Menstrual Hygiene: Cleaning Your Pads, Underwear, Cups, and Discs

I love that we live in a world where more and more people are showing gratitude and care for our world through personal environmentally-conscious choices. Buying reusable period products is a way to do that—and it can also be more healthy than the more conventional options! Win-win, for the Earth and for you.

One obstacle women might find in taking the leap from disposables to reusables is the time and effort it takes to keep these products clean and hygienic over long periods of time—years, hopefully! According to the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, disposable pads take 500 to 800 years to break down in our landfills, and on top of that, consider the non-recyclable packing and the tampon applicators that get added to those same landfills. Our choice to use more sustainable, Earth-friendly products makes a big difference.

What Are My Options?

I describe menstrual reusables and my brands of choice in another post here, but basically, the market has many different options that fit into one of four categories: pads, underwear, cups, and discs.

With any of these options, change them out as often as you need. If a pad comes with instructions saying you can wear them for up to 12 hours, that DOES NOT MEAN that you should actually wear them for 12 hours. If your pad or cup starts leaking or smelling bad, you've left it in too long. That max time limit is really just meant to say, "Hey, I'm super absorbent, and if you're having a medium or light bleed and just don't have time in your busy day to switch me out, then you can leave me in and nothing bad will happen." The time to change is whenever you feel like it. More frequent changes means less time for bacteria to grow and multiply in the ideal environment of a wet, warm vulva and menstrual product full of delicious blood.

How Do I Clean Them?

Pads

The basic rule: Rinse or soak in cool water, then wash in warm water, depending on the manufacturer's instructions. Tumble dry low or air dry.

Soaking or rinsing in cool water immediately after use will minimize staining and also remove the bacteria that would otherwise cause your pads to smell.

Most reusable pads nowadays are made to be machine washable, but always read the manufacturer's instructions to get the most out of your purchase and make the pads last as long as possible. You'll need to remove the insert (if your pad has one) so that the pad holder and insert each get a thorough washing. Generally, you'll want to tumble dry on low or line dry—no high heat; avoid bleach, peroxide-based stain removers, and fabric softener, too, as these can ruin the absorbency of the pad over time.

If hand washing is required, I recommend gathering all your dirty pads throughout the week in a bucket of clean water (consider keeping one under your sink or in the laundry room during your period), and then hand wash all of your soiled pads together after your period ends. If you choose to this method, make sure to change out the water daily to keep out undesirable smells from bacteria growth.

Underwear

The basic rule: Rinse or soak in cool water, then wash in warm, depending on the manufacturer's instructions. Air dry.

Reusable underwear is built similarly to reusable pads, so generally, the same rules apply: no bleach, no peroxide, no fabric softener, and no high heat when drying.

Some are machine washable, but not all manufacturers claim this as safe! Also, because of the special layers used in this kind of underwear, you want to avoid direct heat. That means no hot water when washing. Stick to cool water as often as possible and trust that your detergent will do its job.

You'll find that more often than not, manufacturers recommend skipping the drying machine. This is to protect those high-tech layers and maintain a leakproof gusset and also avoid shrinkage.

Cups and Discs

The basic rule: Before first use, sterilize. Rinse in cool, clean water with each use.

You should sterilize your cup/disc when you first purchase it. This means placing it in boiling water for about 5 minutes. You can keep your silicone cup or disc from touching the bottom of the pot by holding it with tongs or placing it inside a whisk during sterilization. Alternatively, you can sterilize by wiping it thoroughly with 70% isopropyl alcohol and allowing it to dry completely before putting it in your vagina.

Unlike pads and underwear, silicone cups and discs can handle hydrogen peroxide for sterilization and stain removal: try a 3% peroxide solution, but keep in mind that over time the peroxide will degrade the silicone, so keep these soakings to a minimum, and only soak for up to 8 hours, then remove and allow to dry fully before reusing.

Rinsing every 4 to 12 hours in cool or cold water with each use will prevent staining. (Hot water on a bloody cup can cause your cup to smell, so avoid heat until after you've rinsed with cold water.)

If your cup or disc falls in the toilet, it can be salvaged! Just re-sterilize and you're good to go.