Q. Hi there, I know this is a bit of an unusual question, but anyway. I have some basic personal lubricant that is water based, and it always feels ice cold when I squeeze it out of the bottle. How do I get it to reach a reasonable temperature? Can you microwave lube?
A. No, you cannot stick your lube directly into the microwave. How you can use it to indirectly warm up your lube a little. We know it can feel a bit awkward to ask this question, but it’s actually a super common one! Lube tends to be a little chilly and sticky at room temperature, so plenty of people are looking for ways to warm it up.
Unfortunately, it normally is not safe to put lube into the microwave and turn it on. There are a few different problems with microwaving lube. First of all, depending on your bottle, the material used to hold the lube itself might not be microwave safe. The bigger issue is that microwaving lube can result in unpleasantly hot temperatures.
The problem with putting personal lubricant in a microwave is that it heats unevenly. The energy from a microwave needs to be absorbed to create heat. Water absorbs it very well while the energy just pases through the oils and synthetic substances often found in lube without heating them. Due to the blend of water, oils, and other ingredients in the lube, you end up with pockets of overheated lube surrounded by pockets of chilly or room temperature lube.
When you disturb the lube and take it out of the microwave, the superheated pockets of lubricant can pop up, causing spatters that burn you. Even if you let it cool off for a little and test the lube to ensure it just seems pleasantly warm, there is the risk of an overheated spot coming into contact with your genitals and creating unpleasant burns. Since it is put in such sensitive locations, it is better to be safe than sorry and avoid microwaving lube.
All types of lubricant are generally unsafe to microwave. Whether you have a water based, silicone based, or oil based lubricant, the microwave usually is not the best option. Even lubricants that are listed as edible and food grade usually should not be placed in the microwave.
How to Safely Warm Lube With a Microwave
This does not necessarily mean that you are stuck with freezing cold lube in all situations. There is actually an easy trick for using the microwave to heat your lube. Take about a cup of water and put it in a microwave safe container. The container you pick should be large enough to also hold your lube without causing the water to overflow.
Put the water into the microwave (without the lube in the container!) and heat it for about one minute. Once the microwave stops, let the water stand for a minute or two to let it cool a little. The end result should be a container of warm but not boiling water. You can then place the container of lube in the container of water, and let it stand for a few minutes. To avoid any leaks that waste your lube, take the time to check and make sure the container is closed tightly. If possible, position it in the water so that the cap or lid is not submerged.
When you are ready to use the lubricant, pull it out of the warm water and apply your desired amount to the desired area. This method of heating lube will not result in boiling hot lubricant. Instead, it should be a mild, body temperature warmth that is suitable for a variety of activities.
This is thoughtfully written and I appreciate it.
This is the same reason not to microwave milk/formula for babies (potentially very hot burning pockets in otherwise fine temperature liquid), and the same solution to that problem. Makes sense to me!