I just wanted to share something with everyone, and I hope it helps. Like many women here, I’ve been REALLY curious about gathering some facts on proper care of medical grade silicone. So I decided to turn to someone who works with this material regularly, but is NOT involved with manufacturing menstrual cups or profiting from their sales-- and ask them their professional opinion. I have forwarded the below letter to the head of a custom medical grade silicone molding company (they take custom moldings from hospitals for patients, and create artificial body parts of various kinds), and he sent me his reply.

( Here Are The Details )

I’ve been reading through past posts on here, just accumulating knowledge that will help me throughout the life of my cups.

One thing I’ve taken notice of is the things everyone is using to clean/de-stain their cups. I’ve seen vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, soap containing tea tree oil all mentioned, but the DivaCup website (http://www.divacup.com/en/home/faqs/) under the FAQ’s says: “Please do not use vinegar, bleach or hydrogen peroxide as these will damage the silicone. Follow the instructions in the FAQ ‘How do I clean The DivaCup?’.” And under the ‘How do I clean…’ section, it also says, “Do not use vinegar, tea tree oil, scented soap, antibacterial soap, hydrogen peroxide, bleach or harsh chemicals as these may damage the silicone and ruin the cup.”

The DivaCup website also suggests replacing the cup once a year.

I know these cups are made from medical grade silicone, the same type used to make artificial replacement heart valves. It wouldn’t fly if these valves needed replacing once a year. I realize that, as these cups are reusable, the company does have a vested interest in more people buying more products from them more often, but every other product that does give a lifespan for their cups is closer to 10 years, which I think is closer to the reality of the situation.

Do the cleaning products mentioned earlier actually compromise silicone of the cups? I don’t want to assume that the DivaCup company is saying not to use (what sound like on this community to be ) the best methods of stain removal in the hopes that people will decide to replace their cups when they become stained. But I don’t want to use anything that will damage my cup either.

Usually after my period I soak my diva cup overnight in a 50/50 water/peroxide mix and boil it. But, during my last period I managed to get a yeast infection, so I wanted to make sure to clean my cup really really well - I know yeast can be touch to kill.

So, this time around, I soaked it in a water with a few drop of tea tree oil overnight, then water-peroxide, and now I've just boiled it for about 10 minutes.

It still smells like tea tree oil. Does that mean there is still some on it? Does this normally happen when you wash your cup with tea tree oil? Is there another way to clean it?

Thanks!

How?

I rubbed it with rubbing alcohol... would that make it clean?

Also I bought tea tree oil yesterday but don't know how to use it with the cup?

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I've been using my Diva Cup for a few cycles now (I think it is 4 or 5, but I can't exactly remember!) and I've never had any problems. I've never had leaking or any insertion/removal problems. It's been amazing. I love my cup more than I ever though I could love a menstrual product. :)

However, this period has been a bit frustrating. It's more a problem with me than with my cup. I hadn't been able to clean it properly the first few days, and I also didn't have any lube available. I think this caused some sort of irritation in my vagina, and I'm a bit concerned. It's been sort of itchy and sore for the past few days. I properly cleaned it, and have been cleaning it each time I change it (2-3 times a day) and the itchiness has reduced greatly, but the soreness is still there. For reference, I use Cetaphil face cleanser to wash it. Anyway, I'm wondering if this soreness is abnormal. It feels almost as if I had rough sex and then got my period... which, didn't happen. It's getting better now that I'm back to using lube, but at the same time, it still hurts. Will it go away when I stop using the cup? I'll be done with my period in a day or so, so I can endure it until then if that's all it is. Has anyone else had soreness like this?

My second question is: I've noticed a bit of a funky smell on my cup... It sort of smells like a moldy towel. It's very faint. I boil it in diluted hydrogen peroxide at the end of my period. I was thinking of using tea tree oil instead (I'm nearly out of hydrogen peroxide), in hopes that this would get rid of the funky smell. Has anyone else had a stinky cup? Did you use anything to get rid of the stink? Also... if you've used tea tree oil, how much did you use? I read to use one or two drops in water, but in how much water? How long do you soak it for?

Thanks for your help!

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, 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 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 :)

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

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!

Hey everyone,

I've looked through the memories pretty well, and I've found some solutions, but I'd really like to just have all of them (and maybe some new ones) in the one post, concerning my exact issue.

Well my DivaCup started discolouring at the end of my first period (just finished my fifth). It's gone a bit yellow, and it's only really noticable when you put it against white light. I'm not terribly concerned with this, because if I was I would have done something about it by now, but I thought I'd try and un-discolour it now if possible. I jsut like it looking nice and white/clear.

My main issue. Well before my last period I wore the cup a few days before it because i thought it was coming then and not later. I wore it while on a school camp (winter festival), just an overnight thing. I didn't haev my period at the time. However due to that I kinda left it in for a bit more then 24 hours, an when I finally took it out and had a whiff it stank. I've heard of people talking about smell after leaving it in for 24 hours, so I thought there may be solutions for that hear. The only memoried thread about smell only really has to do with not washing it properly I think. I think I wash mine properly, I just left it in a bit longer then I should have.

I just rinse it under hot water basically. I havn't boiled it, or soaked it in vinegar/sterilizing solution/tea tree oil/baking sode etc..
What solution do you think would be best to get rid of this smell (which seems to have lessend after this period) and the discolouration at the same time. I'd prefer soaking it in a bakingsoda and water, vinegar (sp?) and water, or tea tree oil and water solution. What do you think abotu mixing two or all three?
Which solutions have worked best for eliminating or lessening 1) discolouration and 2)smell due to leaving the cup in too long?

Thanx

Hi all --
I am new here. Been reading a lot of the older messages and learning about these cups as they are new to me. I try not to be on the computer much so probably won't be posting much here.

Now, on to my question!
I was just planning to heat up some water real warm with a few drops of tea tree oil to clean my keeper. One of my animals was sick, and I forgot about my keeper. It wasn't boiling more than about 3-5 minutes, and appears to be ok other than some discoloration of the rubber, like lighter blotches (I know, I know, not supposed to boil). But now it has a tacky feel to it, I think more than it did before (I've only used it for two cycles now). Enough so that when you press the sides together it sticks. Only for a second then it pops right back, but still . . . Anyone ever have this happen? Will it be ok or does it need to be replaced? I was thinking of getting a diva cup anyway as they are slightly smaller than the keepers, but money is of course an issue right now.

Thanks in advance for your advice/ help!
Bryndis

I have been told tea tree oil is not a good thing to use with/in/on a silicone menstrual cup. Can someone enlighten me, I have used it in the past without any problems, but what will/could it do to my cup?

How do you girls disinfect your keeper? I have used vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in addition to the washing/scrubbing of it, soaking it in water/vinegar or water/Hydrogen Peroxide mixtures for a night... but I was wondering if anyone has used tea tree oil? i read somewhere about it, but i can't remember where.

any advice? I mean I know we aren't supposed to use any sort of petrolium or anything on it because it would erode the rubber.... but i was wondering if the oil that the tea tree extract would erode it too? is it just petrolium products that erode rubber or do other oils as well?

If not, then how do you use it? I know you can't put it in water and then put the keeper in because it wouldn't affect it since oil and water dont mix...

If any of you have any experience with disinfecting the keeper with tea tree oil or know how to from reading it anywhere please leave me a comment because i'd like to know.