THE LINKS TO OTHER PAGES IN THIS SITE ARE LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF EACH PAGE
An alternative to tampons
Earth-friendly
Easy to use
Saves money
What is The Keeper?
The Keeper is a small, soft rubber cup. Worn internally like a tampon it collects the monthly flow. Menstrual cups are a proven, reliable method of menstrual protection, having been used in North America and Europe for many years.
Made in USA, the Keeper is a relatively new product on the Australian
and New Zealand markets, being listed as a menstrual product with the Therapeutic
Goods Administration in Australia (AU L 68249) and with the Ministry of
Health in New Zealand during 1999.
Why use The Keeper?
The Keeper is easy to use, inexpensive and kind to our environment.
Using The Keeper instead of disposable products reduces waste. Each Keeper has a life expectancy of up to 10 years.
As it holds up to 30 mls of fluid, emptying the cup a few times a day is usually adequate. It can be left up to 10 hours before emptying, making overnight use safe.
The Keeper is light and takes up little space, making it ideal for travelling, especially when tampons and pads are hard to find or unavailable and suitable disposal is difficult.
Because it is non-absorbent, The Keeper is not known to be linked to Toxic Shock Syndrome. However, if you know you are allergic to rubber or latex please do not try this product.
For more reasons to use reusable menstrual products look here and here
Yes! I want to order mine NOW
Using The Keeper is easy
To insert The Keeper, simply fold diagonally in half and insert like a tampon. Women who have used tampons will find it easy to learn to use The Keeper. Some find it is a little bit awkward to insert at first, but after a few day's practice have a skill which will stay with them for life!
There are a number of ways the Keeper can be folded - here are some photos
Once The Keeper is in place, give a half twist, then apply gentle downward pressure on the pull tab to ensure the Keeper is fully open. To maximise a comfortable fit the tab needs to be trimmed to a comfortable length for each individual woman. (Tip: It is recommended to trim it one millimetre at a time - it is all too easy to chop off too much! Do *not* remove tab completely, as this will void your 90 days satisfaction guarantee.)
To remove pull gently on the tab until you are able to pinch the base of the cup and remove.
When emptying The Keeper, rinse in clean water and re-insert. At least once a day it should be washed in warm soapy water and rinsed well (this is easily done while you are in the shower) There is no need to boil or sterilise The Keeper.
At the end of your menstrual period, wash The Keeper in hot soapy water,
rinse with clean water, dry thoroughly and place in the storage pouch provided
with your Keeper.
The Keeper Guarantee
Try the Keeper for 3 months. If you are not satisfied, return the Keeper within 90 days for a refund of the purchase price less postage and handling.
For guarantee please note:
1. Keeper must be returned within 90 days from the date of purchase.
2. The stem must not be removed competely.
What users are saying about the Keeper
"Just to let you know that the menstrual cup you sent to me in Vietnam
arrived safely. Thank you so much for sending it - have enjoyed again using
it this period, and while I certainly didn't intend to loose the last one,
will look after this one extra well. It's a special thing that you give
to women's lives by recognising the sacredness of their bleeding with alternative
non-plastic non-toxic products.
For a relatively unknown product I think hearing other woman's words and
enjoyment of their menstual cup is important for feeling safe about ordering
one. I have found using a menstrual cup incredibly valuable, particularly
while travelling. Using the Keeper has helped change the way I feel
about my bleeding. I now really enjoy the time of my period, and feel
far more in touch with my body and its cycles through using the Keeper.
No longer a messy, plastic, sometimes smelly, disconnected, dioxin full,
wasteful time, I would recommend the Keeper - and do often! - to any
woman." (Kati, travelling in Asia)
"I wish I'd known about The Keeper years ago - think of the money I'd have saved and the ease and simplicity of having my period! (Jen, Tasmania)
"Some months ago I contacted Pip and asked her to send me The Keeper.
I was really interested in this no fuss and practical way of taking care
of my 'toxic blush'. However, as a tampon user I was a little hesitant to
start so the Keeper stayed in a box alongside the tampons and pads for several
cycles.
Last cycle I decided to just go ahead and use it. I was going to be away
from home for some hours and not be able to get to a ladies room so this
would be a good test. Well, all I can say is WOW what an eye opener! I used
to use tampons and pads together as I am premenopausal and my cycles are
now irregular and heavier than my younger years. My menstruation management
always was quite messy (I'm not going into details about flooding the pads
etc) it was with some trepidation that I first inserted this not-so-pretty
rubber cup. When I arrived home, I rushed to the loo only to find the usual
mess did not exist (I will admit to wearing a pad just in case). To my utter
surprise I removed the cup with ease and not only that, I know I am harping
on it, but no mess. I can't believe that using the Keeper is so clean!
I am totally gob-smacked that this is not common knowledge. I can recommend
this to all women without reservation." (Mary, Tas)
"i've got a tip for the keeper, which i didn't discover until i returned to a place where the water out of the tap is no good for drinking, thus, also no good for rinsing my keeper. i had to use some water from our drinking water dispenser. i filled a small bottle with the icey cold water & took it with me to the bathroom. previously, using drinking quality water, i'd been rinsing my keeper in normal tap temperature water or else using hot water. the blood would rinse off quite easily, but i found that smears of other normal vaginal discharge would be very difficult to remove. i figured that hot water would do the trick with the harder to remove discharge, but it turns out that the icey cold water rinses my keeper clean much more easily!" (C.A., NSW)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE KEEPER
HINTS FOR LEARNING TO USE YOUR KEEPER
How to order The Keeper
The Keeper comes in two sizes:
(1) Style A: for women who have had vaginal childbirth.
Style A is also recommended for all women over 30 years of age.
A Cup has a diameter of 48 mm and is 53 mm long.
(2) Style B: for women under 30 years who have not had a baby
or who have had a Caesarian section.
B Cup has a diameter of 44 mm and is 53 mm long.
A cotton storage pouch and instruction leaflet are included with The Keeper.
Yes! I want to order mine NOW
Information presented at www.greenfamilies.com.au
is for educational purposes only;
statements have not been evaluated by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration
© 2009-10 Sustainable Families ABN 62 713 972 622
'Moon Pads' is the registered trade mark of Moon Pads. ABN 47 602 059 395