I've done a search through my cupboards for anything looking like hydrogen peroxide but all I cam up with was bleach, and that doesn't have anything written on it saying what was in it. I also found a powder bleach that said it doesn't contain chlorine bleach. I live in Australia so it it possible this stuff is hydrogen peroxide? I just don't want to soak my cup in (diluted) anything without knowing if its safe for the silicone and for me. Is that absolutely the only thing I can use to get stains out of my cup?

I have had my Diva cup for about a year now, and I LOVE IT! To clean it, I usually boil it, or use a hydrogen peroxide/water soak. I have just now noticed tiny brown specks around the bottom rim of the cup, and lower edge of the rim, if that makes sense. I have tried boiling and scrubbing them off, but they don't come off. Any suggestions of what to do?

Hi everyone,

   I'm asking this question for a friend. She said that her cup had turned "blood red", and she wanted to know if this is normal, or if there is anything she can do about it.


Additionally, I'm running an alternative menstrual products workshop at my college, with cups and cloth pads as the stars of the show. Do you have any suggestions, or information sources that could be helpful? Also, if you can remember back to when you were just beginning, what did you need/want to know before switching from disposables?

Thanks so much!

I was wondering if it would be safe to bleach my cup with NapiSan? The active ingredient is Sodium Percarbonate? (I use it at the moment to bleach my baby's nappies before washing them.) I would still sterilize the cup after - I just want to get the colour out, preferably without buying yet another cleaning product. I will get hydrogen peroxide as well if I have to, but was hoping to avoid it.

Separate question:

Would it be too weird to put the cup in the same sterilizer as the baby bottles? I mean, clean silicone is clean silicone - this is just the sterilizing bit after the bleaching and washing. They both came out of my body, after all, but I think my husband would be freaked out by it. OTOH, what he doesn't know what won't hurt him since he doesn't wash or sterilize the baby's bottles - but that's a whole 'nother issue!

Any opinions?

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.

Menstrual cup love is... feeling slightly smug as one of your friends rushes frantically around a foreign city in the middle of the night trying to find an open shop where she can buy tampons because her period has come unexpectedly early and she only has one tampon in her bag.

I do feel a bit mean about that. On the other hand, it's coming up for 1 year 6 months since I first starting using a Mooncup (uk) and I can't imagine ever going back to tampons. Eck.

Now to the question. My year-and-a-half old cup is totally grungy looking. I put it in sterilising solution last night for about 20-30 mins and then spent a further 15 mins scrubbing it with an old toothbrush to try and get it looking a bit nicer. The problem is the lettering, which is still absolutely disgusting.

Is there something stronger I can use on my cup to get it clean? I've read that some of you guys use a Hydrogen Peroxide solution... is it possible to buy it in the UK because I've never seen it here.

Thanks.

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?

so i read a lot of posts about cleaning solutions for the diva cup, and there seems to be a bit of controversy. from what i gathered,

- boiling is not recommended by the diva cup company; a lot of people do it, though it's not absolutely necessary.*
- hydrogen peroxide is effective for getting rid of stains and smells, but will it harm the silicone?
- rubbing alcohol won't harm the silicone, but does it get rid of stains and smells?

i'm living in a college dorm, so i'd rather not boil it if i have to. hydrogen peroxide vs isopropyl alcohol? is there better 'cure-all' solution for this thing?

thanks in advance!

*edit: apparently, boiling is recommended by the diva cup company. o.O one of the posts i read mentioned that it wasn't.

hey everyone. i've been using a divacup for the past 5 months but just recently found this community. i'm so glad i finally have someone to talk to about my cup problems. anyway.. i have a question for you guys (i will probably come up with more later, but for now i only have 1 :P) how do you keep you cup from turning a goldish color? i clean my cup regularly (boiling it) but its starting to turn brown/gold and i would like it to be back to how it was when i recieved it. is there any solution or something i could rub or soak it in to make it look new again? thanks in advance

Oookay... it's been a long time since I've posted here (or even visited, really). This is primarily due to the fact that my period, being the strange beastie that it is, has been somewhat absent since my first run-through with the Diva. Well, okay, not entirely, but it's not caused me major problems. Getting the cup out is now pretty routine for me; I still do get bloody fingers many times, but I haven't been having nearly so many issues with being unable to get it into a grabable position. Insertion ease depends on the day... sometimes I just CANNOT relax, but I generally succeed in the end. My major triumph this go-round has been to somehow magically succeed in getting my index finger up my vagina when my cup's in. This was previously impossible, and I don't know how I've managed it, but I have. This makes checking/releasing the seal easier. Also, thanks to babyslime, I've found my cervix and can make sure the cup is properly positioned around it.

