Sex
You'll never look at a vegetable the same way.
![Household items women have used as sex toys, according to a survey.](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/getty/2021/3/3/8ae3559e-0603-45ac-8f3c-3f10886a2592-getty-1276470394.jpg?w=248&q=50&dpr=2)
While you might have a solid stash of vibrators on hand, sometimes boredom — like the kind we're all experiencing during the pandemic — can push you to rummage through your apartment in search of household items to use in the bedroom. In other words, if your hairbrush or remote control are starting to look mighty sexy, you definitely aren't alone.
The desire to play around with elongated instruments, however, is nothing new. According to a 2016 survey from Superdrug Online Doctor of 976 people, ages 18 to 71, 70% of women have used a household item for sexual pleasure. Whether it was during a masturbation session or with a partner, the survey didn't say. But it just goes to show that there are more ways to have fun while stuck at home than you might think.
Research has also shown it's healthy to experiment and see what feels good. In fact, a 2019 study published in The Journal of Sex Research reported that sex toy use is a common and beneficial sexual behavior. So, if you want to see what it feels like to play around with a hairbrush handle, be safe — and give it a try! Here, the 14 most common things to masturbate with, according to SuperDrug Online Doctor.
1Shower Head
Coming in at number one on the list, with 42 percent of women turning it on when they crave an orgasm, is the shower head. And when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. You're already in the bathroom, you're already naked. So why not get clean and get off at the same time?
To really make it worth your while, play around with the pressure, turn the heat up or down, and see what works for you. If you have a tub, you could even sink down into a bubble bath and make an entire evening out of it.
2Pillow
Coming in at a distant second, with 25 percent, are pillows. And one can only assume they're used for humping — which is way more common than you might think.
Only 25 percent of women consistently orgasm during vaginal intercourse, so those aforementioned elongated instruments might not be your cup of tea, and that's OK!
If you're looking for another way to get off, grinding up against a pillow might just do the trick.
3Vegetables & Fruits
All you have to do is look at a well-endowed zucchini or cucumber to know that someone, somewhere, has eyed it as a possible sex toy. These vegetable (and fruit!) happy people make up 18 percent of those surveyed.
However, it's important to note that inserting vegetables into your vagina can actually be dangerous. Produce often has fungus on it, which can result in an infection. So think twice before taking a banana into the bedroom.
4Hairbrush
Whether it's because they haven't gone food shopping in a while or because their shower head isn't detachable, 14 percent of women turn to their hairbrush as a make-shift sex toy.
5Toothbrush
For 13 percent of the women surveyed, a toothbrush does the trick when it comes to household sex toys. Which, if you've felt the vibration of the electric varieties, definitely makes a lot of sense.
Just don't use the bristle side. As Lauren Streicher, MD, an associate clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology, told SELF, they're likely to cause microabrasions on the skin, which can make you susceptible to infection.
6Candle
Thirteen percent of respondents took one look at that thick pillar of wax sitting on their coffee table, and wondered what it would feel like.
Keep in mind, though, that actual sex toys — like vibrators — are made of body-safe silicone. That's why, if you want to try inserting a household item, it may be safer to cover it with a condom first.
7Marker Or Pen
According to the survey, 10 percent of women have used a marker or pen to give themselves — or their partner — pleasure. It's so nice that a pencil is not on the list, because ouch.
8Mattress
Heading back into pillow territory, we have mattresses, which come in at eight percent. And again, this is about some good ol' fashioned humping.
According to a study published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, it's common for women to use more than one masturbation technique. You might reach down and touch yourself, but you also might relate to the "sizable number of participants" in this study who masturbate through an indirect way — such as grinding up on your mattress.
9Blanket
Eight percent of survey respondents said they're all about the blanket. Presumably, they're rolling it up like a pillow, putting it between their legs, and doing their thing.
10Makeup Product
As far as the specific makeup products being used, the survey didn't specify. But it still stands that five percent of women use something from their makeup bag in place of a toy. If you can't get to your lipstick vibrator, then your actual lipstick might be the next best thing. Or a foundation brush handle. Use your imagination.
11Wine Or Beer Bottle
Although only four percent have used a wine or beer bottle as a sex toy, here's hoping that four percent also used lube.
12Tool Handle
While a wine bottle might cut it for one group of four percent, for another group of four percent, only a tool handle will do. Let's cross our fingers and hope a condom and lube were involved, because getting splinters in your vagina is not going to be a good time.
13Remote Control
Since remote controls come in all shapes and sizes — and some even vibrate, like the kind you use for video games — it makes sense why four percent of women have taken it into the bedroom. But considering the amount of germs present on a remote control? It might be worth it to stick to your actual vibrator.
14Toilet Plunger
Last on the list, with only two percent of women reporting having used it, is a toilet plunger.
When you're stuck at home — and particularly if you're not able to see a partner — the urge to use a household item to masturbate with can be strong. So if you want to give it a try, just make sure precautions are taken.
Avoiding fruits/vegetables and making sure these household items are clean and free from germs is a great place to start. The last thing you want is a bacterial infection in your vagina because the handle of your screwdriver was calling your name.
Sources:
Superdrug. (n.d.). Sex toy 101. Retrieved March 03, 2021, from https://onlinedoctor.superdrug.com/sex-toy-101/
Döring, N., & Poeschl, S. (2019). Experiences with DIVERSE sex toys among GERMAN Heterosexual Adults: Findings from a national online survey. The Journal of Sex Research, 57(7), 885-896. doi:10.1080/00224499.2019.1578329
Carvalheira, A., & Leal, I. (2013). Masturbation among women: Associated factors and sexual response in a portuguese community sample. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 39(4), 347-367. doi:10.1080/0092623x.2011.628440
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