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From what i’ve learned from/with my ex (and also from experience people shared with me), cleaning is always (or at least for us) before and after use. Warm/hot water + mild soap first, then rinse and a proper toy-safe disinfectant/sanitizer. Rinse again, and then let it fully air dry before storing. Some materials can also be boiled, but only if they’re specifically heat-safe and do not contain batteries or anything similar.

Even if something was cleaned after use, it’s still usually not stored in a sterile environment, so cleaning before using again (or using a condom as a barrier) is important imo. Things like dust, pet hair or fibers from storage can still end up on it, and I think you don’t really want that in you. Good hygiene really helps reduce the risk of yeast or bacterial infections (peeing afterwards is also a common hygiene tip to prevent infections).

For protection, I’m very much in the “better safe than sorry” camp. Especially outside a fully committed and exclusive relationship (where people may have other partners too), I think it’s important to talk about testing and boundaries. If someone is weird about it or avoids talking about std testing, that’s usually a red flag imo.

In an exclusive situation/relationship where both people are tested and everything is std free, and the material is body-safe and non-porous (like silicone) and clean, it can technically be used without protection if you’re both comfortable with that (I would always use it on shared toys btw). But even then, some people still prefer extra hygiene protection, or simply find using a condom more comfortable because of things like texture, or because it can help lube stay in place better.