All of that was basically just an update, in case, for some reason, anyone remembered me and cared. Now, the problem...

The stem of my Diva (which has been trimmed to the first little ridge) has inexplicably picked up brown stains, which seem to be getting worse with time. I've never noticed them before this cycle. They won't go away with scrubbing, scraping, or soap, as far as I can tell. I've noticed that there seems to be a fair amount of watery brown mucous in my vagina, too, so I'm guessing that's the source of the stains, but I'm at a loss for why it won't come off my cup. Thoughts, anyone?

~Monkeyscience, sorry if she grossed you out

So, a while back, I was feeling particularly in love with my diva cup (size 1, smaller), and I took a bunch of glamour shots of it.  I wanted to share them with you.  The cup has been used for at least two years now, and it's acquired a nice golden hue. 

Hope you enjoyed!

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.

When I'm done with my cycle, I'll remove my cup & give it one last, good rinse (usually in the shower), but it is almost always slightly discolored. I've found an absolutely fool-prrof way to get rid of any stains: I fill my small-size Diva about half way with hydrogen peroxide, spill it into a glass, and fill the rest of the glass up with hot water. I usually just leave the glass on my bookshelf for a few days (I know it doesn't need quite that long, but it won't hurt it & I'm lazy), and it'll emerge looking just as it did when it arrived in the mail.

My question, though, is this: On some days, the cup will be sitting at the bottom of the glass. Otherdays it'll be floating at the top. Does anyone else soak their cup for a few days? Does your cup sink, float, or varying stages of both? Just for curiosity's sake...

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've had my Mooncup for almost five years, and I think it might be time for a new one. I used to be able to rinse it clean and just use my nails around the lettering, but now stuff sticks to the smooth bits and I have to scrape it off. I think it's been like since soon after I switched from boiling to sterilising solution. I probably underdilute it since I use a very small container and can't be bothered to measure. Has anyone else experienced this? If I've mistreated my cup, I don't want to do it to a new one.

I just ordered my Diva Cup. I should have it in a few weeks. I'm not really worried about when I get it. The thing is, I don't know anyone who uses one (I'm the guinea pig!) and I have a few questions.

What do you do when you're in public? How do you clean it? Do you carry wipes with you or anything like that?

How do you clean it? Do you just use water or do you use soap and water?

Do you have to boil it or anything at the end of your period?

Sorry if my questions sound dumb...

Hello, this is my first post here :)

So, I am thinking about getting a Mooncup or a Lunette. But I still have some issues. I have looked around here, but did not find all the answers. First of all, I have never had sex, so I am a little concerned I would be able to use a cup. But I guess I would get used to it.

But really there are two things that kind of worry me:

-is it ok to not boil the cup? To make a long story short, I would like to boil it, but I wont be able to. So, I have read that some of you do not do that. But, I do not want to use strong chemicals either, because that would be irritating. Do you think that it is safe to just give it a really good wash? I do not want to risk any infections or something like that.

-another thing is that I have read that some of you ladies experienced heavier periods, bad cramps and your period being longer than usual while using a cup. Does that happen a lot?

Thank you :)

Hi everyone,
I am about an 8 month user of the Keeper (and recently Mooncup UK). Ever since I've been using the Keeper the bottom of the stem has become dark and puffed out. At first I thought I was just stretching the rubber when I pulled on the stem so it was doing that, or something. But then I got a Mooncup UK and after the FIRST USE there are signs of a little black discoloration on the bottom of the stem.

Am I some freak of nature? Does my hymen squirt darkening dyes? Is this some kind of fungus I shouldn't have in my vagina right now? Am I the only onen with this problem??

I guess I'm wondering now if that would have killed the bacteria and done the trick. Should I re-sterilize and wash the bag? What have you ladies done to sterilize if you've used your cup during an infection?

What i'm really pissed about is now it's period time and I really want to use my cup because I've been using pads for my infection and I'm all raw. (I HATE PADS!) However, vaginal infections + my diva = bad idea. GRRR.

x posted

I had read about soaking a discolored cup in a solution of 1/2 hydrogen peroxide + 1/2 water for several hours..... I tried it and it works!!!   The cups look new again!  (note that I tried this on several of my silicone cups,  (Lunette, Mooncup UK, and Moon Cup by Keeper)  I have NOT tried this on my DivaCup or regular Keeper.

