Many women out there still ask: Can I wash the nipple covers and then keep on using them? In most cases, the answer is yes! Properly cleaning your nipple covers is the key to extending their life (and to keeping them hygienic). Washing is not the most glamorous part of all this, but a quick clean will make them stick again and have them ready for another venture into backless fashions. We’ll show you how to do exactly that in this guide: washing nipple covers, reusing and maintaining them, and how to prevent (or rectify) problems that arise along the way.
Can Nipple Covers Be Washed And Reused?
Yes, provided that they’re the kind designed for reuse. Many nipple covers (especially high-quality silicone ones) are reusable, and washing between uses is essential. Reusable covers are equipped with an adhesive that can renew its stickiness post-cleaning. However, adhesive Abyss’ pasty or satin nipple covers and some cheap fabrics are single-use items and not designed to be washed at all. Please check the product description. If it says ‘reusable’ or ‘washable silicone,’ it’s OK. If the peel-off adhesive is a one-time thing and they are made of paper or fabric, you have to throw them away after wearing them once.
Now then, assuming you do have reusable nipple covers, here is how to extend their life:
Which Types Can Be Washed?
Not all nipple covers are created equal. Here’s a quick rundown of the types you can wash and reuse:
- Silicone Nipple Covers (Reusable Adhesive Pasties): These are the popular sticky nipple covers made of medical-grade silicone - more on why that matters for sensitive skin in our safety guide. They are certainly washable and can be worn time and time again because the special adhesive and silicone material are both water-resistant. In fact, washing them can help make them stickier since oil and sweat are removed. GoNipless covers claim up to 30 wears with proper care (yes, really!).
- Fabric or Satin Pasties: Fabric nipple covers (often used for one-off events or by dancers) usually stick on with a strong glue line and are not for reuse. Additionally, washing them would spoil the adhesive, and the material may come apart. They are a single-use pasty if it doesn’t have “reusable” spelled out on the package.
- Non-Adhesive Covers Or Gel Petals: A few nipple covers go a long time without any glue (often they’re silicone petals that just sort of suction or a safe-for-skin gel that sticks through osmosis). Since there’s no adhesive to worry about, these are often washable because they can be easily rinsed off. Always obey the brand’s instructions, but by and large, silicone equals washable, and stick-on fabric equals not washable.
To sum up, washable nipple covers are those made of silicone that can be reused time and again, while thin paper stickers are disposable - see our picks in the best nipple covers for sensitive skin. If you pick good silicone nipple covers, however, you can wear, wash, and reuse them to your heart’s content."
How Often Should You Clean Them?
You might be wondering whether you really need to wash your nipple covers after using them. 🤔 The fact is that cleaning them after each use is best, particularly if you were sweating or had them on for a long time. With each successive wearing, the adhesive surface on the inside attracts old skin oil from your body, sweat, and little bits of dead cells, which leads to its stickiness being lost.
A good rinse gets rid of these substances and refreshes the adhesive. At the same time, washing signifies death for the adhesive. Therefore, if your nipple covers are not too dirty after a short wearing period, they can be left every now and then.
A good rule of thumb: when they stop sticking, wash them, or at least once every few wears.
For anyone using nipple covers daily in a hot climate or during strenuous workouts, this might even mean cleaning after every use - related: can you wear nipple covers every day. If you use them seldom, then every 2-3 times. (But be sure to clean them before loaning them out; remember - health is most important.)
For frequent users, a weekly clean is a popular regimen. For example, if you apply your covers each day for work, give a gentle wash on Sunday.
It’s important to be constantly vigilant against dirt accumulating there - not only is it unhealthy, but it also makes the adhesive less effective. And if at any time you feel any skin irritation, clean immediately after use and clean your skin properly too!
The bottom line: Clean your reusable nipple covers regularly - ideally after each wearing or at least once a week - in order to keep them sticky and safe to use.
How to clean silicone or sticky nipple covers?
Cleaning your nipple covers is quick and easy, and it will make life easier. Here are some tips for washing silicone nipple covers (or any sticky reusable pasties) without damage.
Step-by-Step Washing Guide
Peel Gently and Rinse: After use, take the covers off your skin as carefully as you can. With a little pointy tweezers or something similar, try not to grab or yank - you might stretch the silicone and make it fun. Rinse the nipple covers under a stream of lukewarm water straight away when you have got them off, as this will wash any sweat off them and get rid of any lint combined with dirt. But make sure you use water that is only mildly warm. The adhesive resin will break down from hot water over time.
Application of Mild Soap and Clean: Lather a mild soap (no harsh detergents, please) between your fingers and give the sticky side of the cover a gentle rub. It is enough to use a neutral dishwashing hand soap or even gentle facial cleansers. What's important is that it's mild and without any oil.
