Column · Cups, Discs & Care
Edition 1
September 2026
The Reading Room
Free to read
Canada
Free to read · Canada
Edition 1 · Published by Periodica ·
The Reading Room · Edition 1 ·
Period School
Cleaning a cup or disc, between uses and between periods
At a glance
Who it’s for: Anyone with a reusable cup or disc who wants to set their box beside other makers’ instructions.
Reading time: About 9 min
On this page:
- The short answer
- Between uses, at home
- Between uses, away from water
- Between periods
- Stains and smells
- Storing
- When to replace, and at the end
- What Canadian rules say
- Checking a cup or disc, and where to ask
- What this is not
In three points:
- Makers of cups and discs agree on washing between uses. They differ on when to boil and for how long, on soaps, and on when to replace.
- In Canada, cups and discs are medical devices, and the instructions in your cup or disc box are part of what the label rules require.
- The instructions that came with your own cup or disc are the ones to follow.
Makers of cups and discs agree on washing between uses. They differ on when to boil and for how long, on soaps, and on when to replace. Here is each maker’s instruction, with its source, and the Canadian rule behind the label.
General information, not medical advice. For anything about your own health, talk to a healthcare provider. Where to get help
- Formats, explainedMenstrual discs, explained
- Wait. What? · When to replaceFrom once a year to ten years
- Between periodsWhen and how long to boil
Editor’s Note
Dear reader,
Cleaning a cup or disc sounds like one instruction. When I set the makers’ guides side by side, I found several. They agree on washing between uses. They differ on when to boil and for how long, on soaps, on lemon juice and on when to let a cup go. This Column shows each instruction with its source and picks none. The guide in your own box has the last word. Tell the Editor what yours says.
— The Editor
The short answer
Between uses, makers say to rinse or wash the cup or disc. On boiling, they differ: some say before first use, some between periods, one about once a month. A Canadian federal guide says cups need “sterilizing between periods”. Makers also differ on how long to boil, which soap, what to do about stains, and when to replace. The instructions that came with your own cup or disc are the ones to follow.
For how each format works, see the cups explainer and “Menstrual discs, explained.”
Between uses, at home
A Canadian federal guide says cups “should be rinsed out between uses”.
Cups. One Canadian cup maker says to wash the cup “with warm water and a mild unscented, oil-free soap”. A Finnish cup maker says: “Empty your cup, rinse with cold water, wash with warm water, give it a final rinse”. The Canadian maker also points to the tiny holes under the rim. It says they “must stay clean at all times”, and tells you to “stretch the cup around the holes and hold it under warm running water”.
Discs. One Canadian maker’s disc page gives a soap instruction worded for its cup: “a mild, artificial fragrance free, oil-free soap”.
Glossary · Suction holes
The small holes just under the rim of some cups. One maker calls them “the tiny holes under the rim”.
Between uses, away from water
Readers ask how to manage a cup in a public washroom stall, away from a sink.
Cups. The Finnish cup maker says you can wipe the cup with toilet paper or a damp paper towel, or carry a small bottle of water. It says: “If washing isn’t possible, it’s totally fine to reinsert your cup and clean it thoroughly later when you have access to water”. A 2023 review in a US obstetrics journal makes a related point: “reusable menstrual products do not have to be washed with soap before replacing them within a 12-hour period”.
Discs. The disc makers’ pages the Editor read give no instruction for this situation.
Between periods
The Canadian federal guide says cups “need sterilizing between periods. Sterilizing fluid, boiling water or access to a microwave may be needed (check manufacturer recommendation)”.
Boiling. Makers give different times, and different answers on when to boil:
When and how long each maker says to boil
| Format | Maker | When | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cup | Canadian cup maker | before first use (the guide’s “Before you use” step) | 5–10 minutes |
| Cup | Finnish cup maker | between cycles | 5 minutes |
| Disc | The same Canadian maker, for its disc | before first use | 5–10 minutes |
| Disc | Canadian disc maker | “before first use and between cycles” | 5 minutes |
| Disc | US disc maker, reusable disc | “once every month or so” | 10 minutes |
The Finnish cup maker adds that the cup should not touch the bottom of the pot. Two disc makers say the same for their discs; one adds the sides of the pot.
Microwave. The Finnish cup maker says using a microwave for this step “is possible, but only if done carefully”: fully submerged in water (“never microwave it dry”), in a microwave-safe container, for 3 to 5 minutes.
Steamers and other devices. The Editor found no maker’s instructions for countertop steamers, so this Column does not describe them. Readers do ask about them.
Disposable discs are not cleaned. One maker says its disposable discs “are single-use products and cannot be washed and reworn”.
Glossary · Sterilize
The word a Canadian federal guide uses for the between-periods step for cups. Makers’ instructions describe that step as boiling for a set time. This Column reports the word; it makes no claim about what boiling does.
Stains and smells
Here, makers disagree.
Cups. The Finnish cup maker says some discolouration or a slight odour can develop over time. It suggests rinsing in cold water first, and an occasional soak in warm water and lemon juice for discolouration. The Canadian cup maker says: “Stay clear of home remedies such as vinegar, tea tree oil, castile soap, anti-bacterial soap, hand sanitizers, hydrogen peroxide or any other harsh chemicals”. The same guide lists “a sticky or powdery film” and “a foul odor” among its own signs to stop using its cup (see “When to replace”).
