Guide to Caring for Your Kie Skin Nipple Covers

Reusable nipple covers are only a good investment if they stay sticky. Cared for properly, a pair of Kie Skin Luxury Nipple Covers lasts 120 or more wears. Cared for badly, the adhesive gives up in a couple of weeks. The difference comes down to a few small habits, and none of them take more than a minute.

Here is everything you need to know about cleaning, storing and extending the life of your covers.

How to clean your reusable nipple covers

Clean your covers after every wear. Skin oils, body lotion and sweat are what dull the adhesive, and they build up faster than most people expect.

1. Hand wash only. Run the adhesive side under warm (not hot) water with a small amount of mild soap. Use your fingertips in gentle circles. Never use a washing machine, a sponge, or a scrubbing motion, all of which tear the silicone edge.
2. Rinse until the soap is gone. Leftover residue is itself a barrier between the adhesive and your skin. Rinse longer than you think you need to.
3. Air dry, adhesive side up. Shake off the excess water and lay them sticky side up on a clean, flat surface. Do not pat them with a towel and do not use a hair dryer. Lint bonds to the adhesive permanently, and heat degrades it.
4. Wait until they are completely dry. The tack returns as the surface dries. If they still feel cool or slightly damp, give them longer. Storing them wet is the single fastest way to ruin a pair.

Avoid harsh chemicals. Alcohol, acetone, makeup remover, dish detergent and antibacterial gels all strip the adhesive and can irritate skin. Mild soap and water is genuinely all that is needed.

How to store them between wears

Storage matters as much as washing. Dust is the enemy of any adhesive surface, and a cover left face-down on a bathroom shelf will pick up enough in one day to feel noticeably less sticky.

1. Use the original packaging or a case. Every pair ships in a rigid gift box with a moulded tray that holds the covers flat and dust-free. If you travel with them, the Kie Skin Travel Pouch is a zipped hard case that holds up to two pairs and fits in a clutch.
2. Keep them flat. Folding or creasing silicone leaves a permanent bend that stops the cover sitting flush against skin. Flat storage protects the shape.
3. Cool, dry, out of the sun. Heat is the enemy. Avoid a car glovebox, a windowsill, or a steamy bathroom shelf.

How long do reusable nipple covers last?

Kie Skin covers are rated for 120+ wears. In practice, how long a pair lasts depends almost entirely on three things: how often you clean them, what you clean them with, and how you store them between wears.

Worn twice a week and cared for properly, a single pair comfortably lasts over a year. Worn daily to the gym and rinsed in a hurry, the same pair might last a few months. Every pair comes as a set of two, so you can rotate them and roughly double the life of the set.

What to do if they stop sticking

Most covers that feel "dead" are not finished, they are dirty. Before replacing a pair, try this:

1. Wash the adhesive side thoroughly with warm water and mild soap, using more pressure than a normal rinse but still with fingertips only.
2. Rinse completely and let them air dry fully, adhesive side up, for at least a few hours.
3. Check the surface in good light. If it looks clean and even, the tack should have returned.

If they are still not sticking after a proper clean and full dry, or the silicone edge is torn or permanently creased, that pair has reached the end of its life.

Preparing your skin makes a bigger difference than anything else

Adhesive bonds to skin, not to what is on top of skin. Applying covers over body lotion, oil, sunscreen, fake tan or perfume is the most common reason people think a new pair is faulty.

Before applying: make sure the area is clean, completely dry, and free of any product. If you have just showered, wait until your skin is fully dry. Press the cover on from the centre outward to push out air, then hold for a few seconds so body heat can activate the bond.

To remove, peel slowly from the edge rather than pulling. Rushing tears the silicone and takes the adhesive with it.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Over-cleaning. Once after each wear is right. Washing repeatedly between wears wears the adhesive out early.
• Drying with a towel. Lint bonds to the adhesive and does not come off.
• Applying over lotion or oil. Nothing will stick properly, no matter how new the pair is.
• Storing them damp. Traps moisture against the adhesive and shortens their life dramatically.
• Peeling them off quickly. Tears the edge. Peel slowly from one side.

Quick answers

Can I shower or swim in them? Yes. Kie Skin covers are waterproof and sweatproof. Clean and dry them fully afterwards.

Can I wear them to the gym? Yes, they are sweatproof. Wash them after a workout rather than leaving sweat on the adhesive.

How do I wash them without soap on hand? Warm water alone works for a light clean. Use mild soap when you can.

Do they come in different shades? Yes, four: Cream, Nude, Mocha and Espresso. Choosing a shade close to your skin tone is what makes them disappear under light fabrics.

Can I share them? No. Nipple covers are a personal hygiene item and should only be worn by one person.

The short version

Wash gently with warm water and mild soap after every wear. Air dry adhesive side up, fully. Store flat, in a case, somewhere cool. Apply to clean, dry, product-free skin. Do that, and a pair of Kie Skin nipple covers will outlast almost anything else in your drawer.