I used to be a lurker on this community but haven't even had the time to be that for a while, however, I wanted to pop back on here to say how pleased I am to have my Mooncup and to pass on a tip/thought.

I recently found myself having to use tampons for a few days as I was without my Mooncup (I may possibly have boiled it dry by mistake!) and what a nightmare - they were useless! I was changing them every 2 hours at least and between those times, I was constantly wary of leaks - I wouldn't consider myself a particularly heavy flow person. And then there's what to do with the used tampon/applicator; I'd forgotten about having to decide if you can throw it down the loo (let's face it we all do/did it!) or if you need to put it in the (usually not very) sanitary disposal bin. And that's without having to think about all the other hassles with tampons like actually remembering to carry some around with you!

I was overjoyed to be back using my Mooncup yesterday evening. I'm back to only having to worry about it twice a day and my (and my office's) drains are once again 'safe'!

One quick tip/thought - I'm 32 and have given birth twice vaginally (although admittedly both times pretty quickly and with very tiny babies) but I am finding the smaller B-size cup far more comfortable than the larger A-size cup that I assumed I'd need by now. I certainly don't seem to be having any leaking issues. I just say this in case anyone else thinks that they should probably be on the larger one but it feels a bit uncomfortable, don't assume that the smaller one would be too small based on their age or how many babies they've given birth to.

Oh - one last thing seeing as I'm here... be warned that Mooncups *can* dislodge coils - mine did and I thought I was being fairly careful. Of course, it might not have been the Mooncup but the suction was pretty strong at times so I think it may well have been that.

Does anyone know if I can boil my Diva Cup in the microwave? I want to, but I'll use a pot if I must.

Hello, ladies.

I know the DivaCup people say that you shouldn't use hydrogen peroxide or vinegar on your cup; they also advocate boiling for only 2-5 minutes (which might lead one to believe that boiling for longer periods of time is harmful).

Personally, I'm inclined to believe this is all bunk; I've had my cup for two years, have soaked it repeatedly in vinegar-and-water and peroxide-and-water solutions, and have boiled it often (sometimes several times per cycle!) for 10-20 minutes, and have never noticed any problems with the structural integrity of the cup.

But then again, just because I've never witnessed it doesn't mean it's impossible. I know people have experienced general deterioration of silicone cups before...so I guess my question is, did you have a silicone cup which deteriorated, and you believe that it was caused by the use of vinegar and/or peroxide and/or excessive boiling? Comments on cup deterioration attributed to other causes are welcome, as well.

Finally, people who have used any of these methods without any negative effects on the cup are welcome to comment, too.

<LURKER DELURKING>
Hi

I have been using the MoonCup, UK almost solely for the last 18 months and I have to say I love it. However I was just wondering. Is it ok that I use boiling water straight from a kettle and baby steriliser? Its just I don't have a way of boiling the cup at the moment.

thx Girls

so, after much time of not posting...  this month's cycle, i found myself with a stinky cup.  it reeked when i took it out during my shower yesterday to clean...  i briefly remembered something about vinegar and after reading, here is what i did to get rid of the smell.

i put some white vinegar, sea salt, and water into a pot.  Just a splash of vinegar would do, not too much, you don't want your cup to smell like vinegar do you?  after it boiled i put the cup in and kept an eye on it.  i think i let it boil for 10 minutes, occasionally moving the cup so it won't melt on me.

afterwards, i put some excessive amounts of baking soda into a cup and poured in some of the hot water and put the cup in.  swished it around and let it sit.  i added more baking soda and waited some more.  after 5-10 minutes, i took it out and rinsed it.  the baking soda made it feel gritty..  then... sniffed.

it smelled pleasant.  actually, the pleasant smell could be the soap i used after i took the cup out but the scent of whatever bacteria overpowered the floral scent of dial.  but after 'killing' off the smelly bacteria, the floral scent was able to come through.

yep, hope i was able to help someone :)

hot water, salt, vinegar, and baking soda.  i also contemplated rubbing alcohol if the smell didn't go away.  but maybe next time :)

So I went to the gyno today, and it turns out I do have a yi and have probably had one for some time now. I want to make sure my cup is clean and won't re-infect me for next week's period (if I manage to get rid of my infection by then). I've been reading up on the posts on yi's and have gathered that boiling is my best option, followed closely by vinegar soaks.

Do both of these options effectively kill active yeast and yeast spores? Now how about the pan that I'm boiling it in... will there be leftover yeast/yuckies in there? Is it necessary to clean the pouch as well?

I got a one dose oral pill and an ointment from the doc, but I think I'm going to go the natural route first and try yogurt/garlic.

