dancer67 Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 For those who use one, it says to wash with a "mild soap". Okay. Not sure what that means exactly other then Dove or Ivory maybe? But I bought liquid feminine wash. Is that okay?(I did not get the Divawash). And any opinions on whether or not you like it or not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindyD Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 For those who use one, it says to wash with a "mild soap". Okay. Not sure what that means exactly other then Dove or Ivory maybe? But I bought liquid feminine wash. Is that okay?(I did not get the Divawash). And any opinions on whether or not you like it or not? :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlaura Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 IIRC, the instructions said no fragrance. And maybe not moisturizing? So I used my homemade no added ingredient soap. If I'm wrong about the moisturizing part, unscented dove or ivory might be ok. Not sure about the feminine wash. I really like mine. I turn it inside out, which is a tip I read on another forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mothergooseof4 Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 I just use whatever hand soap is in the bathroom. I have had my diva cup for about 3 years and this has worked with no damage. I also have a Keeper. I did the same with it for about 5 years with no damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted May 12, 2011 Author Share Posted May 12, 2011 Well, I assumed it was made for "personal" purpose, it should be okay. It is hypo-allergenic and fragrance free. But I wasn't sure. Glad to hear that you like it. I have not tried mine "officially" yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 I just use the Dr Bonners we keep in the bathroom for washing hands. It is unscented. I use a Keeper. I had to replace it recently after using my old one for 10 years. I like it a whole lot (obviously). It does have a learning curve. If I had to guess, I would say maybe three cycles or so to really get in the groove with it. Expect the first couple times you use it to feel like a disaster. I am not saying it will be, just expect it. I have collected some very, very funny stories from friends from the first or second month of keeper/diva cup use. Oh, and don't go all Diva the first couple months. Use it for a couple hours the first time. Give it a couple months before you start using it all the time. FTR, that is where the funny stories came from. Friends deciding to switch over totally to a different method and having it just not work like that. Cut yourself some slack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 I tend to boil it in water in a cup that I only use for it. I don't use soap usually, but if I do it is just whatever I have. I have had it for maybe 4 years now and won't ever go back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hscherger Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I just use whatever hand soap is in the bathroom. I have had my diva cup for about 3 years and this has worked with no damage. Same here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I wash with whatever's in the bathroom as well, usually Dr. Bronner's here (peppermint or lavender). And I LOVE mine. I've been using it for about 6 years now, I think, and will never give it up. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoyfulMama Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I went looking for a Diva Cup or similar last month, and didn't find one in whatever store I was in. Am I better off ordering it online? Or was I just maybe in the wrong store? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I went looking for a Diva Cup or similar last month, and didn't find one in whatever store I was in. Am I better off ordering it online? Or was I just maybe in the wrong store? I went to several stores with no luck. I did order mine online. SO GLAD to have it!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiseOwlKnits Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I've used mine for about 4 years. I just use whatever soap is in the bathroom. Dial, Ivory, etc. It works great and I could never go back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gailmegan Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 6 years for me. Most of the time I'm lazy and just dump it, wipe it with TP and reuse. Sometimes I rinse it. sometimes I use hand soap. But I do boil it once a month. I've never had problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I wash with whatever's in the bathroom as well, usually Dr. Bronner's here (peppermint or lavender). And I LOVE mine. I've been using it for about 6 years now, I think, and will never give it up. Good luck! :iagree: I also soak it in a hydrogen peroxide solution, when it needs it, despite the Diva peeps admonishment that it will will ruin the integrity of the silicone. I've had no problems and I've had it for about 5 years :001_wub:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kim.4dogs Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I went to several stores with no luck. I did order mine online. SO GLAD to have it!!! I ordered mine online, but I have seen them at a small natural food store I go to since then. I *think* Whole Foods carried them, but I'm not sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisamarie Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I use my cetaphil body wash that's super mild. I used to use the actual diva wash but I didn't think it made much of a difference. So if you boil it, do you just put it in a pan on the stove like you would baby bottle nipples? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_JWM Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Just another post to say I LOVE THE DIVA!!! I talk it up to almost anyone who may be in need! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 (edited) Another Diva lover here. Like others, I just use whatever hand soap is in the bathroom (I only wash it with soap at the end of my cycle; when I empty it I just rinse it -- or not). Edited May 13, 2011 by milovaný Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted May 13, 2011 Author Share Posted May 13, 2011 Okay. Well, I guess the feminie wash shouldn't be a problem.??? I am taking it for a "trial run":lol: in a few days. I won't use it the whole time, it is going to be a big change. I have heard so many positive stories, and hate tampons and sick of pads.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arghmatey Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Hand soap for my Diva! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
