Removing a menstrual cup feels awkward the first few times, but it gets noticeably easier after about three uses. The key is breaking the suction seal before you pull, which prevents pain and makes the cup slide out smoothly. Here’s exactly how to do it, step by step.
Get Into the Right Position First
Your body position matters more than you might expect. Squatting shortens the vaginal canal and opens up the pelvis, which naturally pushes the cup lower and makes it easier to reach. Sitting on the toilet works well too. If you’re struggling with either of those, try propping one foot up on the edge of the bathtub or toilet seat.
Before you reach for the cup, wash your hands thoroughly. Then relax. Tensing up tightens the muscles around the cup and makes everything harder. Take a few slow breaths and let your pelvic floor soften.
Use Your Muscles to Push the Cup Down
Bear down gently with your abdominal and pelvic floor muscles, the same push you’d use during a bowel movement. This moves the cup lower in the vaginal canal, closer to the opening where your fingers can reach it. You don’t need to push hard. A steady, moderate effort is enough. If the stem or base of the cup isn’t immediately within reach, keep bearing down in short pulses until it is.
Break the Seal Before You Pull
This is the most important step. Menstrual cups work by forming a light suction seal against the vaginal walls. Pulling the cup out without releasing that seal first is what causes discomfort. Never yank it out by the stem alone.
Reach in with your thumb and index finger and pinch the base of the cup, just above the stem. That slight squeeze collapses the cup enough to let air in and break the vacuum. Once you feel the seal release (you may hear a soft sound or feel the cup shift), gently rock the cup side to side as you guide it downward and out. Keep it upright to avoid spilling.
If the base is too high to pinch, slide your index finger up along the side of the cup until you feel the rim. Press inward on the rim to push it away from the vaginal wall. That lets air flow in and releases the suction. From there, you should be able to wiggle the cup lower, grab the base, and ease it out.
Keeping It Clean (Literally)
Removing a cup over the toilet is the simplest way to manage spills. Sitting on the toilet gives you a comfortable position and a place for the contents to go. If you’re worried about mess while you’re still learning, try removing it in the shower instead. Spills rinse right away, and squatting in the shower is one of the most effective positions for shortening the vaginal canal.
Pull slowly and keep the cup as upright as possible. Rushing or tilting it sideways is what causes most spills.
What to Do If It Feels Stuck
A cup that has traveled higher than you can reach is not an emergency. It can’t go past your cervix or get lost inside your body. But it can sit high enough to feel out of reach, especially if your cervix is naturally positioned higher.
Start by changing positions. If you were sitting, try a deep squat. Bear down with your muscles again in steady pulses. Give yourself a few minutes. Anxiety tightens everything, so stepping away, walking around, and coming back later often helps more than repeated attempts. If you still can’t reach it after trying different positions and bearing down, insert your index finger and feel for the top rim of the cup. Press it inward to break the seal, then work the cup downward gradually.
If you’ve tried everything and the cup won’t budge, a partner with clean hands can help, or a doctor or gynecologist can remove it quickly and easily. It’s a routine situation for them.
Cleaning Between Uses
After removing the cup, rinse it with cold water first. Hot water can lock in odors. Then wash it with a mild, unscented, oil-free soap and rinse again with clean water before reinserting. Avoid scented soaps, antibacterial formulas, or anything with oils, all of which can degrade the silicone or irritate the vaginal lining.
At the end of each cycle, sterilize the cup by boiling it in water for a few minutes before storing it in a breathable pouch (not an airtight container).
How Long You Can Wear It
Most manufacturers recommend removing and emptying your cup every 8 to 12 hours, though on heavy flow days you may need to empty it more often. Wearing a cup for too long carries similar risks to leaving a tampon in too long. Toxic shock syndrome is extremely rare, but it has been reported with menstrual cup use, not just tampons. Research from the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology found that cups don’t carry a lower risk than tampons for the bacterial toxin associated with TSS, so the same time-based precautions apply.
A Note for IUD Users
If you have an IUD, you can still use a menstrual cup, but it’s worth knowing the numbers. One case-control study found IUD expulsion rates of 5.9% among menstrual cup users compared to 0.5% among non-users. Interestingly, the study also found that whether or not the user broke the suction seal before removal didn’t significantly change the risk of IUD displacement. The higher expulsion rate may relate to the general pulling motion rather than suction specifically. If you have an IUD, make sure the strings are trimmed short enough that they don’t get caught between the cup rim and the vaginal wall, and check with your provider if you have concerns.
The Learning Curve Is Real but Short
If the first or second attempt feels clumsy, that’s completely normal. A study published in Cureus found that insertion and removal become significantly easier from the third use onward. Longitudinal research in broader populations showed a learning curve of two to five months to feel fully comfortable, but most of the difficulty concentrates in those very first cycles. Practicing removal in the shower during your first period with a cup takes the pressure off. You’re not on a timeline, there’s no mess to worry about, and you can experiment with positions and techniques until something clicks.