How to Wash a Reusable Menstrual Pad                                    Two Methods To Wash Reusable Menstrual Pad

METHOD 1
Soaking Method

  • Choose a container or bucket etc for your pads to be soaked in.   Ensure you soak the pad when you get home so as to prevent stains setting in.  Soaking or rinsing soon after use is essential to prevent stains from blood, urine or discharge setting in.
  • Use cold water. Hot water sets in stains. When you remove your used pad, place it in the jar and fill with cold water. If the pad is heavily soiled, rinse it in the sink before putting it in the water. Optionally, you can add one of the following to the soaking water: a dash of lemon juice, a dash of white or apple cider vinegar, or 2-3 drops of lavender, tea-tree or eucalyptus oil (use good-quality essential oils, not cheap poor-quality versions). These all prevent musty bad smells, and are gentle but effective antibacterials/ antimicrobials.This is particularly important if you have a thrush (candida) infection. once you cure the infection, you must disinfect the pads by soaking as mentioned above. The sun is also very effective at killing germs- hang your pads out in the sunlight for the day if you're worried about germs.  It is not recommended to use hospital grade disinfectant soaps such as Dettol as these can encourage "antibiotic resistant bacteria" to flourish.
  • Change the cold water if it appears dirty, soiled, begins to smell, or every couple of days. Changing the water too often can be a waste of water if you are environmentally conscious. By rinsing a heavily soiled pad before you put it in the tub, you can prevent the need to change the water before wash day.
  • Add the rinsed pads to the laundry on wash day (don't add the soaking water- pour that down the sink safely.   Dry hanging straight on the line so they'll sit nicely in your underwear and won't crinkle and be uncomfortable. If you don't want other people to see them drying, you can purchase a small clothes horse or clothes hanger and hide it in an unused corner of the house or your bedroom. You can iron pads that are completely made of natural materials such as cotton/ flannel, but never iron pads that contain synthetic (eg microfibre) or waterproofing (eg PUL) materials as they will melt. Never iron over buttons or press studs as they will melt.

METHOD 2
Rinsing Method

  • Remove Used Pad
  • Put it in the sink and turn on the cold water.
  • Rinse it and wring it gently until the blood is removed or the water is running clear. You can put a little hand soap on the pad to help get the blood out.
  • Hang to dry or place in soaking tub.​