April Walker Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I think I know, and it sounds like a great idea, but . . . how does it work? How do you remove and "dump" it? Wouldn't you spill blood all over your hands (like in Carrie)? Sounds messier than tampons. Am I not understanding? Maybe I should google it. . . April in TX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Once Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I read somewhere that a mild vinegar solution was acceptable as well. That is what I have been using for a few months. I am new to this as well and I do not know how my cup will hold up over time. Just wanted to add a big thanks to everyone that has posted so honestly about MCs in the past. I would never have heard about them otherwise and I am already sold on mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I liked my Diva. I used it for 2 or 3 years, and then had a hysterectomy. My Diva will spend the rest of its life unused. :( that said, I never really got the hang of it. Some days it would work perfectly, the next day, it didn't matter how hard I tried, it would not work. Basically, it worked one day for each cycle. But it was so great on that one day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gailmegan Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I use my cetaphil body wash that's super mild. I used to use the actual diva wash but I didn't think it made much of a difference. So if you boil it, do you just put it in a pan on the stove like you would baby bottle nipples? Yep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I think I know, and it sounds like a great idea, but . . . how does it work? How do you remove and "dump" it? Wouldn't you spill blood all over your hands (like in Carrie)? Sounds messier than tampons. Am I not understanding? Maybe I should google it. . . April in TX Do you spill water all over your hands when you dump out a cup of water? Well, maybe you do, I don't really know. But, I haven't ever got any blood on me. You sit down on the toilet, just pull it down, sort of grab the bottom and pull and dump. It's easy peasy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Do you spill water all over your hands when you dump out a cup of water? Well, maybe you do, I don't really know. But, I haven't ever got any blood on me. You sit down on the toilet, just pull it down, sort of grab the bottom and pull and dump. It's easy peasy. And it's no messier than a tampon! A little blood, maybe, on your finger when you insert, just like a tampon. Plus, I didn't like rolling tampons up in toilet paper and having to dispose of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I went looking for a Diva Cup or similar last month, and didn't find one in whatever store I was in. Am I better off ordering it online? Or was I just maybe in the wrong store? Found mine cheap on ebay.:001_smile: I ended up switching from the Diva to the Keeper, which is more comfortable for me personally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfamilygal Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I just use the Dr Bonners we keep in the bathroom for washing hands. It is unscented. I use a Keeper. I had to replace it recently after using my old one for 10 years. I like it a whole lot (obviously). It does have a learning curve. If I had to guess, I would say maybe three cycles or so to really get in the groove with it. Expect the first couple times you use it to feel like a disaster. I am not saying it will be, just expect it. I have collected some very, very funny stories from friends from the first or second month of keeper/diva cup use. Oh, and don't go all Diva the first couple months. Use it for a couple hours the first time. Give it a couple months before you start using it all the time. FTR, that is where the funny stories came from. Friends deciding to switch over totally to a different method and having it just not work like that. Cut yourself some slack. Like when you go to change it at the water park and your hands are all wrinkly from swimming, so you drop the full cup and it bounces into the next stall, splattering everywhere? Not that that happened to me or anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roxanne23 Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 (edited) . Edited January 4, 2023 by roxanne23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I think I know, and it sounds like a great idea, but . . . how does it work? How do you remove and "dump" it? Wouldn't you spill blood all over your hands (like in Carrie)? Sounds messier than tampons. Am I not understanding? Maybe I should google it. . . April in TX For me, it is a bit messier than tampons. But you're gonna wash your hands anyway, right? No biggie. Wipe them with toilet paper until you can get out to the sink. However, if you use a Diva, Moon, Keeper, etc you will never again be stuck in a public bathroom in horror that you don't have another tampon and are instead stuffing a lot of toilet paper in your pants and hoping you make it through your lunch date.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Like when you go to change it at the water park and your hands are all wrinkly from swimming, so you drop the full cup and it bounces into the next stall, splattering everywhere? Not that that happened to me or anything. Gonna have to add that one to my collection. I do have to say that is the most 'family friendly' story of the lot. Most involve explicit language, gnashing of teeth and rending of garments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Like when you go to change it at the water park and your hands are all wrinkly from swimming, so you drop the full cup and it bounces into the next stall, splattering everywhere? Not that that happened to me or anything. :blink: and :blush: and :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HLDoll Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 For most of my cycle, I only need to empty once a day and I do that in the shower and just wash it out with whatever soap is in there. During the one heavy flow day where I might need to empty more often, I just rinse it with water in the sink. In between cycles, I throw it in the dishwasher in one of those little baskets for bottle nipples. I've had mine for almsot 6 years now and no problems. I will never go back to tampons. Ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted May 13, 2011 Author Share Posted May 13, 2011 Okay, maybe a TMI question. But, is the stem supposed to "hang out" a little, or is it supposed to be "all the way up". :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waa510 Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 (edited) I've used any hand soap I've had on hand and have had no issues. I've had the same cup for almost 3 years now. I also boil it every month after my cycle is over with no damage. It has been a huge money saver, on top of shortening my cycles and the pain I used to deal with during them. LOVE it and wish I'd found it back in high school! :D ETA: I bought mine online from the Diva website but I've seen them at local health food stores and our Whole Foods. Edited May 13, 2011 by waa510 i'm absent-minded Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Okay, maybe a TMI question. But, is the stem supposed to "hang out" a little, or is it supposed to be "all the way up".:001_huh: I cut mine off b/c it stuck into me uncomfortably. