Cleaning & Disinfecting Your Cups
Fast and Easy Cleaning and Disinfection
Step 1: Cleaning Your Cups
- Immediately after using your cups, soak them in warm soapy water until you are ready to properly clean them. This helps to ensure that any lotions or oils you used during your treatment won't stick to your cups.
- Wash your cups thoroughly with a sponge, cloth or device that will ensure you get everything completely clean - don't forget to thoroughly wash the inside of the cup and around the rims.
- Rinse your cups thoroughly in hot water.
- Shake the excess water off your cups before letting them air dry to prevent microbial growth. It is especially important to ensure that there is no water left on your cups so the disinfecting solution does not get diluted.
Cleaning alone does NOT kill bacteria.
Step 2: Disinfecting
- The recommended process for proper disinfection AFTER you have thoroughly cleaned, rinsed and dried your cups varies from one country to another. Most countries recommend Low Level Disinfection (LLD), however following a High Level Disinfection (HLD) process will ensure you are meeting the highest possible standards.
Please contact your local/regional/country health office to confirm the level of disinfection required for tools and cupping therapy products.
Low Level Disinfection
- Among the products recommended for Low Level Disinfection of reusable objects are Bleach, Alcohol**, and Hydrogen Peroxide. Reusable objects such as your cups should be disinfected by completely immersing them in a 3% solution of Hydrogen Peroxide for 30 minutes. Alternatively, a 1:50 dilution of 5.25%–6.15% sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) for 5 minutes would be effective.
- Please ensure you wear personal protective equipment such as eye covering and rubber gloves - Bleach and Hydrogen Peroxide can leave chemical burns on your skin.
- Ensure that your cups are completely submerged and soak them in the solution for the required time.
- Wearing your personal protective equipment, remove your cups from the solution and rinse them EXTREMELY well under warm water for several minutes to remove all of the solution.
- Shake off the excess water and let them air dry.
High Level Disinfection
- Among the products recommended for High Level Disinfection of reusable objects like your cups are Glutaraldehyde, and Hydrogen Peroxide. Your cups should be disinfected by immersing them in a Glutaraldehyde solution of 2.0% for a minimum of 20 minutes or in a Hydrogen Peroxide solution of 6% to 7.5% for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- Please ensure you wear personal protective equipment such as eye covering and rubber gloves - Glutaraldehyde and Hydrogen Peroxide can leave chemical burns on your skin.
- Ensure that your cups are completely submerged and soak them in the solution for the required time.
- Wearing your personal protective equipment, remove your cups from the solution and rinse them EXTREMELY well under warm water for several minutes to remove all of the solution.
- Shake off the excess water and let them air dry.
** A note on using Alcohol...Alcohols are not recommended for disinfecting or sterilizing medical materials principally because they lack sporicidal action. Additionally, the use of Alcohols will break down the silicone compound of your cups over time and cause them to dry out and crack.
If you are looking for an easy-to-use prepared High Level Disinfectant, we recommend Sporox II and PREempt.
What NOT to use:
- Please do not use lysol wipes or mouthwash as these do not meet the requirements for proper disinfection.
- Please do NOT clean your cups by putting them in your dishwasher or boiling water as these methods can seriously harm your cups and degrade the silicone compound.
Remember that disinfection of your cups is considered the best practice in a health or wellness environment.
