Ultimate Washing Guide for Period Underwear and Reusable Pads

The complete how-to guide to keep your period underwear & reusable pads clean

After making the decision to start using reusable period products, the biggest part of successfully swapping is being able to stick with your swap. Having a reliable way of getting them clean that isn't too taxing is a big part of that.

A solid washing routine doesn't need to be complicated or time consuming - but it does need to be suited for what you're washing - and that's period blood from multiple layers of fabric.

In this guide we will share the best ways to keep your reusable pads and period underwear clean and fresh even with heavy flows. You've invested money in your stash, so you want them to be well maintained for years of sustainable service!

What you need to know before we get started

Period underwear and reusable pad construction

Let's first cover off why having a good washing routine is important. Period products are constructed with layers of fabric to absorb your flow. These are sewn together so they don't bunch which means it's difficult for blood to be thoroughly washed out of the inner most layers. Without a reliable washing method - you can be left with a build up of biologically active stains, this can result in staining and odour.

By incorporating Initial rinsing and pre washing as part of your regular washing routine you can ensure all the layers of fabric are getting cleaned. Skipping this step and just relying on your washing machine may mean soiling gets trapped.

Unfortunately, many reusable period product manufactures know that odour build up is very off putting, but instead of supporting a good wash routine, they use 'odour-fighting' and 'odour-eating' technology - this is means constructing your period items with fabric impregnated with anti-bacterial chemicals. Gross!

Yet more chemicals we don't need near our bodies! Avoid chemical coated fabric by steering clear of products with these odour minimising claims - your health will thank you for it. 

Laundering blood Vs period blood

Here's a couple of the do's and don'ts of washing blood out of a textile - in particular period blood, as it is different to the blood you may get from a blood nose.

What's collected on our reusable period products is not just blood. It's a mix of blood, uterine lining and cells, secretions and bacteria from our skin. It's quite the biological mix - in fact Japanese scientists found period blood contains not just blood cells but also cells that create life - so called 'stem cells' (these are super cool!), these very special cells have the all the knowledge within them to become different kinds of cells from the human body!

Your period might be a monthly drag, but it's also pretty amazing! 

Timing matters for best results

Back to washing 101: Because what collects is a mix of blood, sticky stuff and bacteria you will need to decide from the outset if you are going to wash each day OR wash at the end of the week once your period is finished.

This is because as soon as you start washing and adding water to your period products the washing must be completed in a timely fashion.

When you wear your underwear and pads, bacteria is transferred from your skin, and the nutrient factor of the menstrual blood means that prolonged soaking will result in the growth of bacteria. Lot's of bacteria is smelly and unhygienic.

This needs to be avoided - after all were cleaning here, not doing a science experiment.

The best washing guide to get your reusable period gear properly clean!

Daily washing routine for Period pads and underwear

1. Initial Rinse and Pre-Wash

• At the end of the day or each time you change your period item rinse under the cold tap or in the shower until the water runs clear
• Pre wash with either Figgy bar soap or by soaking. It is pretty quick to use Figgy bar soap to pre wash your underwear or pad. Do this by giving it a good suds up by rubbing with the bar of soap and then rubbing the fabric together to make a lather - you want to pay special attention to getting the soapy water into all layers of the fabric where your period blood collects. An easy way to do this is to hold at the edges of the fabric padding and then move your hands alternately forward and back - this agitates the fabric and makes space between the fabric layers for the soapy water to get in. Rinse and check your progress and suds up again if needed. If you prefer to use a soak, add 2 tablespoons of Figgy Laundry powder to half a bucket of warm water and submerge your pads or underwear leaving it to soak for a few hours before rinsing. Using more laundry powder helps with the quicker cleaning timeframe. Remember, pay special attention that you have washed all the layers of the fabric, this is key to a good result.

2. Main wash

• Add your pre washed items to your normal daily wash or finish with a hand wash and rinse well.

