cleaning

All posts tagged cleaning

One of our Tumblr followers (tumblers?) asked the following question:

How do you find the Jailbird? Was it worth the money?”

Rather than be all, “Go check out my Jailbird review post,” I decided to answer this a little more directly. Whether I like the device is not quite the same as whether or not it’s worth the price tag.

Is the JB worth the money? Short answer: yes. Long answer: yes, if you are using it for more lengthy chastity periods.

The Jailbird’s most value comes from its long term durability. It’s literally as strong as steel; as long as you don’t attack it with a blowtorch (not recommended, especially when in use), your device should hold up fine. Issues with cracking and/or breaking that come with the territory with other devices are non-existent with the JB. Cleaning maintenance is also a breeze – you can scrub it, soak it in soap and water, or you can even throw it in the dishwasher!

The one situation where I wouldn’t necessarily recommend the JB is in the case of casual or short term chastity sessions. If you are only wearing your chastity device for a few hours at a time, you can get the same results with a CBX or a BON4 at a more affordable price. It’s a lot like bowling – if you’re just hanging out and having fun, you can use an alley ball; if you join a competitive weekly league, you might want to get your own equipment.

And yes, I purposely used an analogy involving “balls” and “equipment” to make a comparison to chastity.

One of the most important aspects of wearing a chastity device for an extended period of time is daily maintenance. For the sake of both comfort and safety, it’s important to do your “daily chores” and take care of your cage as well as its prized contents.

First, it’s very important to keep your cage clean. The easiest way to accomplish this task is to wash your cage after removing it, however this may not be an option for some guys whose keyholder keeps them locked in a device 24/7… like me, for example. In my case, I find that a good rinse in the shower once a day is sufficient, but I try to give it a good soap-and-water wash at least every other day. Men who are using a more enclosed style of device may require more frequent soap washes.

Just as important as washing is drying your cage. At first, I simply towel-dried out of the shower, but I found there were some spots that were beginning to rust from retained water. Seeing as though the Birdcage I wear is chrome-plated steel, I didn’t worry too much about the rust… however, I didn’t want mold to grow. Using a hair dryer on low/cool setting seems to work better than a towel.

The next step in daily maintenance is applying proper lubrication. Lubing up is one of the most important things you will do involving your cage on a daily basis. When you forget to do it, you will realize it. And you most likely will not forget again for quite a while. Lubrication is important because you want things to be able to move around freely down there without any chafing or pinching. With a proper snug-fitting cage, there is high potential for skin irritations from normal behaviors such as sitting, walking, or attempted erections. Lubrication helps things to move around a little easier. My Lady loves to tease me and watch her cock try to grow inside the cage and press against the bars, straining against the unyielding steel. Without lubing up, this would end up being a lot more uncomfortable than it already is.

I find that more lube is better than less. I began using Q-tips to apply the lube under and around the bars of my Birdcage, until I realized that my finger fits well in the spaces between the steel. I may be forced to use the Q-tips when ML decides to start using a more enclosed device on me.

Using the correct type of lube is also vital. Water-based lubricants are best in my opinion, because they can be used with pretty much any type of device; silicone-based or petroleum-based lubes shouldn’t be used with either silicone or plastic devices because they can degrade the material. Not only is the type of lube critical, but also the brand that you buy can contribute to the quality of your “lubricatedness.” I have found that name brand products work best, as they should; Astroglide is my personal favorite. Store brand lubes can be just as good, but beware – not all store brand products are created equal! I just recently found that. although the Rite-Aid brand of personal lubricant works just fine for me, the Equate brand (available at Walmart) gets very sticky and “goobery” when it dries. Just because one store brand doesn’t work for you doesn’t mean another won’t also. Don’t be afraid to try a few different types out. If all else fails, spring for the good stuff. It’ll be worth it.

At first, I thought that fitting all of these duties into my routine would be a hassle. But honestly, I really enjoy performing my “daily maintenance” tasks. I feel that taking good care of my cage is a way to show my devotion to my keyholder and to show my gratitude that she has valued me enough to lock me up to be hers and hers alone to control. It is my way of saying “thank you.”