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I cut mine off b/c it stuck into me uncomfortably. :D That. I cut that sucker off after about 5 mins and never regretted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gailmegan Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Okay, maybe a TMI question. But, is the stem supposed to "hang out" a little, or is it supposed to be "all the way up".:001_huh: This really depends on the person. We are all shaped differently, so I find that it takes the first few months to figure out how far in and what angle of insertion works best for you. I put mine in very differently from what the instructions say and it took me a while to realize it was okay to do it differently, as long as it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 This really depends on the person. We are all shaped differently, so I find that it takes the first few months to figure out how far in and what angle of insertion works best for you. I put mine in very differently from what the instructions say and it took me a while to realize it was okay to do it differently, as long as it works. :iagree: I didn't cut the tail off but it feels just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I don't know how many years I've had mine. I'd say 5 or more. I use whatever soap is at hand. I've used shampoo in the shower once or twice. I've never boiled it or suck it in the dishwasher. I cut the end off a little at a time and it is now maybe 1/4" long. I bought mine on-line. I've never seen them in person, even at Whole Foods. I do keep tampons in my purse for those just in case moments, but my girls use them way more than I do. For some reason this last year, I can't wear it anymore when I run. It's like I can't get it in right all the sudden. It hurts and doesn't seem to hold anything. Weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn in OH Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 (edited) I went looking for a Diva Cup or similar last month, and didn't find one in whatever store I was in. Am I better off ordering it online? Or was I just maybe in the wrong store? I couldn't find a store anywhere near me that carried them. I ordered mine online. I had to cut the tip of mine off. It was STABBING me horribly. I wash mine with a baby wash. Our hand soap was scented with moisturizer and umm, that didn't agree with me. I also boil it each month when I'm done. Edited May 13, 2011 by Dawn in OH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gailmegan Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I also boil it each month when I'm done. I do the opposite. As soon as AF begins I boil the sucker to be sure it's completely clean. And then I just keep it in (aside from the dump and rinse/wash) until I'm done. I wash it and store it until next month, when it gets a good boiling again. Maybe I'm just overly ridiculous about wanting to know it's CLEAN when it goes in. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Okay, maybe a TMI question. But, is the stem supposed to "hang out" a little, or is it supposed to be "all the way up".:001_huh: You can cut the stem completely off without any issues if you need to. You really shouldn't pull on it anyway--break the suction by pressing the side in, NOT by pulling down! Also (since we're being frank in the interest of helpfulness!), I find that on lighter days, I have a harder time getting it to pop open once in, which might explain why a PP finds that hers only really works on that one day. I've heard people say that additional lube around the edge cane be necessary, and I've heard recommendations from water to KY to coconut oil. And if you look carefully, you'll see four tiny holes just underneath the lip of the top edge--if you have trouble getting it to pop open, make sure those holes are clean. If they're...um...gunked up, it can give you trouble. I do the opposite. As soon as AF begins I boil the sucker to be sure it's completely clean. And then I just keep it in (aside from the dump and rinse/wash) until I'm done. I wash it and store it until next month, when it gets a good boiling again. Maybe I'm just overly ridiculous about wanting to know it's CLEAN when it goes in. :tongue_smilie: I do this too. I definitely want it as sterile as possible going in! I've been boiling it for 6 years now, and it still works fine :D Someone asked above about mess--yes, I do find it messy, but my flow tends to be pretty heavy. However, I don't find it any messier than tampons or pads (both of which are pretty messy for me anyway), and I find it way easier to use. I don't love emptying in public bathrooms, so I try to make sure I go to the bathroom right before leaving the house and as soon as I get home, but I have emptied in public and everything was fine. I just wiped as much as could in the stall, opened the door with my left hand, and washed when I got out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn in OH Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I do the opposite. As soon as AF begins I boil the sucker to be sure it's completely clean. And then I just keep it in (aside from the dump and rinse/wash) until I'm done. I wash it and store it until next month, when it gets a good boiling again. Maybe I'm just overly ridiculous about wanting to know it's CLEAN when it goes in. :tongue_smilie: That's a good idea, and I would do that, except for the fact that I am often "caught by surprise". My cycles have been a bit wonky this past year. I at least know that it got put away, in it's cute little bag, clean. I have a funny story about that bag. I keep it in the medicine cabinet for when I need it, as our linen closet is outside the bathroom. About two years ago, on Easter, one of the kids went to brush their teeth. The child emerged from the bathroom with the pretty flowered Diva Cup bag in hand exclaiming, "The Easter Bunny left us a present in the bathroom!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virg Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I am really interested in these! I looked at the two online (Keeper/Moon Cup and the Diva) and noticed that only the keeper says anything about breaking the suction. Do the two work the same way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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