May have finally gotten the hang of these shenanigans...

[titaniumtrinity]

My sister bought me a diva cup (size 1) a while ago, and I’ve had a few false starts with it. Last summer I wore it once for most of a day without any problems, but when I went to remove it I kind of just pulled hard, rather than breaking the suction first, and I ended up flinging the contents all over my bathroom >.< Discouraged, I put it away for

Comments

[bekaree]

Hey, there! I've just started using a diva cup myself. As far as I can tell, there's no downside to leaving it in for 12 hours. I've done it no problem. TMI alert- sometimes it migrates down if you have a BM, so that's the only reason I can think of to reinsert it in public. But if you have to, there's no problem with just taking it out, emptying it, wiping it with some tp, and reinserting it. Remember to wash your hands before you go in, and just wipe any mess off your hands with tp before you leave the stall. :)

[bekaree]

Also, maybe you should think about an unscented soap, to avoid any oils that could damage the silicone.

[luceafara]

I always wear mine for 24 hours straight, and have never had any issues. If your flow is light, you may never need to empty it out in a public restroom.

Ditto to the scented soap.

[xquizite_insom]

With a light flow and an appropriate cup, you can probably ride out the maximum time limit to avoid it. In a public restroom, as I wash my hands prior to the toilet, I snag a few extra hand towels and use those to wipe out the cup and reinsert. If I can, I prefer to bring a cup or bottle of water to rinse cup in. You can also purchase cleansing wipes (Ladycup and Lunette make them specifically for cups). I will on occasion use the wipe but I find it more time consuming as you have to allow the cup to dry.

[trejoy]

If your flow doesn't demand emptying, I wouldn't bother in a public restroom. But you have to find your own rhythm! The tip on taking a water bottle or wipes is good.

Early on in my cup life, I was so nervous it would overflow I removed the cup every time I used the toilet. (This was an exhausting practice and frustrating too since I wasn't proficient at cup placement then!) Now, on heavy days I'll empty and insert before I leave home and get maybe 4-6 hours out of it. On light days, I go 12-14 hours.

Cleaning-wise, I mostly use vinegar or peroxide or alcohol and hot water, very rarely soap.

[elisamba]

At work I used the wheelchair bathroom with its own sink and dispenser soap (just rinsed well). My personal preference was also to take a second cup and avoid having to reinsert the same one, it helps allay any panic about "what if I drop my cup".

But if your flow is light, it doesn't sound like you'll need to do that. You can wear a back-up pad and test out the full 12 hours to see if you can go that long.