes whatever came along for the ride.

• Warm water, not hot. Hot water is harder on both the surface and the battery seal.
• Mild, unscented soap. Fragranced soap leaves a film that you'll notice later.
• Thirty seconds of work. Fingertips over the whole body, with attention to the seams and around the buttons.
• Rinse until clear. Soap residue is the most common cause of a surface that feels slightly off.

Dry it fully with a lint-free cloth and let it air out for a couple of hours. You're not going to break anything by using it sooner, but starting clean is a habit worth building on night one rather than night thirty.

Set It Up Before You Need It

Spend 5 minutes with the manual while the toy is on the table rather than in your hand at 11 p.m.

Three things to find: how to switch between settings, how to turn on the travel lock, and where the charging port sits and how it opens. That last one matters more than it sounds. A charging port with a silicone flap is easy to open and easy to damage, and knowing how it works saves you a fiddly moment.

Then figure out whether your device has separate zones or a single motor. If it has two zones, decide now whether you're going to try both or start with one. Deciding in advance is easier than deciding mid-session.

If you want it to be quiet on the first night in a shared home, test it now, in the bathroom, with the door shut. Ten seconds of testing tells you more than any product description.

The First Session: Start Low and Short

Start on the lowest setting. Give it 1-2 minutes to get used to before you change anything. Most devices have more range at the low end than people expect, and stepping up one level at a time lets you find the point where it stops feeling good rather than overshooting it.

Keep the first session to about 10 to 15 minutes. Longer isn't better on night one. You're learning what the settings do, and a short session leaves you with a clear sense of where you'd start next time.

Keep lubricant within reach. A water-based one makes a measurable difference, and it's easier to have it out than to stop and find it.

Where It Lives Afterward

The prep routine doesn't end when you're done. Rinse it, dry it, and give it 2 hours of open air before it goes into storage. A cloth pouch in a drawer is the default answer. The first time you put something away damp is the moment the routine stops being a routine and starts being a chore.

Who Can Skip the Prep

If you've owned the same model before and you know exactly how it behaves, most of this is unnecessary. So is the manual if you've used the brand before. There's a limit to how much setup a well-designed device needs.

The honest trade-off is that this routine costs about 20 minutes on day one and saves a week of friction. That trade is clearly worth it for a first device. It's less clearly worth it if you're buying a straight replacement for something you already know, and it's not worth it at all if you're not sure you'll use it — in which case buy less, not more, and keep the setup simple.

Sources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — general hygiene guidance for personal care items
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission — consumer guidance on battery charging and labeling
• GETAUVE Product Care Team — first-use, cleaning, and storage recommendations for silicone devices

Written by the GETAUVE Editorial Team. This article is general education and not medical advice. Talk with a clinician about persistent irritation or symptoms. Specifications are typical values and vary by unit.