:)


If anyone else has tried this method with success  (or unfortunate failure)  Please let everyone know!!!
I am especially interested in finding out if anyone has tried this with a Keeper

hello people!

i just joined, i ordered my mooncup yesterday and im very excited :-)

one question- is there an alternative way of cleaning to boiling?
i live with 3 guys, (no girls, and no relation) so they wont want to know about my period, at all! Boiling in a saucepan would just be abhorrent to them, not to mention one is a vegetarian and gets icky about meat on plates :-)

i read online somewhere about a woman who uses a denture bath and sterilising tablets, any ideas on this?
or is just putting it in a cup of boiled water good enough?

Hi gals. I'm going into my third period with my Divacup and am having a bit of a problem with the cleaning. I have extremely sensitive skin and also have sensitive girl bits, I have never been able to take baths or use bubble bath, I'm allergic to most pads and creams/lubricants and am even allergic to my boyfriends semen. Hilarious yes, but painful too! My first month left me a little irritated and my second month left me in pain, so I went to visit my doctor. I'm her first patient who uses a menstrual cup! She was pretty excited about that. :) Turns out that I don't have any infection, but my insides are being irritated by the soap I'm using to clean my cup. I was using a plain ivory bar soap and rinsing for a few minutes in hot water. I'm wondering if there is a way to clean my cup without soap? Would it be possible to rinse it in hot water, then boil it to sterilize it and reinsert it without using soap? It would be a bit of a hassle but still worth it to use the cup. Or does anyone know of a very mild soap - or a hypoallergenic (no additive) vegan type soap that I could look into? My vagina appreciates the help!

Hi.

Last month, the blue pouch that came with the cup got wet (with the cup inside) and I didn't notice till some hours later. When I took out the
cup... it was partly blue! I'm worried about using it now. Also, the place where the bag was on is stained and it doesn't go away with anything. So, I wonder if that kind of dye is the best for a pouch that keeps Lunette.

I've written to Lunette to told them and ask them if there is some guarantee for this kind of problem (I guess there isn't). I've gotten a reply, but it is in Finnish! Maybe is just an automatic-reply. Anyway, I post it here, just in case any of you knows Finnish and can translate it:

"Kiitos viestistdsi!
Muutamme uusiin toimitiloihin joulukuun aikana, jolloin sdhkvpostiliikenteessdmme saattaa
tulla viivdstyksid. Otamme yhteyttd mahdollisimman pian! Kiireellisissd asioissa kannattaa
soittaa p. 050-3554064."

After lurking for months looking for some hints, I finally broke down and bought yet another cup.

I started several years ago with the smaller Keeper which worked perfect with no leaks for about six months before it started leaking. It was recommended that I try a bigger cup as I was getting close to my 30th b-day. I guess all those Kegels weren't helping as much as I thought!

I switched to the Diva in the larger size as I really liked the idea of being able to boil it. At first I had no problems, unless I wasn't careful. I was one of the lucky who only needed to clean it every 12 hrs as my flow wasn't very heavy. Then I had an IUD inserted which increased the flow on my heavy days. Now I always leak on my day 2-3 heavy days (full or not) and occasionally on other days. I had the Diva for over 3 years and even with the boiling and cleaning with alcohol/hydrogen peroxide I have noticed these tiny little light brown bumps on the outside of my cup that only come off when I scrape them off with my nails and some places (ridges) they still won't come off!

The combination of leaking, tiny bumps & reading other users raving about no leaks from Mooncup finally got me to go ahead and buy one. I'll let you know how successful that is when I finally get to use it. I figured a back up cup is a good idea, even if it leaks as well. I think over-filling on heavy days will be a problem for me as I fill a Diva in about 2 hours and the Mooncup is a bit smaller.

After all that (I know I babble)I have few questions for you wonderful ladies:

Has anyone else out there ever had these tiny bumps on the outside of their cup? It grossed me out to think of these growths multiplying while the cup was inserted. If so, were you able to get rid of them? How?

I got a new divacup about 4 months ago while travelling, having left mine at home. I've noticed that the new one resists stains much better than my old one, which is about 3 years old. The old divacup stained pretty much right away, despite boiling and scrubbing and other attempts. The new divacup goes right back to its original colour when washed or boiled.

Anyone else noticed this with the newer divacups?