How to Clean a Packer: Silicone, TPR, STP & Foam Care Guide
Knowing how to care for your packer keeps it clean, comfy, and around a lot longer. Each material needs its own routine, so here's how to clean a packer, how to clean an STP, and how to powder and store both.
The short version: wash after you wear it, dry it all the way, and powder before you put it away. Almost every problem people write to us about comes from skipping one of those.
| Material | How to wash | Powder |
|---|---|---|
| Silicone | Hot soapy water, boil, or top-rack dishwasher | Before storage |
| TPR | Warm soapy water only, never heat | After every wear |
| STP | Flush the channel first, then wash like silicone | Outside only |
| Foam | Hand wash, air dry | Never |
Not sure what yours is made of?
Silicone is firmer, drags a little when it's dry, and holds its shape. TPR is softer and squishier and warms up faster. TPR also goes by other names, like TPE, CyberSkin, SoftSkin, and elastomer.
Still can't tell? Follow the TPR steps. They're the careful option and won't hurt silicone. It doesn't work the other way: boiling a TPR packer ruins it.
TPR and elastomer packer care
This covers the Mr. Limpy Small, Medium, and Large, including the metallics. TPR packers are soft, realistic, and cheap, but the material is porous, so it holds onto moisture and bacteria if you don't clean it.
How to clean a TPR packer
- Wash with lukewarm water and mild soap after each wear.
- Spray with Packer & Toy Cleaner with Aloe Vera.
- Rinse if you need to, then let it air dry completely. If you towel dry, pat, don't rub.
- Once it's dry, dust it with Packer Renewing Powder.
Never boil TPR or put it in the dishwasher. Heat warps it for good.
Why TPR gets sticky
TPR slowly breaks down, and the surface gets tacky as it does. That's the material changing, not dirt, so washing won't fix it. Powdering after every wear, and again before storage, keeps it feeling right much longer. It takes five seconds.
TPR has trace mineral oil in it, so always wear it with a barrier: packing underwear, a harness, or a packing pouch, not right against your skin.
How long TPR lasts
About six months of daily wear. To stretch that:
- Use underwear or pouches without an O-ring.
- Keep it away from sharp seams, zippers, and rubbing.
- Let it air out between wears before it goes back in the drawer.
- Powder more often than you think you need to.
Silicone packer care
This covers the My Buddy 4", My Buddy 5", and #1 Trans Packer. Our silicone packers are 100% body-safe, platinum-cured silicone. It's non-porous, so it's easier to clean and lasts much longer.
How to clean a silicone packer
- Wash with hot water and mild soap.
- Spray with Packer & Toy Cleaner, or use Cleaning Spray for a quick clean between full washes.
- For a deeper clean, boil it for a few minutes or run it on the top rack of the dishwasher with no detergent.
- Air dry completely before you put it away.
Boiling and the dishwasher are only for 100% platinum-cured silicone. Not sure? Check the product page first. Anything with mixed materials or electronics never goes in hot water.
More silicone tips
- Keep it away from sharp things, while you wear it and in storage.
- Store it somewhere cool and dry, out of the sun.
- Wear packing underwear so rough seams don't rub it.
- Use water-based lube only. Silicone lube breaks down silicone over time.
Foam packer care
Foam packers are a shaped foam cup, closer to a shoulder pad than a prosthetic, so none of the silicone or TPR rules apply.
- Hand wash with mild soap and warm water, then rinse well.
- Reshape it by hand while it's damp so it dries in the right shape.
- Let it air dry completely. Don't machine wash or dry it, or it'll lose its shape.
- No powder, boiling, dishwasher, or cleaning spray.
Foam holds sweat like fabric does, so wash it about as often as the underwear it lives in.
How to clean an STP
This covers the STP Freely, STP Freely XL, and Lou STP. Most of our STPs are 3-in-1s in the same platinum-cured silicone, so the silicone steps apply. STPs just need one extra step, and it goes first.
- Flush the channel with warm water until it runs clear.
- Wash the outside with hot water and mild soap.
- Spray with Packer & Toy Cleaner.
- Flush once more, then stand it upright to drain and air dry.
Rinse it after every use, even during the day. Whatever sits in the channel causes odor later, and bacteria building up in something you wear all day raises your risk of a UTI. Out and about? Rinse with water when you can and do the full clean at home.
Don't powder inside the channel. Powder goes on the outside only.
Powder and storage
Anything going away for more than a few days gets powdered first: packer, STP, or toy, silicone or TPR. A light dusting of Packer Renewing Powder soaks up leftover moisture, takes away the tacky feel, and stops it grabbing lint and hair in the drawer. Ours is 100% cornstarch with no talc. Skip talc-based baby powder (most drugstore powder is) and anything scented.
How to apply it
The tidiest way is the bag method. Put about a teaspoon of powder in a sandwich bag, drop in your fully dry packer, seal it, and shake. Brush off the extra with your hands. You get an even coat and none of it ends up on the counter.
By hand works too. Dust a little into your palms and rub it over the whole thing. Either way, it has to be bone dry first. Powder on damp silicone turns to paste.
Storage
- Store pieces separately, not touching. Different silicones can react with each other and leave permanent marks.
- A cotton bag or the original box is plenty.
- Keep it out of the sun and away from heat. A windowsill or hot car warps silicone faster than years of wear.
- Never put anything away damp. No amount of powder fixes that.
Adhesive, swimming, and everyday wear
Prosthetic adhesive
Adhesive left on the base breaks down the surface over time, so clean it off every day. Don't scrape or pick at it, because that damages the silicone. Work a little oil-free soap and warm water into it with your fingers until it dissolves. Let the soapy water sit on stubborn spots for a minute first.
After swimming
Chlorine and salt water keep working after you get out. Rinse it well after the pool, the ocean, or a hot tub, then wash as normal. Same goes for soap, shampoo, or body products in the shower.
Avoiding tears
Most tears happen when a packer gets yanked far from its natural position. Lift and bend gently from the base. Anything with a suction cup or internal rod never goes in boiling water, so follow its product page instead of these general steps.
When to replace it
Good care buys you years, not forever. Replace it when you notice:
- Tears, splits, or nicks that won't clean smooth
- A smell that's still there after a full wash
- Discoloring or the material visibly breaking down
- A tacky feel that powder doesn't fix anymore
Any of these means bacteria has somewhere to hide that you can't clean out. TPR getting there at around six months of daily wear is normal, not a defect.
What not to use
- Dish soap. It strips and dries the surface.
- Alcohol or bleach. They break down silicone and TPR.
- Scented household cleaners. They're not made for anything you wear.
- Talc-based powder. Use cornstarch.
- Silicone or oil-based lube on silicone. Water-based only.
- Scrubby sponges. Your hands and soap are enough.
Everything above is in our cleaning and care section. Care products are final sale. Next up: Packing 101, the bulge rating guide, or all packers.