Anyway, any advice would be wonderful!

PS) I've managed to get three people onto cups!! I bought my sister one for her birthday a few months back and she loves hers! My Mom and my friend were both SUPER grossed out by it, and both are now anxiously awaiting their period to give it a try!! Keeping my fingers crossed that they love it too!

Think about it... women go through about 6800 disposables in their lifetime (according to Gladrags) so through the support of this community, I switched to a cup, as did three others = 27,200 disposables diverted from the landfills thanks to everyone here!!! (Just some 1am trivia for you!!)

I wonder why you are not supposed to boil the keeper? Is the natural rubber going to age more quickly if you do? I even emailed the keeper customer support a long time ago, but never got an answer.

Anyway, today I boiled my keeper just to see what happens. Nothing! It actually smelled better and retained its circular shape it had lost when it was squished in the mail. I guess the lesson is: if you have to, you can boil the keeper occaissonally!

And one more question: has anybody managed to fill the keeper above the airholes? Because mine always starts leaking when it reaches that point. Sometimes just a teeny bit, sometimes a lot, but it always happens...

TIA!

Back a month, nearly two ago, I posted about some pain issues that I'd been having when trying to use my new-to-me Diva Cup (yes, I did get confirmation from the previous owner that's what it is). Unfortunately, I never did manage to wear it for more than a few minutes without experiencing discomfort.
In the end, I gave up & on the advice of another friend, ordered a "free" 2 piece sample pack {cost me $2.50USD for the shipping} of Instead SoftCups. I used one of them during my last period (my next one is due in 2-3 days) & I love them. So much so that I don't anticipate using another tampon ever again.
Also, just to clear up that last bit about using one during my last period. I'm not saying that I tested it out once, but rather that, for the entire duration of my last period, from the first sight of blood until there was nothing left, I only used one Instead cup. Once per day (I have very light periods), I took it out, rinsed it out under hot water & popped it right back in again. And then, when I was done my period, instead *giggles* of throwing it out, I popped it in a cup of boiling water for a few & it was as good as new.
So... even though all the propaganda says not to, I'd have to say that they're completely reusable! :)

I'm SO ready for my next period!

Ok Ladies, I LOVE! my Diva and i've had my cup for two years, but only started really using it about 8 or so months ago.   I wanted to clean it and just wondering how long to boil it for. 

I'm, seeing 1 min, 5 min, 10 min 15 min eek! Just trying to get a gereral idea, Also do you add any thing to the water?? 90% of soaps/detergents make me itchy, so I would be lookng for somthing natural. (Before you ask hyrdogen Peroxide makes me REALLY itchy so i'm hesitatant to use it)

Thanks ladies! :)!

Hi ladies
I've been using my Mooncup for about 9 months now, and it had slowly started turning a yellowish color, but I was knew this was normal and it was discoloring so slowly I really didn't notice. However, after my last cycle, the upper third of the cup has dark brown smudge-ish stains all over it. So my questions are
(1) What can I do to get rid of the stains? I tend to show it off to people, but if it's got these gross stains I'm a little less inclined. My girlfriends think my cup is gross as it is. I tried a dillution of rubbing alcohol for a few hours today, but that didn't seem to work.
(2) Why did it stain all of a sudden? My two hypothesis are, a) I just started on the Nuvaring (I think I posted here about it several weeks back) so I don't know if perhaps there is a chemical reaction or b) I boiled it for the first time just before my last cycle, because I had run a workshop (lol, I posted about that too) and lots of people had touched it.
Thanks in advance!

EDIT: After this cycle, a mild soap scrub and a 1:2 hydrogen peroxide soak worked like a charm. She looks just like new! thanks again.

Hi Everyone!

I'm so happy that I came across this community. Thanks to everyone here, I've decided to purchase a cup. I chose the Diva because it was available at my local health store. I did a dry run (which I've discovered that people have very mixed feelings about), and I'm slightly concerned with my progress.

I was able to put it in without too much of a problem, but could not rotate it. I found that it went pretty high up. I'm not too sure if it sealed or not. My attempts to remove it was met with a lot of resistance. I started to freak out a little bit at one point, imagining myself checking into an emergency room and asking the doctor to yank something out of my southern regions, but I convinced myself to remain calm, knowing the freaking out would make it harder.

