Menstrual Cup Stains
Why cleaning is so important
Have you ever watched a bright and beautiful new menstrual cup turn dingy looking and stained?
This happens to silicone and TPE menstrual cups alike.
Removing stains can be aggravating, if not impossible!
Sometimes deposits look like stains but are actually just debris left behind.
To remove debris some manual rubbing may be in order. Use a small amount of cup cleanser of your choice and cold water.
If you have hard to reach places like airholes, you may need to use a little tool.
Meluna menstrual cups for example come standard with a little cleaning brush included in the box.
We carry the Meluna brushes on our store as well.
You can also purchase small brushes used for dentures at the pharmacy locally.
Cleaning your menstrual cup BEFORE disinfecting it is so important. This is specifically true for any kind of disinfection method using heat.
Heat sets the stain
We use cold water to clean the cup first to be sure all blood had been cleaned off before we expose the cup to heat.
Your blood contains hemoglobin. It can act like a colorant on your cup over time, but especially under the influence of heat.
Just by keeping this in mind, you should be able to avoid heavy staining of your menstrual cup and be able to keep it looking bright and beautiful for years!
How to fix menstrual cup stains?
If you're reading this blog post, you're likely here because it already happened.
Your menstrual cup has a stain!
In some cases once developed stains can be permanent.
We found the best way to address this is with hydrogen peroxide. Simply submerge the cup for 5 -10 minutes in hydrogen peroxide.
Please use the regular strength 3% version you can find at the pharmacy, not the more powerful solution.
For your convenience we offer a Stain Removal Kit here:
For milder stains Milton tabs can also offer some stain removal benefits.
Check out the Milton Tab Combo here:
Do not use regular bleach.
Only hydrogen peroxide is safe and effective on menstrual cups.
We also do not recommend putting menstrual cups in the dishwasher as the detergents in there can be harsh for the cup as well as your vaginal mucosal layer.