How to Wash Your Cloth Menstrual Pads

Cloth menstrual pads are an excellent alternative to disposables. You do not have to throw them away, they are reuseable! All you have to do is wash them. There are 3 different methods in the first step to washing your pads.

Rinse and Soak: This is the method most women use when washing their cloth pads. When the time comes to change your pad, you take it to the sink and rinse it with cold water. Once you get most of the blood out or when the water runs clear, take the pad and place is in a container with cold water to soak. These are usually plastic containers, old cookies jars or soaker pots. Soaker pots are made especially for soaking pads and can be found online. Some women like to add dish washing or laundry detergent or color safe bleach like Oxy Clean to their soaking containers, but this isn't necessary.

Every 1 - 2 days, make sure to pour out the water in the soaker pot and replace with it fresh cold water. If you don't, it will tend to get a little smelly. If you'd like, you can pour out the soaker water over your plants, it's suppossed to be great for them! You can keep your soaker container under your sink, on the back of the toilet or anywhere that you have room. It doesn't necessarily have to be in the bathroom, but it's most convenient.

Rinse and Dry: If you don't want to soak your pads, just rinse them out in cold water in the sink to wash away the blood. When most of the blood is rinsed away or when the water runs clear, wring out the water from your pad and lay or hang somewhere to air dry. Once dry you can keep the pads in a bag hanging in your bathroom or wherever you have room until it's ready to wash them.

No Rinse and Fold: This really isn't a set in stone method, but it's by far the easiest. When you change your pad, simply fold up your pad and close with the snaps on the wing. If your pad is wingless just roll it up. Then take the pad and place it in a dry container or in a bag. When it's time to wash you can unfold your pad or leave if folded and throw it in the washing machine. This is the easiest way to keep your pads until you wash them, but you will more than likely get stains on your pads.