How to Clean a Menstrual Disc
One of the most common concerns about switching to a menstrual disc or cup is how to keep it clean - to avoid germs & make sure it's actually safe to reuse over and over.
Daily routine to keep your disc clean
During your period, you should clean your disc with the Viv Cup & Disc Wash. This cleanser is formulated with 100% toxin-free and plant-based ingredients. It is safe to use on your cup, while ensuring you're not introducing any toxic chemicals or bacteria to your body.
Lather a drop of the gel cleanser with water on your disc, making sure you scrub the inside and outside. Then, just rinse completely with warm water, and it's ready to go!
Using a soap that's created specifically for menstrual discs or cups, like the Viv Cup & Disc Wash, is the safest way to keep your cup clean.
When to boil your disc
Boiling your disc will completely sterilize it. Before you use your disc for the first time (right when you take it out of its pacakging), you should sterilize it. In between your periods, sterilizing your disc ensures it does not harbor any bacteria, so it will be clean and ready to use when you get your next period.
To boil your disc, boil some water (enough to cover the entire disc) in a pot on the stove. You can reserve a certain pot for boiling your disc, but you don't have to. Your disc will be completely clean (no blood will be on it) when you put it in the pot, and the boiling water will kill off anything potentially harmful anyway. Leave the disc in the boiling water for 4-5 minutes, ensuring it doesn't get stuck to the bottom of the pot, and then take it out.
How to get to the sink to wash your disc
Most people don't have a sink directly next to their toilet to use for cleaning their disc during their period (if you do, lucky you!!). To clean your disc after you take it out, you can use a piece of toilet paper to catch any drips coming off the disc while you shuffle to the sink, clean your disc, and then shuffle back. Then you can flush the toilet paper with any drops of blood on it!
How to clean your disc in public
The Viv Disc lasts up to 12 hours. It holds as much as up to 6 tampons. Think about how often you have to change a tampon, and multiply it by 6. That's how long a disc will last (and sometimes even longer because it's capturing everything, not absorbing) So, it's very likely that you won't ever have to change your disc in public. You can put the disc in in the morning, go throughout your entire day, and you won't have to change it until you're back home at night.
If you are in the position where you have to change your disc in public, you can just remove it, dump it, and reinsert it right away. Make sure your hands are clean, and next time you take it out, be sure to cleanse it. Use toilet paper to wipe any blood off your hands, and make sure you wash your hands in the sink with soap and water afterwards as well.
While cleaning your disc with a cleanser every time you remove it is ideal, if you are in a pinch and absolutely can't access a sink in a public bathroom, it's okay to remove and reinsert right away.
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