How to Clean a Packer: Silicone, TPR, STP & Foam Care Guide
Knowing how to care for your packer is essential for comfort, hygiene, and longevity. Because packers are made from different materials, each type requires a specific cleaning and care routine. In this guide, we break down exactly how to clean a packer, how to clean an STP, how to sanitize both safely, and how to store them properly so your gear stays body-safe and lasts as long as possible.
The Quick Version
| 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 channel first, then wash as silicone | Outside only |
| Foam | Machine or hand wash, air dry | Never |
Why Proper Packer Care Matters
Proper packer care helps prevent bacteria buildup, skin irritation, and material breakdown. Additionally, regular cleaning keeps your packer feeling comfortable and smelling fresh during daily wear. Whether you use an elastomer, TPR, or silicone packer, following the right routine protects both your body and your investment.
The short version: wash after wear, dry completely, powder before storage. Almost every problem people write to us about traces back to one of those three steps getting skipped.
Not Sure What Yours Is Made Of?
Material determines the routine, so it is worth knowing. Silicone is firmer, has a slight drag when dry, and holds its shape. TPR is softer, squishier, and warms to the touch faster. TPR also goes by other names depending on who made it, including TPE, CyberSkin, SoftSkin, and elastomer.
If you genuinely cannot tell, follow the TPR instructions. They are the more cautious of the two, and nothing in them will hurt a silicone packer. The reverse is not true, since boiling a TPR packer destroys it.
Elastomer & TPR Packer Care
(Mr. Limpy Small, Medium and Large, including the metallic colorways)
Elastomer and TPR packers are popular for their soft, realistic feel and their price. However, these materials are porous, which means they trap moisture and bacteria if they are not cleaned regularly.
How to Clean a TPR Packer
- Wash with warm water and mild soap after each use
- Sanitize by spraying with Packer & Toy Cleaner with Aloe Vera
- Rinse if needed, then allow to air dry completely
- If towel drying, pat gently rather than rubbing
- Once fully dry, apply a light dusting of Packer Renewing Powder
Never boil elastomer or TPR, and never put it in the dishwasher. Heat permanently deforms the material.
Why TPR Gets Sticky
TPR breaks down gradually over time, and the surface turns tacky as it goes. That tacky feel is the material itself changing, not dirt, so no amount of washing brings it back. What does help is powdering after every wear rather than only before storage. It takes five seconds and it keeps the surface feeling right for far longer.
One thing worth knowing: TPR contains trace mineral oil, so always wear it with a barrier. Packing underwear, a harness, or a packing pouch rather than directly against skin.
TPR Longevity
TPR packers generally last around six months with daily use. To get the most out of yours:
- Pack with underwear or pouches that do not use an O-ring
- Avoid sharp seams, zippers, and friction points
- Let it fully air out between wears rather than going straight back in a drawer
- Powder more often than you think you need to
Silicone Packer Care
(My Buddy 4", My Buddy 5", #1 Trans Packer, Mr. Right)
Silicone packers are made from 100% body-safe, platinum-cured silicone. Silicone is non-porous, which makes it easier to sanitize and far more durable over time.
How to Clean a Silicone Packer
- Wash with hot water and mild soap
- Sanitize using Packer & Toy Cleaner with Aloe Vera, or Cleaning Spray for a fast pass between full washes
- Boil for a few minutes if you want a deeper sanitize
- Top rack of the dishwasher also works, with no detergent
- Air dry fully before storage
Boiling and dishwashing only apply to 100% platinum-cured silicone. If you are not certain what your packer is made of, check the product page first. Anything with mixed materials or electronics never goes in hot water.
Silicone Care Tips
- Keep it away from sharp objects during use and storage
- Store in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight
- Wear packing underwear to protect against rough seams
- Water-based lube only, since silicone lube degrades silicone over time
Foam Packer Care
Foam packers are a different thing entirely. They are a shaped foam cup, closer to a shoulder pad than to a prosthetic, so none of the silicone or TPR rules apply.
- Machine washable, or hand wash in cool water with mild detergent
- Reshape by hand while damp so it dries in the right form
- Air dry completely. Never put it in the dryer
- No powder needed, ever. Powder is for silicone and TPR only
- No boiling, no dishwasher, no cleaning spray
Wash it on the same schedule as the underwear it lives in. Foam holds sweat the way fabric does, so a weekly wash with your laundry is usually enough for daily wear.
