If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission.
We love our fancy, high-tech sex toys, but sometimes — for example, when you’re getting a little frisky in the kitchen — there’s just not enough time to run into your bedroom and unearth your favorite paddle or dildo. This is where grabbing a homemade sex toy like a spatula or cucumber might come in handy. Using a household item for sexy things might feel a bit weird at first, but can also be a fun way to spice things up inside and outside of the bedroom, while also being cost-effective.
“A big draw of household items is the budget aspect. Basically, we’re all trying to save money and most of us don’t have hundreds of dollars to spend on sex toys so if we can get creative and save, that’s a big win,” Gigi Engle, a certified sex and relationship psychotherapist and sex expert at the LGBTQIA+ dating app, Taimi, tells SheKnows. “[Household items] can also be fun because often we use a household item rather spontaneously which can add some spice to your sex life. Plus, we’re getting really creative and essentially playing an erotic game with ourselves and our partners when we’re thinking about non-sexual items in a sexy way.”
Another benefit? When you use a regular, household item as a homemade sex toy, you’re injecting a little bit of passion into your everyday life. “Any time that object is seen or used outside of the bedroom, it will spark a memory of the shared sexual exploration,” sex coach Jenna Switzer tells SheKnows. “This is an epic way to keep the passion alive even during mundane daily chores.”
How to Use Homemade Sex Toys Safely
Before we go through the list, remember that safety and cleanliness are key! Prior to putting any foreign object in your body (including your vagina, mouth, anus, or anywhere else), it must be sanitized and ideally covered with a condom. Otherwise, it could cause irritation or abrasions (not at all sexy, folks). For good measure, get in the habit of cleansing anything you use sexually post-game too. And yes, you should also be cleaning sex toys (and keeping in mind that we have to say goodbye to every good vibe eventually.)
“Our bodies’ natural bacterial balance can easily be thrown off by the foreign bacteria lodged in the crevices of toys or food,” Switzer says. “Be mindful that you clean items thoroughly with a non-scented soap and use condoms on any objects that you use for penetration.” Another bonus of using condoms, Switzer adds, is that they’ll reveal any hidden, sharp edges on the object.
Some of the household sex toys we recommend here aren’t specifically designed for skin contact (think candles, vegetables, and ice). In those cases, “be very mindful about application and use,” Switzer says. “Gently test temperature items on a small area of skin to gauge sensitivity.” If you have any concerns about an object, run it by your ob/gyn (awkward conversation, we know, but better than an infection!) or skip it.
Besides considering the safety and hygiene aspects of using homemade sex toys, ASTROGLIDE’S resident sexologist Dr. Jess O’Reilly notes that many of the suggestions below involve kinky play, so you’ll want to ensure you’re communicating before, during and after the interaction. “Discuss your desires and boundaries ahead of time. If you’re getting kinky, you may want to select a safe work or safe signal,” she tells SheKnows. “Safe words and safe signals are coded responses that allow you to clearly and immediately communicate your limits and needs.” For example, O’Reilly says, you can snap your fingers or raise your hands to indicate that you are feeling uncomfortable and want to stop. “Safe words and signals should be clearly defined and if you want to stop or have changed your mind about any activity, you shouldn’t hesitate to use yours with the expectation that your partner will respond immediately.”
22 Best Homemade Sex Toys
Keeping that in mind, continue reading to check out some of our favorite homemade sex toys that, if used correctly (and safely), will give you a mind-blowing orgasm and leave you impressed with your own sexual ingenuity. Warning: you might not look at your spatula the same way again.
A version of this story was originally published in August 2017.