Stained Menstrual Cup? Try These Solutions

Unless you use a pitch-black menstrual cup or disc, chances are good that your menstrual product is going to start showing stains after several cycles. Just how much staining depends on a lot of things, including your blood’s iron content, the color and texture of the menstrual cup or disc you use, and how long you wear it for each cycle.

There is nothing wrong with a stained menstrual cup–it’s normal. And stains don’t signal that you need to replace your cup or disc. The life span of reusable cups and discs will vary, but you can expect them to last five to 10 full years with proper care.

Even if they’re normal, stains are not exactly pretty, and the more stained your cup is, the less enthused you might be to insert it each cycle. 

Several brands say to rinse your cup or disc in cold water before washing with cup safe wash and warm water. I am not so sure this does anything truly noticeable, but it’s an easy thing to do just in case. When cleaning your cup, give it a thorough scrubbing and boil or use a steamer to sterilize it once every month.

If you really want to get out stains, though, here are some ways of treating them to get a stained menstrual cup back to its glory days.

Hydrogen Peroxide: The Miracle Worker

The most effective and popular stain-removal technique is doing a hydrogen peroxide soak. 

Before you do this, note that not all brands suggest peroxide–it’s a contested practice. Some brands warn that it can cause premature deterioration of the silicone that could shorten the life span of the product and potentially allow bacteria to gather.

Brands that don’t recommend peroxide:

• Diva
• Ruby Cup

Brands that recommend peroxide:

• Intimina
• Hello Period

I am personally comfortable with using peroxide on my products and have multiple times. It’s best to check with your brand’s guidelines and then decide for yourself if you can live with the stains or if you’d rather give your cup a bi-yearly or yearly soak.

Here’s how to use peroxide on a stained menstrual cup:

1. Place your product in up to 3% peroxide solution. Check the label and be sure the solution is 3% or less.
2. Soak it for two hours. 
3. Remove your cup or disc.
4. Rinse it thoroughly with clean water.
5. Boil to remove any residue. 

Scrubbing Stained Menstrual Cups

The texture of certain brands of cups and discs can affect how quickly a product stains. There is a way to fix this without using peroxide. Some of my most used and loved discs have become stained over the years, and one of my tricks for cleaning them is old-fashioned scrubbing.

I use a tightly-knit cloth. This means the weave is fine and there are no loops. Your everyday washcloths and microfiber cloths won’t work for this–think stiff linen napkins.

Scrub away the surface stains with your cloth. You can also use a toothbrush, especially around raised lettering and suction holes where surface stains tend to appear.

If the silicone remains lightly tinted, you can also perform the peroxide soak to remedy it if you choose.

Using Sunlight to Remove Menstrual Cup Stains

If you want to tackle stains and are wary of peroxide, try harnessing the power of sunlight. This process is more time-consuming than peroxide, but it is a more natural method. Just like your grandparents used sunlight to whiten clothes, you can use it for cups. It’s also a natural disinfectant.

Sunlight is only effective against set in yellowing/discoloration stains and it also could take many days in full sunlight to show any improvements. This is not a magic cure-all like peroxide. Sunlight will not remove surface stains so you will want to scrub those away and then use sunlight for stubborn yellowing/discoloration.

Let your cup or disc sit out in the sun all day. Keep in mind that anywhere the light can’t reach won’t be affected, so do this on a day when you can flip it around. 

Place it in an open container so it doesn’t blow away or fall onto the ground. You also want to place it somewhere it can’t get picked up by an animal. 

Function Over Beauty

Since most of us choose our cups and discs based on how they work for us and not just for their stain-hiding ability, it’s good to know there are a few options to address stains. Don’t forget to boil or sterilize your cup regularly. Or, you can choose to forgo all stain removal techniques and let your product earn its patina as a sign of its loyal service.