Never use stain removers, cloths, or brushes on the adhesive side: apply merchandise other than your fingers to help because they are not money-grabbing and are rough from agitating off threadlike substances.
Clean with a light circular motion all the way over the material's surface to remove body oils and dirt from it (be sure not to skip any part where your touch was at all). This will lift oils and dirt off as well.
Since the area is stuck onto your skin, you are not likely to get callouses or peeling there in the future. This is one of the many reasons it is best just to use a mild soap without any oil instead.
Make sure to dry off your fingers before cleaning the adhesive material off a pastie, because – as everyone who has ever handled Super Glue knows – wet contaminants make it stick better; even heat from hot breath steaming down onto an ice factory floor can cause sticking to become faster.
When your fingers are placed back under running lukewarm water, rinse the covers off. No soap should be left on them either – a small amount of liquid soap might interfere with the stickiness. While rinsing, rub gently with your fingertips again to ensure no slippery soapy residue remains, and that water sheets off the silicone when you finish rinsing.
Air-dry your nipple covers, sticky side up, and shake off any excess water. The adhesive side can be cleaned by hanging them on a radiator or laying them flat to dry. For example, they make great coasters! Just don't lay them on your favorite table.
Never rub dry with a towel or tissue, as fibers will adhere like crazy to that adhesive side. In addition, please don't use a hairdryer or any heat source. Heat could have an adverse effect on the silicone or damage the glue.
Hold them in place using your fingers until they're slightly dry. The whole process shouldn't take long: around 20-30 minutes or so should do it.
Check and Cover: When the covers are completely dry to the touch (you want no dampness whatsoever), examine the adhesive side for cleanliness. If you see any stray hairs or specks of fluff, pick them off with clean fingers or give a quick rinse.
Put back on the plastic backing or liner that comes with your covers, if you have it, once you are sure. (More on keeping them sticky later, but this is an important step.) That's it!
Your nipple covers are now clean, dry, and stickier than ever. Good hygiene reactivates the glue by removing oils that block adhesion, not to mention that it also keeps them clean. You may find they feel almost as sticky as new after washing.
What not to Use When Cleaning
Just as important as the right way of cleaning is knowing the wrong way. If you want your nipple covers to have a long, sticky life, avoid the following:
❌ Harsh Soaps or Chemicals: Avoid strong detergents, bleach, alcohol-based cleansers, and oil-based soaps. Abrasive exfoliating soaps shouldn't even make the list. These products may eat into the adhesive or leave dirt that will spoil the stickiness. Light and unscented, soap is well enough.
❌ Brushes, Scrubs, or Nails: You may be tempted to scrub at the covers if you see some loose lint or bits left over from the manufacturing process. But never scrape or scour the adhesive side of them. Even a soft sponge could lift a layer of the adhesive off. Just use your fingers as above. However, if the resistance is really big, simply prod it gently with little effort, and go steadily. (It may be a sign that the adhesive is starting to get old, so time for new lids.)
❌ Hot Water: As mentioned, do not use hot, thinking it will ‘clean deeply’. It's safe to use warm; hot water can deform the silicone or weaken the glue over time. Boiling or excessively heating the shields is unnecessary. Just lukewarm water will do them justice.
❌ Washing Machines or Dishwashers: It goes without saying, but nipple covers are fragile. Handwashing is the only method of getting them clean. A washing machine's drifting around or a dishwasher's exaggerated heat can destroy them. The cleaning part is over in a minute by hand anyway, so no machinery required.
❌ Towel Drying or Rubbing: Do not dry your shields hard and fast with towels, paper, or tissue. All the tiny bits of it will just get stuck onto the appliance and take a long time afterwards to un-stick. Some patience with air drying, though.
How to Restore Adhesive and Store Covers Properly
If you monitor this formula, you can avoid the sluggish adhesion that is obvious in a used pair of nips.
- Normal Wear and Tear: If you follow this nickel-and-dime strategy, even though the adhesive on covers for nipples has excellent endurance, wear them gently as you would any fragile item. They will last longer than expected.
- Rejuvenate Stickiness and How to Store Covers Properly: In the course of time, your nipple covers may lose their adhesive power and become less sticky, even when you clean yourself thoroughly. There are ways to renew this adhesiveness, so from now on, pay attention early on to how you use their backing paper for joint continuation. This is the nucleus of the entire section: bring the adhesive on your covers back to life and take care when storing them for a longer lifespan.
How to Make Nipple Covers Sticky Again
If you see your covers are not so effective at sticking, don't immediately throw them out—use either of the following methods:
- Thorough Cleaning: The first step in restoring stickiness is to give them a good wash. Oils accumulate on covers (as mentioned above), causing them to lose adhesion, which makes them become pithy. After you’ve removed that layer that doesn’t belong—it’s just dirt at best, not worthy of disdain—the adhesive will return to its original tacky nature. If you haven't already cleaned them and they keep slipping off, do it now. This trick works nearly always.
