So your sponge has arrived, but as you take it out of the packaging, it feels rock hard! How on earth will THAT be comfortable?
There are three vital steps to prepping your sponge before first use.
1. Probably the most important step in caring for your new sponge, and your health, is to properly prepare your sponge for its very intimate purpose!Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is a very serious and sometimes fatal infection which can be related to synthetic tampons or any other object you insert into your body. Tampons, being man-made, are full of chemicals, rayon fibers and in some cases even carrying germs or mold spores at the moment of insertion. TSS won’t strike every time you insert a regular tampon but the link between the two is strong enough that all tampon manufacturers must warn of the dangers of it.
Even though a natural sea sponge won’t leave behind fibers or has one of those gross strings that get dirty during the day, it’s still important to make sure it is squeaky clean before inserting it into your delicate private parts.Natural sponges are just that: NATURAL. They come from the sea! This means they aren’t sterile and may contain bits of sand, shells or other sea debris. It’s normal! So, check your new sponge thoroughly, and if you see anything, remove it. To do this better, soak your sponge and agitate it under the water to dislodge any sandy bits. There won’t be a whole beach in there but every new sponge still needs a good inspection and cleaning! Most brands say they have a provisional check for “bits”, which is great but shouldn’t replace your own in-depth examination. For some tried and tested sponge cleaning tips have a look at ‘cleaning your sponge’
2. Once your sponge is inspected and clean, just make sure you run it under (preferably warm) water, twist the excess water out and viola! SIlky floofy fluffiness ready for mission vagina 🙂
3. The last step is easy, just squish or twist the sponge into a tampon like bullet shape and, using one hand to separate your labia, insert by pushing the sponge inside with the other hand. Some women find this easier if they are in a squatting position or, my personal fave, with one foot on the side of the bathtub!
PS: To remove the sponge, when sitting on the toilet or squatting just bear down as if you were pushing out something from your womb (like a very very teeny baby), insert two fingers, pinch the sponge and pull! This can be quite bloody (it is a sponge after all, and we all know what sponges do when squeezed!) so you might want to do this above the toilet bowl or in the shower or tub.
If you believe that menstrual sponges are the right choice for you and you’ve investigated the health aspects, benefits and risks, we recommend the Natural Intimacy brand of IntimateCare sea sponges.
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