There are several ways to go about cleaning them, it depends on what you prefer.
Basically the idea is you take them off, put a new pad on and deal with the used pad in your preferred manner. You have several options:
Basically the idea is you take them off, put a new pad on and deal with the used pad in your preferred manner. You have several options:
First off - what to do when you take your pad off...
You can put them straight into a laundry basket/bag (keeping them dry)Then....washing your pads
By far the easiest way to deal with them, however blood left to dry can set and I've found its harder (near impossible) to remove the stain through washing alone (you might need to use things like baking soda or even napisan to shift it)Or..You can put them in a bucket of plain cold water and leave them to soak
By keeping the pads soaking while soiled the blood can't dry, which means its less likely to set a stain.Or..You can put them in a bucket of cold water with disinfectant, soap or something added and leave them to soak
As above but whatever you put in the water can help to prevent smell and might help stop them stainingOr..You can rinse them out, and pop them in your washing basket to go with your next wash.
By rinsing them out first they should be less likely to stain, and this means you won't need to leave them soaking.Or..You can rinse them out, and pop them in a bucket to soak.
By rinsing them out first they should be less likely to stain, and your soaking bucket won't get as smelly because there is less blood in there.Or..You can wash them straight away.
Either hand wash straight away, or put them straight in the washing machine. The quickest method if you have a small stash and need to use them straight away, but the most time consuming, as its slower washing them separately than all together.
You can wash (hand or machine) the soiled pads without any pre-rinsingWhat to wash with....
Either straight from the soak bucket, straight off the body or straight from the washing pile.Or..You can rinse out the pads until mostly clean just before washing, then wash (hand or machine)
More effort but it is preferred by some women, particularly if combining the wash with other (non-menstrual) items.Or..You can rinse out the pads until mostly clean, then treat any stains, then wash (hand or machine)
Might be most efficient way of removing any stains.Dyring Pads
Pads with PUL and Resin snaps can be put in the clothes dryer for up to 15 mins to dry them (be careful touching the snaps until cooled.) [though I recommend only doing this if the manufacturer approves it, and only occasionally as it can break down the PUL]Follow the manufacturer's washing instructions
Fabrics like silk may need hand washing, some may not be tumble dried, others may be machine washable and tumble dryable. Your pads should come with washing instructions which may be different to other methods listed here.
You can wash them in normal detergent only,Avoiding Stains....Some people have problems with stains, others mdon't... some ideas for avoiding stains or what to do if you get them.
Many women simply use normal detergent and don't catch deadly illnesses off their pads! So just normal washing methods are fine for most people.Baking soda
Good for removing stains in a natural way. you can add it to your wash.Vinegar
Apparently adding some vinegar in the wash works like fabric softener, (but without the residue that can effect the absorbency of the pad, that fabric sofener has). I don't know how much you'd need. PUL is apparently broken down by repeated washes with vinegar.Hydrogen Peroxide
Apparentlythis works well for removing stains, and is safer than chlorine bleach. I'm not sure how much is needed.Lunarinse
This is a product designed for spraying onto your pads before washing, a sort of pre-wash stain remover I guess.
Cold water rinseAvoiding Smell....Keeping used pads around, particularly when soaking, can get smelly if you're not careful.
If you rinse them out in cold water straight away, they are less likely to stain (Hot water sets a stain). .... The longer the blood is left to dry before you rinse them will make them more likely to stain for some people.Cold water Soak
Some women find they get less or no staining by keeping the pads soaking until they are washed (eg always wet), others find they get staining if they soak, and have better results if they leave them to dry.Baking soda
You can take your wet pad (rinsed until no more blood comes out) and sprinkle the baking soda on the stains. Rub it with your finger (or rub the pad against itself), and then rinse the Baking Soda off and hopefully the stain will simply dissapear. I find this is very effective if I've had a lighter pad stain while soaking in the soaking bucket (which can happen if the blood side of an un-rinsed pad touches a light coloured pad)Think of Colours for your pads
Obviously a white or light coloured pad is going to be more prone to staining than a darker coloured pad. Some say hemp is good for not staining..... however I find it remains a slightly pinky-grey colour all over (I soak - so it might be better without soaking). Synthetics (eg microfleece, suedecloth) should not stain. So if you are picky about having unstained pads, use a darker colour, dark red (well it's the obvious colour isn't it ;)) or a highly patterned fabric..Sunlight
Hanging your pads out in the sunlight can help fade any stains
Add something to the soaking waterThere are probably other methods for washing and stain removal that people use. Interestingly, what works for one woman might not work for another. Also, it seems some women have more trouble with staining than others - so different people's blood seems to stain more than others.
Adding a little teatree essential oil (or disinfectant) in the bucket you soak them can help kill the bacteria that cause the smell, and mask any smellChange the soaking water
Change the water frequently (every 1-2 days). You'll probably need to change it more in summer than you do in winter.Rinsing
Rinsing your pads before you soak them, and/or when you change the water can avoid the water getting smelly.
What I do - I bought a counter top bin with a flip top, which is filled with water and sits beside the toilet. As I take a pad off I put it in there. Generally (because I use very long pads) it gets full after a day or 2, so I tip the water out (onto the garden), and put the pads in a bucket of water in the laundry and refill the bin with water and put it back in the toilet for more pads. Then at the end of my period I rinse them out under cold water to get them basically clean, (using all the water on my garden). Then I do one of two things. Either pop them in with a load of washing (I may leave them in a dry bucket 1-2 days until I do a wash) or I wash them by hand in the sink and hang them out to dry. I find that machine washed ones dry quicker (as they get rung out better), and seem to get clean better (perhaps because I am a lazy handwasher), and they seem to be softer and less crunchy. I only ever wash in cold too. Very very occasionally I'll get a stain (usually blood transferring from one pad to a light coloured one in the soaking bucket), and I'll treat that with baking soda before putting it in the washing machine.
