How to Clean, Store and Re-Stick Silicone Nipple Covers

Wash them after every wear with warm water and a mild soap, both sides, then leave them to air-dry adhesive side up (skin side up for Non-Adhesive). Once dry, an Adhesive Cover goes back on its clear backing and into the satin bag; a Non-Adhesive Cover has no backing and goes straight into the bag. That routine is what gets you up to 50 wears from an Adhesive pair and 100+ from a Non-Adhesive pair. It's also the first thing to try when a pair "stops sticking": often the adhesive isn't worn out, it's dirty.

Step by Step

  1. Wash both sides. Warm water, not hot, and mild or gentle soap, worked over the whole cover with clean fingertips. Do the adhesive side (or the skin side on a Non-Adhesive Cover) and the outside, so no sweat, lint or dirt is left on either. Never use a cloth, sponge or brush, which leaves fibers behind.
  2. Rinse. Until the soap is gone and the water runs clear. If anything is still stuck to the surface, wash it again with soap and water; that's the whole method.
  3. Shake off the water. Don't wipe or towel the cover.
  4. Air-dry adhesive side up. Skin side up for a Non-Adhesive Cover. On a clean, flat surface, away from dust; fifteen to thirty minutes is usually enough. Once an Adhesive Cover is fully dry, press it back onto its clear plastic backing. Non-Adhesive Covers don't come with a backing; they go straight into the satin bag once dry.

After a Long Day: Why the Wash Matters

Silicone isn't breathable, so after several hours sweat collects under a cover, adhesive or non-adhesive, and you usually only notice when you peel it off. It rarely moves the cover, but it can smell a bit, and dried sweat and bacteria on the surface are what make a cover feel grubby and hold less well the next time. Washing with soap and water clears all of it. If a cover has been worn all day, at the gym or in the heat, don't skip the wash or leave it until morning; do it that night so it's clean and dry for the next wear.

How to Make Nipple Covers Sticky Again

Most of the time the stickiness hasn't gone anywhere; something is sitting on top of it. A cover that has lost its hold has usually picked up lotion, sunscreen, sweat or towel lint, and washing it with soap and water as above takes that off and the tack comes back. If a freshly washed, fully dry cover still won't hold on clean, dry skin, the adhesive has worn out, and no trick, spray or rinse will revive it.

How you wear them matters as much as how many times. Adhesive wears down with every hour it's on skin, not just every application, and sweat speeds that up. A pair you wear a couple of hours at a time, dinner out or a night event, can easily pass 50 wears. The same pair worn all day, every day, or through hard, sweaty workouts, will give up sooner. Neither is wrong; it's just worth knowing which one you're doing when you count wears.

What Not to Do

  • No alcohol, wipes, micellar water or harsh soap. They strip the adhesive for good.
  • No hot water, no dryer, no hairdryer on hot. Heat damages silicone.
  • No towels or tissues on the sticky side. Air-dry only.
  • No storing them loose in a drawer or a makeup bag. Dust is the enemy.
  • No sharing. Adhesive Covers are personal.

Storage

Dry, in the satin bag or the box they came in, out of direct sun. Adhesive Covers go onto their clear backing first; Non-Adhesive Covers have no backing and sit in the bag as they are. Stored this way, a pair you wear once a week is still good months later. Traveling, keep them in the satin bag rather than loose in a wash bag with liquids.

When to Replace Them, and What to Do With the Old Pair

Adhesive Covers are made for up to 50 wears; Non-Adhesive Covers for 100+. You'll know the adhesive is done when a clean, dry cover won't hold on clean, dry skin. Don't throw the old pair away: a worn-out Adhesive Cover works as a Non-Adhesive one under a fitted top, a sports bra or a swimsuit, so it gets a second life doing the job the glue-free pair does.

What We'd Pick

FAQ

How often should I wash them?

After every wear. It takes a minute and it's the whole difference between a pair that lasts and a pair that doesn't.

Can I wash them in the machine?

No. Hand-wash only.

Can I use dish soap?

Gentle dish soap is fine. Avoid anything antibacterial or degreasing, which is too harsh.

The edges have gone a bit cloudy. Are they ruined?

Usually not; cloudiness is trapped residue. Wash as above and let them dry fully.

Do Non-Adhesive Covers need washing too?

Yes. They hold with suction, and suction needs a clean surface. Same routine, skin side up to dry, and no backing: they go straight into the satin bag.

They were sweaty when I took them off. Is that normal?

Yes, adhesive or non-adhesive. Sweat collects under the silicone after a few hours. Wash both sides with soap and water that night so it doesn't build up.

What about satin pasties?

They're disposable. Wear once and bin them; no washing.

Written by Stephanie Danforth, Founder of Bare Babe · Updated