How to Clean an STP
(STP Freely, STP Freely XL, The Lou STP)
Plenty of STPs are packers too, and most of our range is 3-in-1. They are the same platinum-cured silicone, so the routine above applies. STPs just need one extra step, and it goes first.
- Flush the channel with warm water until it runs completely clear, before anything else
- Wash the outside with hot water and mild soap
- Sanitize with Packer & Toy Cleaner with Aloe Vera
- Flush once more, then stand it upright to drain and air dry
Rinse through after every single use, not just at the end of the day. Anything left sitting in the channel is what causes odor later, and bacteria building up in a device you wear all day raises your risk of a UTI. If you are out and cannot do a full wash, rinse with water when you get the chance and do the proper clean when you are home.
Do not powder the inside of the channel. Powder belongs on the outside surface only.
Powder and Storage
Anything going away for more than a few days gets powdered first, every time. Packer, STP, or toy. Silicone or TPR. A light dusting of Packer Renewing Powder pulls residual moisture, kills the tacky feel, and keeps the surface from grabbing lint and hair in a drawer.
Our renewing powder is 100% organic cornstarch and completely talc free. Skip talc-based baby powders, which is what most drugstore powder is, and skip anything scented.
How to Apply It
The tidiest method is the bag method. Put about a teaspoon of powder in a sandwich bag, drop the fully dry packer in, seal it, and shake. Take it out and brush off the excess with your hands. You get an even coat and none of it ends up on the bathroom counter.
By hand works too. Dust a small amount into your palms and work it over the whole surface. Either way, the packer has to be bone dry first. Powder on damp silicone turns into paste.
Storage Rules
- Store pieces separately, not touching. Different silicone formulations can react against each other over time and leave permanent marks where they sat
- A cotton bag or the original box is enough
- Keep it out of sunlight and away from heat. A windowsill or a hot car warps silicone faster than years of use will
- Never store anything damp. No amount of powder fixes something that was put away wet
Adhesive, Swimming, and Everyday Wear
If You Use Prosthetic Adhesive
Adhesive residue builds up on the tab or base and will degrade the surface over time if it is left there. Clean it off daily. Do not scrape or pick at it, which damages the silicone. Instead, work a little oil-free soap and warm water into the residue with your fingers until it dissolves, letting the soapy water sit on stubborn spots for a minute first.
After Swimming
Chlorine and salt water both sit on the surface and keep working after you get out. Rinse thoroughly after the pool, the ocean, or a hot tub, then wash as normal. The same goes for any time soap, shampoo, or body product ends up on it in the shower.
Avoiding Tears
The most common way packers tear is from being yanked far out of their natural resting position. Lift and bend gently from the base instead. For anything with a suction cup or an internal rod, follow the individual product page rather than these general rules, since neither goes in boiling water.
When to Replace It
Good care buys you years, not forever. Replace yours when you notice:
- Tears, splits, or a nicked surface that will not clean smooth
- Odor that persists after a full wash
- Discoloration or visible material breakdown
- A tacky feel that powder no longer fixes
Any of these means bacteria now has somewhere to sit that you cannot clean out. TPR reaching this point at around six months of daily wear is normal and not a defect.
What Not to Use
- Dish soap. Strips and dries the surface
- Alcohol or bleach. Breaks down both silicone and TPR
- Scented household cleaners. Not formulated for anything worn against skin
- Talc-based powder. Use cornstarch instead
- Silicone or oil-based lube on silicone. Water-based only
- Abrasive sponges. Hands and soap are enough
Recommended Packer Care Products
- Packer & Toy Cleaner with Aloe Vera, gentle daily sanitation
- Packer Renewing Powder, talc-free cornstarch that keeps gear dry and smooth
- Cleaning Spray, quick pass between full washes
- Cake Bandit Packing Underwear, reduces friction and extends packer life
- Packing Pouches, added protection and secure placement
Keep Reading
- FTM Packing: Everything You Need to Know, the complete packing guide
- What Size Packer Should I Get?, the TGS Bulge Rating Guide
- The Complete Gear Guide, everything in one place
- Shop all packers, TPR, silicone, and STP options
Taking care of your packer is part of taking care of yourself. Clean gear means safer, more comfortable, more affirming daily wear.