I tried to put my fingers along the rim and break the seal, but found it very difficult. I have not trimmed the stem, but found that I hard a hard time getting enough of a grip on it to pull it out. I have long nails, so I had to pinch the ridges of the stem with my nails to get it out (is that harmful to the silicone?). Also, I found it difficult to avoid pinching the sensitive skin down there as I did this. I tried bearing down like everyone has suggested as well. Any suggestions? I'm expecting my period within the next week, so I'm pretty excited to try it out. I was a little discouraged after my dry run, but I think once my period comes along, it'll motivate me to try harder.

Also, with regards to boiling it... If I were to put it straight into the pot, isn't there a risk of the cup touching the surfaces of the pot and getting warped? Should I put it in something first (tea bag strainer?) and then put it in the pot? Or is it perfectly ok sitting in there on it's own?

I am making a conscious attempt to go natural, and green, and this is part of my lifestyle changes. Once again, thank you all very much for all of your information. This site has proved extremely helpful in my decision to use a menstrual cup!

Take care!

I'm curious about this, as I sometimes see questions about both subjects. I do not boil my cup, never have, and I have had it for over a year and it looks pretty much the same as it did the day I bought it. I'm wondering if maybe boiling increases discoloration? 

So, do you boil your cup or not? Is your cup discolored? Have you ever used a product to remove discoloration?

I have a general cleaning issue with my Diva.
I usually boil it for 15 minutes or so before and after my cycle. I don't use any soaps or oils to clean it but I do use soap and warm water with it during my cycle (no anti-bacterial stuff, I absolutely HATE it).
Anyway, I have noticed a residue on my cup after boiling. I live in a rural area & we are on a well. Our water is clean but not as "treated" as water from city lines. I do notice whenever I boil water for anything, it leaves behind a residue on the pan. Could this residue be harmful? I have a pretty tough vag (I swear, it must be super resistant) and it hasn't been irritated yet, but I do have to wonder if it could pose a problem in the future

On another note, my boyfriend wondered why he hadn't seen any tampons or anything in the garbage (worrying that I wasn't getting my period) and when I told him he had a cup, he was extremely interested in the mechanisms of it. I gladly explained it to him, but as soon as I asked him if he wanted to see it, he immediately squirmed his way into the other room...oh well, maybe some day I can get him to love my Diva as much as I do. =D

i really want to clean it so i was thinking of boiling it but im afraid that i might explode it or something. how long should i leave it boiling? should i stir it? sorry if this question seems pretty stupid, i've never done this before and i don't want to ruin my cup. also, is it bad to sterilize it with alcohol? like rinse it in alcohol? and while im on the topic of cleaning: i've seen a lot of cups that have gone a golden color after a few years/months of use. how do i prevent that from happening? thanks in advance :)

About a week and a half or so before my last cycle I had to take penicillin for strep throat. What ended up happening is that the antibiotics gave me a yeast infection that started the same day as my period. I've been using my diva cup as usual and attempting to treat the infection at the same time but an absolutely horrid smell as latched onto the cup. I'm sure it's because of the infection but I can't get it to go away. I've soaked it in boiling water multiple times but the smell is as strong as ever.

Has anyone else ever had this problem? Did you get the smell to go away? I'd almost be willing to by a new cup even though I've had this one for only 9 months or so just to be free from it.

Any suggestions?

Hello everyone!  This is my first post, and I've really appreciated having this community to read about menstrual cups.  I'm in the middle of my first period using the Diva Cup, and I've had no problems specifically with it so far.  Its great!  Unfortunately, I've also been diagnosed with a particularly nasty and long lasting UTI, involving 5 strains of e. coli I've apparently been harboring in my bladder since February (long story.  well, medium length story).  I've seen the doctor and am on antibiotics, but I'm worried about any possibility of recontamination by using my cup during my next cycle.  I plan on boiling it (or at least pour boiling water on it) at the end of this cycle.  I was wondering if there was anything else I should or could do to kill off any remaining bacteria?  I realize I might be a little overly paranoid about this, but... this sucks!  I don't want to go through it again if I can possibly help it.  Thank you!

I have been reading many of the posts but I have not seen the answer to my question.  What kind of soap do you use to clean the cup after you remove it?  I have a diva cup and I was thinking of buying the diva wash.  I find it to be a little expensive and I would love to hear about less expensive alternatives.

Hello Everyone,
I just finished my first cycle with a divacup. When I insert it, my cervix is a little way inside the cup. Also, when I put it in, I am using the c-fold, and when it tries to open, it is flat, like the first part of the c. It was leaking a little after four hours, and I have moderate flow. Does riding at an amusement park affect the cup any? Finally, is it ok not to boil it? I live in a college dorm, and there is nowhere to do this. Thanks for your help.

