When I posted about Fussybutt’s cloth menstrual pads, I received up to 40 comments, mostly on the nasty task of washing the cloth menstrual pads.
Honestly, I cringe at the sight of blood even though I see it every month. I guess the act of wrapping the blood-soaked pad into newspaper and tossing it out of sight makes disposable pads ‘easier’.
Now that I am fully on cloth menstrual pads, I find that it’s not easy to keep them spotless and clean.
As an environmentally-conscious person, I’d hate to think that using cloth menstrual pads ended up using more natural resources (water and electricity), which is worse than reducing the amount of rubbish disposed.
In the earlier post on the cloth menstrual pads, I mentioned that cotton bamboo fleece pads soak better, stayed soft and stained less compared to cotton bamboo velour.
Here’s how I wash my cloth pads:
1. After each use, I soak the pads in a small pail filled with cold water. When 3-4 pads are in the pail, I would throw away the water and refill the pail. A covered pail is the best.
2. At the end of the day, I’d throw the bloody water, refill the pail and leave them to soak overnight. This way, about 70-80% of the blood is drained from the cloth pads without too much water or work.
3. The next morning, I fish the pads out from the pail and wring them to remove the remaining blood. Remember, it isn’t smelly! (The smell comes from the mix of menstrual blood with disposable sanitary pads).
4. The cloth pads are then thrown into the washing machine along with the day’s wash. Then, they are all hung to dry in the sun 
5. To remove old blood stains, simply throw the pads (when they are not in use) in with your regular wash. The blood stains are gone after 1-2 washes.
I find that drying them out in the hot summer sun works much better than throwing them in the dryer. Saves more energy that way too 
How do you wash your cloth menstrual pads? Do you use special cleaning liquids, soaps or detergents?
Let’s exchange tips to encourage more women to go for cloth!
NOTE: I tried soaking the blood-stained cloth pads in a salt solution but I found step 5 the easiest, energy- and water-saving way.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
I guess I must be outdated! This is the first time I’ve heard about cloth menstrual pads. Err…just wondering, does it leak at all? And when you change it outside, what do you use to keep it until you get home? Plastic bag? I am on the run all the time but I may consider using this, because of the environment of course, if it won’t leave me with blood covered pants…
Oh by the way, I read about menstrual cups (reusable of course!). Have you tried it?
Sounds very simple and easy to use… I might consider buying some to try…
I think my MIL will scream if I dump the cloth pads together with other clothes in the washing machine!
She doesn’t like to mix undies with clothes and also separates guy’s clothes out to be washed!
It still sounds very itky to me. Sorry Mrs Environment.
it sounds quite environment friendly to me. i might try one day if its available in the Singapore market.
Yikes! Sorry lah.. I think I’m with Paik Ling. Don’t think I can tahan re-using cloth menstrual pads.
And actually, I am just like Ryan mami’s MIL…I actually would FREAK out at the thought of washing the day’s laundry with those pads. I don’t even put my non-menstrual undies into the normal laundry basket. I handwash them myself.
Also, I give strict instruction to maid to separate my clothing from my boys.
Husband and mine mixed-up okay lah.
Sorry lah.. Very different ideas with you…. though I do try to be environmentally-friendly by recycling glass, plastic, paper etc
I soak mine with a LEETLE bit of soap powder. I use Tide, because it is the same one I use on cloth diapers, so it won’t leave any residue. Then I wring out the pads and wash them in the washer like you. Sometimes with just my underwear… they dry fairly quickly too.
And my favorites are minky pads, cos they stain less and are really cooling on the skin.
Foong – Hahaha very few people know about them actually. I’m also a late bloomer
I’ve used them outside too and they are just as comfortable. Just make sure you use the right size for the right time. Err…menstrual cups sound icky to me!
Angeleyes – You should! Once you use cloth, you really don’t like disposable already
Ryan Mami – In this case, just wash them with undies?
Paik Ling & NomadicMom – Just the washing part only but the flow is much, much lighter and odour-less on cloth pads. Try, try, try once…
By the way, I’m using them for HEALTH more than environment.
Constance – I’m sure you’d find them in Singapore.
Giddy Tigress – Yeah, I do that too esp for those heavier days. Will check out minky pads when we’re back home!
I’m just like gidddy tigress but I used Trojan. In fact I don’t change the detergent for washing cloth diapers n pads, it’s the same detergent use for washing other clothes in the family all the while. Now I keep in mind about your Step 5, I did have times whereby need to soak up the cloth menstrual pad for a few days (of course change the water daily) to make sure it’s completely clean.
