Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Final Thoughts

Oops, I kind of forgot to give my verdict on the moon cup!

Here's the breakdown:
  • I didn't expect it to be so easy to use. I thought it would take me at least two cycles to really get used to it and feel comfortable not using a cloth pad as a back-up, but I felt comfortable enough to wear khaki pants to work with no cloth pad by the end of this cycle.
  • That being said, it does take some getting used to. It took me a couple tries to find the position that was best for me to insert or remove the cup, but I'm sure that this is different for everyone.
  • I liked that it's something I could conceivably use while traveling without having to worry about finding a private place to wash and dry it. I also liked that I didn't need to find a private restroom to rinse it and that I didn't need to carry anything with me (unless you count using the cup as "carrying" it).
  • I didn't like the pull-tab, probably because I was too chicken to trim it and occasionally found it uncomfortable (usually on the bus on the way to work). It also become discolored at the tip, probably from coming in contact with urine. I really should trim that darn tab, huh?
  • The moon cup was really easy to clean, although there was some odor even after washing it with hot, soapy water at the end of my cycle. Okay, the odor was only noticeable because I held the cup to my nose and sniffed it, just to see. I'll probably soak it in some tea tree oil just because I'm sort of weird about things having scents even if you can only smell them if you try, but overall odor wasn't an issue.
  • The little carry bag it came in is seriously cute. Bonus points right there.
  • Supposedly it can last for many years, which is an amazingly good deal. I usually use sea sponges, which (for me -- it seems to vary by individual) only last a few cycles. And, since it lasts so long, it's a lot less waste.
Overall the moon cup was really user-friendly and effective. From what I can tell, it would be relatively easy to transition from just about any other menstrual product -- reusable or not -- to the moon cup. I'd especially recommend the cup to women who use tampons and are a little uncomfortable with the idea of using cloth pads.

Personally, I'll be continuing to use the moon cup, particularly when I'm traveling or at work. If after reading this blog you'd like to try the moon cup, GladRags offers both sizes with a one-year money-back guarantee (they also have kits that come with two pantyliners, which is a good idea for women concerned about leaking).

2 comments:

Nuttylamb said...

Super glad that there are more women out there using the moon cup it really is brilliant and inspiring. I use one too and have never looked back :D

One side note, you mentioned washing it with tea tree oil, I advise strongly against this because as an oil it could damage the latex of the cup and reduce its lifetime.
But other than that yay for mooncup users :)

Tracy said...

I think tea tree oil (diluted with water) is okay for the moon cup, since it's made of silicone. I wouldn't recommend tea tree oil for the Keeper, though, which is made of natural gum rubber (latex). Yay Moon Cups :)