Not sure if this is the most appropriate place to ask this, since it's not directly a question about the cup, but I figure many of the ladies here have experienced this, so if anyone can help me, it will be here!

So, I boiled my diva cup dry, I forgot about it there on the stove, and though I got very mad at myself, I'm ok with it now and have ordered a new one. But I don't know what to do about my saucepan! It's got melted blackened silicone all over the bottom, and it doesn't seem to scrape off easily when I scratch it with a fork. I tried soaking it in water but it hasn't made a difference, I guess that's not surprising. I don't want to throw the saucepan out because it's the one I always use for cooking, the perfect size for cooking noodles or whatever, and I don't have another one. So I'm wondering, what have other people done with their burnt, silicone covered saucepans? Could you get rid of the silicone or did you have to throw it out? I think I could prbably scrub it for a while with a scourer/steel wool but I'm hesitant because if I miss a tiny little bit that I can't see at the edge or something I don't know what the effects of that would be when I cook with it. Is there any chemical you can buy that would dissolve the silicone or something? I'm thinking probably not but it's worth a try.

Hi all :) I just got a Keeper and it doesn't say anywhere on the box or on the website if I'm supposed to boil or sterilize it first.

I guess tampons aren't sterile, so maybe this is a dumb question?

hi
i decided to try a dry run on my new diva cup. i folded it and put it in my vag-jay-jay. got it in fine but i never felt like it "popped" open. when i try to turn it didn't really turn and the bottom of the cup still felt indented. it felt like it was sealed around the rim, but i never felt like it was open all the way.
i did it twice and it was the same both times.
however, it doesn't feel to me like there is any room for it to pop open, if that makes sense. i do have a prolapsed bladder so i don't know if that is an issue.

second question....i boiled it and then thought...ok, how do i get it out of the sterile water without contaminating it again? where do i lay it down? etc? i am worried about santization because i had the mild TSS a couple of months ago and i want to make sure that i'm not inserting some bacteria into myself.

thanks

HELP!!

I just dropped my cup in the toilet. I fished it out, washed it off, gave it a thorough boiling, but is it okay? Am I gonna get horrible cooch diseases? I love my mooncup (even though I'm only on day 4 of using it), I hope it's okay.

Also, the stem was poking me so I chopped about 4 mm off it, and it no longer causes pain. However, it now seems to be trying to dig its way into the flesh at the side of the entrance to my vagina, it's not painful and I have no trouble removing it, do you guys think it'll be okay?

And a third thing, I seem to be bleeding a lot more than I'm used to for day 4 of my period, is it possible I've torn/damaged something that's cauing me to bleed? I'm gay, so technically a virgin in a lot of peoples eyes, but I have had some previous penetration and stretching of whaty remains of my hymen (which broke when I was 9). Any thoughts on this?

I'm so glad you guys are here, I feel like a total noob and idiot...

Hello, ladies! I just recieved my Diva on Friday, and I'm itching to test-drive it. Here is my dilemma:
I live in a college dorm, and do not have access to a stove or microwave or any other water-boiling device. (I think my neighbors have a microwave, but I don't know them well, and that sounds like the most awkward request ever - "Hi, I don't know you, but can I use your microwave to boil my menstrual cup?")
I know that the directions (and much of the info I can find on here) say to use gentle, non-scented soap. But to sterilize it for the first time to get all the shipping germs off, can I use an antibacterial soap like Dial? I looked all over the place on here, but didn't find any discussion on using antibacterials. Do I need to buy something else?
As I'm a poor college girl, I'd prefer to keep spending at a minimum. What's my best bet?

I have a DivaCup that I washed out with hot water and soap for my first cycle, but I haven't settled on a soap that I like to use. It would actually be more convenient for me to boil the cup once or twice a day and rinse it the rest of the time, since I don't have a soap I currently want to use, but I have a plastic electric kettle (dunno if that's the real term, but it boils water and is electric) in my room.

My concern is that my roommate and I currently use my kettle to make tea. Would there be any bad aftertaste in the kettle? Could it damage my cup? Or would this possibly work?

Thanks!

i have a Lunette [which i love!] and i boiled it for the first time today. i only left it in there for about 3 minutes because i was scared i would ruin it somehow [reading through previous posts i realized i have a small chance of doing so unless i accidentally let the water boil out]. i took it out and set it on a paper towel and let it dry. when i went to inspect it afterwards, i noticed that the surface of the cup was...rough. not smooth as it once was but more rough feeling. and it looked a bit discolored. is that supposed to happen? also, the cup also feels more stiff. it seems like if i were to bend it too much it would break. is there something wrong or am i just imagining things? haha

thanks in advance for any help!