Discs. One US maker says to rinse its reusable disc in cool water first, which it says helps prevent odour and staining.
Glossary · Discolouration
A change in a cup’s colour over time. One maker’s word for it.
Storing
Cups. The Canadian cup maker’s guide says the box includes a storage bag.
Discs. One Canadian maker says to store its disc in a “cotton pouch… away from perfumes and never store it in an airtight container”. One US maker says to make sure its reusable disc is “completely dry before storing”, in the “included pouch”, and never in an airtight container.
Glossary · Storage pouch
A fabric bag for keeping a reusable cup or disc between periods. One maker names cotton and says never to use an airtight container.
When to replace, and at the end
Makers set their own replacement rules.
Cups. The Canadian cup maker says to “replace [the cup] annually”. The Finnish cup maker says a cup can last “up to 10 years” with care, and should be replaced on “changes in texture, cracks, or persistent stains”.
The Canadian cup maker’s guide tells users to stop using its cup immediately if they notice “a sticky or powdery film on the surface of the cup, a foul odor from the cup, if it accidentally falls in the toilet, or you used it while you had a yeast or bacterial infection”. That is the maker’s instruction for its own cup. Follow the guide that came with yours. Questions about an infection belong with a healthcare provider.
Discs. One US maker says to replace its reusable disc “every two to three years, or as soon as it begins to show any signs of deterioration”. The same maker says that if its reusable disc was inserted during a yeast or bacterial infection, remove it immediately and dispose of it in the trash.
At the end. The Canadian cup maker says: “Dispose of [the cup] in the trash or recycle where silicone recycling facilities exist. Do not flush [the cup] down the toilet”. One disc maker says its disposable discs “cannot be flushed or recycled”. The federal guide says: “No period products should be flushed down a toilet…”.
What Canadian rules say
In Canada, menstrual cups and discs are medical devices and must be licensed by Health Canada. Cups are listed as Class 2. Health Canada has issued Class 2 licences to discs, reusable and single-use. A licence can lapse, so its status can be checked in Health Canada’s Medical Devices Active Licence Listing (MDALL).
Canada’s Medical Devices Regulations say a device’s label must include “the directions for use, unless directions are not required… for the device to be used safely and effectively”, and “any special storage conditions applicable to the device”. So the instructions in your cup or disc box are part of what the label rules require. Health Canada’s labelling guidance sets no required warning statement for cups or discs.
Glossary · Directions for use
The instructions a medical device’s label must give under Canada’s Medical Devices Regulations, unless the device can be used safely and effectively without them.
Checking a cup or disc, and where to ask
- Is a licence current? Health Canada’s Medical Devices Active Licence Listing (MDALL).
- Recalls and reporting: the Government of Canada’s Recalls and safety alerts site, which also has a “Report an incident” form for health and safety concerns about any product.
- An infection, or anything about your own body: talk to a healthcare provider. One cup maker lists using its cup during a yeast or bacterial infection among its own reasons to stop using its cup.
What this is not
This Column reports makers’ instructions and a federal guide’s words about cleaning cups and discs. It did not test any product or any cleaning method, and it did not compare brands. It gives no boiling time, cleaning method or replacement interval of its own. It does not say what any method does to germs. Your own maker’s instructions are the ones to follow.
Next in the Reading Room: “Menstrual discs, explained.”
This Column is general information, compiled by the Editor from the sources listed below. It is not medical advice, and the Editor is not a healthcare provider. For anything about your own health, talk to a healthcare provider.
No rush. We like reading slowly, one short piece at a time. The articles will wait for you.
Sources the Editor read (14)
- Department of National Defence, “WDH Guide to Menstrual Health” (modified 2026-09-17). canada.ca
- Liberty A et al., Obstetrics & Gynecology 2023;141(4):666–673. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Health Canada, Guidance for the Labelling of Medical Devices, Appendices (page 2017-05-04). canada.ca
- Medical Devices Regulations, SOR/98-282, s. 21. laws-lois.justice.gc.ca
- Health Canada, Medical Devices Active Licence Listing (MDALL; data refreshed 2026-09-25). health-products.canada.ca
- Health Canada, Keyword Index to Assist Manufacturers in Verifying the Class of Medical Devices. canada.ca
- Medical Devices Regulations, SOR/98-282, s. 26 (no import or sale of a Class II, III or IV device without a licence). laws-lois.justice.gc.ca
- Food and Drugs Act, s. 2, definition of “label” (includes material accompanying a device). laws-lois.justice.gc.ca
- A Canadian cup maker’s user guide (maker’s own instructions; product name shown as “[the cup]”). cdn.store-assets.com
- A Canadian maker’s disc pages (maker’s own instructions). shopdiva.ca · shopdiva.ca
- A Canadian disc maker’s “How to use” page (maker’s own instructions). nixit.ca
- A US disc maker’s “How to use” pages, disposable and reusable, and FAQ (maker’s own instructions). flexfits.com · flexfits.com · flexfits.com
- A Finnish cup maker’s FAQ (maker’s own instructions). lunette.com
- What readers describe: the Editor’s reading of public reader forums (2026-09-27). No reader is quoted or named.
Maker pages are cited as sources for their own instructions; a citation is not an endorsement. Periodica may sell products from brands cited here. That doesn’t change what we write.
Date due for review
| Written by | The Editor |
| Last checked | 27 Sep 2026 |
| Next check | Mar 2027 |
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- Formats
- Cups · Discs
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