How to remove blood stains from menstrual cup

Short answer: Blood stains things.

Longer answer: Even though we use top tier, high quality, stain resistant materials, most cup users will notice cup staining or discoloration at some point. IT'S COMPLETELY NORMAL. Since your Bloody Buddy is in constant contact with menstrual blood when it sits in your vagina, it's gonna be affected by the iron in your blood that causes staining.

How quickly it happens varies based on blood iron levels and how you're rinsing your cup (rinsing with cold water helps prevent stains vs hot water that sets stains in).

Pro tip! Want a super simple way to skip the stains? Our black cups will never, ever look discolored. 

But What Can I Do About Stains on My Bloody Buddy Cup??

Discoloration can't hurt you or change how your Bloody Buddy works but if you prefer using a cup that looks brand new, go ahead and give your cup some pampering every couple of months! Make it a little 1 part 3% hydrogen peroxide to 2 parts water soak and let it sit for a few hours.

Hydrogen peroxide (that isn't expired!) is great at removing blood stains because it reacts with an enzyme that breaks down many of things in blood that contributes to stains. SCIENCE IS COOL!

After you let it soak, give your cup a good rinse or pop it in a Bloody Buddy Cup Sterilizing Steamer Bag. Our steamer bags are a super easy, effective way to get your cup sterilized. We love them because they can be used up to 20 times, they store flat, and BONUS! steam kills bacteria better than boiling water. 

Finishing Up!

Every Bloody Buddy Cup comes with its own cozy storage bag so after your cup has air-dried, just tuck that squeaky clean little buddy into its bag until you're ready to use it again. 

If you’re reading this, you most likely just purchased your first menstrual cup, or you’re at least thinking about it, right? One of your main concerns might be, “how do I clean my cup? Is it safe to use it over and over again?” Don’t worry, menstrual cups can be a little confusing and there’s definitely a learning curve, but you’ll be a PRO in no time!

With proper care and a quick clean, your Lunette cup can be used over and over again – for several years!

First Use

First things first, wash your hands and clean the Lunette cup by washing it with water and a mild liquid soap free of coloring agents and perfumes. We recommend using our Feelbetter Cup Cleanser that smells like eucalyptus and is chemical free, making it completely safe for your vagina and pH levels.

After you’ve washed both your hands and cup, boil it (yes, like in a pot) in water for 20 minutes before first usage. Make sure that there is enough water so that the cup does not burn on the bottom and it can float!

Pro tip: place the cup in a wire whisk to prevent contact with the bottom of the pan during boiling.

For day-to-day Cleaning

As we mentioned above, we highly recommend using our Cup Cleanser that is designed for washing a silicone cup. However, if you don’t have access to our cleanser, make sure to use liquid soaps that are fragrance-free, oil-free, and have a mild to acidic pH level (between 3,5 and 5,5). Just be sure it doesn’t contain any oils – they can stick to the cup and create a film that could irritate the body. Also, do NOT use dish wash or detergent – and most definitely do not put your cup in the dishwasher!

We advise boiling your cup for 20 minutes between each menstrual cycle to keep it fresh and clean, but if you forgot or didn’t have time to boil it, you can sanitize the cup with our handy Cup Wipes, or wipe it down with rubbing alcohol. Once you get home, make sure to boil that cup for 20 minutes!

How to get rid of lingering odor

Yes, your cup might start to smell if you don’t take proper care of it. How do you prevent your cup from smelling? First off, know that just because it smells doesn’t mean it’s dirty! We ALL have different bodies, which also means different body odors ;). We can't emphasize this enough – boil your cup for 20 minutes every time BEFORE and AFTER every cycle, rather than 10 minutes.

You can also use rubbing alcohol and soak it for one hour, For a more natural route, soak your cup in a mixture of vinegar and water (50:50) for the same amount of time, and always remember to thoroughly rinse and then to boil your cup for 20 minutes after you soak it in any of the methods mentioned above to remove any residue!

The best way to get rid of stains

When you rinse your cup, remember to always use cold water to avoid staining it! If your cup is already stained, let it sit under the sun for a couple hours, or soak it in spirit vinegar or lemon juice and boil it for... you guessed it, 20 MINUTES!

Cleaning the air-holes

Fill the cup with water, place your palm on it, turn upside down and squeeze! When the water squirts out through the air-holes, they should be instantly cleaned!  You can also use a blunt toothpick soaked in rubbing alcohol, or a toothbrush dedicated to this purpose. Do not use sharp items such as needles or pins on your cup, they will do more damage than good!

The most important tip 

Always wash your hands and make sure your finger nails are clean and always boil your cup for 20 minutes before and after every cycle! If nothing else, remember that! 

Read more on our cleaning page! Or check out our full range of cup cleaning products.

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