Sharine – Yeah, Step 5 clears the stains after 1-2 washes
i was given one to use and now i am HOOKED! it is so easy to use, so soft AND i dont have that horriblw diaper rash i usually get once a month with disposable ones! i am googling to find MORE i used the minky one and it is sooo soft!! i need more!! LOL try it you will never go back!
I love my cloth pads! I find it the easiest when at home after removing my used pad is to rinse it immediately under cold water, which usually removes any stain. If there is a stain remaining, I squirt about 1/2 teaspon of Dawn (it has to be Dawn, other dishwashing liquids don’t seem to work) on the remaining stain and put the pad in a small netted laundry bag until the next wash day and wash as usual. There is absolutely NO stain left! The longer the Dawn stays on the stain, the longer it has to work on it, its amazing! I also always air dry my pads so that they stay soft.
hmm I’ve been using a menstrual cup for about three years now and I love it. It doesn’t leak, it doesn’t smell and you don’t realise your on your period. I love the environment and try and do my bit, but with being in university, I didn’t want to have buckets in my bathroom with bloody towels and things there. I’m kind of a bit ergh with blood, so having to touch a wet piece of material to wash it out really wasn’t to ideal for me. I would really recommend trying a cup. I love it, its easy to clean and because the blood stays inside the cup, u can get rid of it without any mess on ur hands or even look at it. They can be worn over night, (waking up in the morning without the rush to the loo is a great relief). A couple of brands I’ve used are mooncup uk, lunette and fleurcup.
Try them and you’ll wonder how you managed without them.
Jennifer – Glad to hear you love the cloth menstrual pads too
I’m always happy to convert another to cloth!
Dianew – Thanks for the tip of using Dawn. Dunno if that brand’s available here and also if it’s a cost-effective option for us here.
missy em – If you’re ‘ergh’ about blood then I’m ‘ergh’ about inserting a cup! I’d probably need someone to show me how to get it in
It doesn’t have to be that much work. I have used cloth pads for years now, and when I have to use disposables, I find them very uncomfortable (such as when I was on vacation and started early)
I use a wetbag, (commonly found on cloth diaper sites) which is simply a cloth bag with a waterproof (usually PUL) lining. I fold my used pads, snap them closed and put them in the bag and keep them under the bathroom sink. No soaking necessary.
We do have a water softener, so my water is soft, which might prevent staining when I wash. When I wash, I do a pre-rinse, and then a regular wash, and they come out fine. So, I think the soaking step sounds like a big unnecessary pain in the butt. Unless you have hard water, can’t stand the idea of stains, and use pads made of stainable material. I prefer Talulah Bean minky pads. Suedecloth also doesn’t seem to stain for me.
Violetta – Good to hear of another way to wash cloth pads! I have been finding the “bloody water” a bit icky and an inconvenience nowadays esp when there are other people around the house.
To check that I get this correct for a daily or 2-day wash:
1. Seal the soiled pads in a wet bag. Store them in the bathroom for the whole day?
2. At washing time, throw the wetbag in the washing machine. Do a pre-rinse without the other clothes, right?
3. Then, do a regular wash with the rest of the laundry?
Sorry for sounding like a such a dope!!!
Wow. I don’t even do that much cleaning!
I have two lingerie bags – one small one for storage of the clean ones; one quite large one for using in the washing machine (when I use a washing machine – these days, out of necessity, we are doing most of our laundry by hand, including the pads!).
As I “dirty” them, they go into the large bag and are zipped up and kept under the sink or in the bathtub. They air-dry that way so I don’t worry about them mildewing.
When I’m “done”, I toss the whole bag into the washing machine with underpants and other warm/hot water items. I dry them in the machine withOUT fabric softener or dryer sheets (because those coat them and I react; and it decreases absorbency).
Since we’re handwashing, I just toss them into a particular bucket kept in the bathtub specifically for them – dry. On wash day, I do soak them for about 45-60 minutes in hot water to loosen stuff. Dump that water (if you’ve not used soap, you can use that water for plants….) and wash with a small amount of laundry soap (Garden of Francis brand). Thoroughly rinse; hang dry; store in the small lingerie bag until next month.
In the end, the only stains I have on any of them are from the early days when I soaked them – the combination of the soaking and the flow on them actually caused the color in the fabric to fade, or even to entirely bleach out. So they’re not even stains in the truest sense of the word!
When we’re out and about, I have two small pouches with me – one for clean, one for dirty – that I keep in my bag or purse. I also tend to start out with more pads on, and just remove them as the day goes on and they get used.
I need cheap, easy, AND environmentally friendly!