- Ensure They Are Entirely Dry: It may sound simple, but even the slightest moisture can reduce adhesion. After washing, give the covers plenty of time to air dry completely. They won't be sticky no matter how much soapy water goes into them.
- Remember, it's absolutely necessary that neither the left nor right appears even marginally moist; when you apply an adhesive surface like this on wet skin, it simply won't stick. Also, make sure both parts are dry before using them and avoid placing them on wet skin.
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Use Body Heat to Warm It Up: An approach that has been recommended by some users is to heat yourself up. The interesting thing is that such a change can make the material softer and also enhance its adhesive strength—however, it won't last long and will leave immediately if you peel it off any fabric.
- For Those Without: Chemical adhesion products are made to extend the life of adhesive bras. Many companies now offer products specifically intended for bras and pasties that you can spray on them to improve their adhesiveness again.
- You need to shake the bottle lightly and then spray it onto the sticky side before allowing it to dry a little; this is another way to add extra sticky layers. There are a number of different temporary adhesives available: brush-on pastie glue can be applied like paint, and when only a small amount has been allowed to set, it will provide a temporary hold for pastie wear.
These methods effectively prolong the lifespan of worn-out sticky material; just be sure that any product you use is safe on your skin and made for that purpose. To make up for a lack of specialized products, double-sided fashion tape from Yuli Ziv (Style Coalition) might work in a pinch—even if it isn’t.
Shops where such products are sold might give you some ideas for softer alternatives. One possible channel of self-repair (as a last resort): Use double-stick fashion tape on the sticky side of nipple covers.
Are They Really Sticky?: Not every silicone nipple covers, are medically graded and sticky enough. With tender handling, real silicone pasties can go over 30 uses—still holding up well. (Tip: It's a good idea to keep an old pair as a backup and use them when the bras or clothing require an extra little support): Think of it this way—the advantage bandages have over adhesives is that after they're pulled off, they lose their adhesive power. (This last paragraph is a direct quotation.)
To renew the stickiness of nipple covers, take a tip from the Kama Sutra and start with good cleaning. Put adhesive on them too, if necessary! With these methods, you can expect to enjoy your activity even longer, and remember that just in case all else fails, you may be wearing fresh coverings.
Storage Tips for Nipple Pasties
With the sorting method, you can not only find your clothing easily but also feel satisfied when taking it out again.
- Use Original Packaging: Return clean and dry nipple pasties to their original backing or into the designated storage case right away – this stops the adhesive from being exposed to air or gathering dust. In the event that your pasties came enclosed with their own trays and protective films, do not dispose of these!
- Maintain Cleanliness: Keeping your nipple covers separated inside clean little boxes away from potentially contaminating things such as ordinary household dirt and lint helps preserve adhesion. Even the tiniest particles in Keck's Paste-On Nipple Covers can make them turn loose quickly without any apparent cause, causing problems for someone else later, as well when they wonder how their particular product performed before the wear test failed miserably.
- Avoid Heat and Sunlight Exposure: Make sure your storage location is cool and shady, not in the garage or on a windowsill, which can degrade adhesive properties. Don't leave dirty cars to pollinate them with fumes either!
- Store Flat (Avoid Compression): No twisting, curling, or pressing please. Storage misshaping will reduce effectiveness for next use, so store them flat instead of bunched up within their containers wherever possible—it’s better for adhesion, and they’ll last longer.
- Keep Pairs Together: If you do this, it won't be much of a problem, but on the other hand, if one pair is left in one place, corrections will quickly return an out-of-date problem. This bit of wisdom applies whether you are buying a product that contains four sets, all of which look alike, or three brands that we must keep separate mixed together; otherwise, you can no longer trace usage counts.
By cultivating these habits of storing, it is possible to reduce wear and prolong its life to some degree. There's nothing worse than finding out months later that adhesion is worse because of my reluctance toward proper care earlier. Attention to proper care may bring manifold benefits for the functional life and lasting value of your nipple covers.
Conclusion
As long as you maintain a cool head and follow through with delicate cleanup of the beans, you are on the right track! Cleanup involving mild soap and water will suffice; natural air-drying, when done properly, guarantees annulment each time.
Now, with these tips, you can go ahead with confidence as you have learned what is the best way to store the pasties. Keep in mind that a neat covering will slip right into place while a tear-resisting cover will help. It pays off to take good care of them so they can go through many future occasions with you! Relax and take the time for yourself before tomorrow, and go with confidence into cocktail parties, business meetings, and church services alike.