3. Drying

• Dry on the line or in the dryer on low.

Weekly washing routine

This is my preferred way to launder and is ideal if you have stash to last your cycle. I find batching up the cleaning takes less time overall and the cleaning results are just as good. Win win!

1. Initial Rinse and Pre-Wash

• After changing your pad or underwear store them in an open bag or hamper, you can wash them all together at the end of your cycle. Reusable pads can be folded in thirds and the snaps used to hold them closed. A cotton bag works well, but don't use a sealed bag.
• On wash day unfold your pads/underwear and submerge them into a bucket of cold water. Leave to soak for about an hour. This is to rehydrate and dilute the blood - this requires a lot less effort than trying to manually rinse all the blood from your items - blood will naturally dissolve into water via osmosis. This step is the hands off way to deal with the bulk of the soiling and makes the rest of the cleaning easier. The water can be tipped down the toilet, drain, or around a tree in the garden.

• Next rinse your cloth/underwear under a cold/tepid running tap, rub the cloth against itself to further dislodge the blood, and aim to rinse until the water runs clear. At this point you have removed all the blood that will rinse away easily and only be left with what needs to be washed out.
• Pre wash. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of Figgy & Co laundry powder into half a bucket (or other container) of warm (not hot) water, submerge your cloth/underwear and soak for a couple of hours to overnight. This is to make sure all the layers of your pad or underwear are getting clean - the multiple layers of period products can make sufficient laundering difficult.

2. Main wash

• The next morning do a quick rinse and squeeze all the water out, then inspect for any lingering stains – if everything is looking clean you can either pop your items into your next machine wash or rinse thoroughly by hand.

3. Drying

• Dry thoroughly on the line or in the dryer on low.

Treating stains on your reusable period gear

If you have noticed some stubborn marks after initially rinsing and pre washing don't fret - that's just the nature of period blood being a mix of different things - there are two easy options that do a great job of deep cleaning.

Option one is to soak with oxygen bleach or Figgy & Co. laundry soaker – 2 tablespoons in half a bucket of hot water soak for a minimum of 2 hours, 6+ hours is better. Oxygen bleach is oxi active and releases hydrogen peroxide to break down blood and stains.

The second option is to rub with Figgy & Co. bar soap directly on the stain and rub the fabric on itself until the stain lifts - using a bar soap is a way of targeting stubborn marks with a concentrated amount of cleaning powder. You can even do a combo of these two - suds up with soap then add them straight into a bucket to soak.

Long-Term Care and Maintenance to Keep Stains Away

It's important to deal with stains at this step for two reasons. Firstly in order to remove stains you need a higher concentration of cleaning chemicals, by dealing with stains in a bucket you won't need to run a full wash with this increased amount of cleaning product. Second, blood has protein in it, so once you dry it, especially if you use a dryer, the stain can set and become difficult to remove - it's always best to treat blood stains the first time.

10 reasons to use the Figgy & Co routine for washing your reusable period cloth pads and underwear

1. By utilizing batch cleaning, the actual time spent laundering is very little.
2. Bucket soaking allows you to divert your period blood away from your regular washing.
3. By first soaking your cloth/underwear in cold water you effectively reduce the cleaning to be done in the next step – this has the benefit of better cleaning results with less cleaning product required. Using cold water for this step is critical as blood contains protein and heat from the hot water will denature it, like egg white protein in hot water. Heat denatured protein is harder to wash away, this is known as setting a stain. Bad!
4. Soaking in laundry powder is very accessible. It is a regular cleaning supply that you will have to hand. Very little cleaning chemicals are needed, and the results are excellent.
5. Figgy bar soap is a pure soap, made from coconut oil specifically for cleaning up. Rub directly on stains and marks as part of your laundry routine.
6. Pads/underwear respond well to being soaked as it is gentle on the fabric. These products are multi-layered giving them their absorbency, the time soaking effectively cleans through all the layers, dissolving and lifting away blood
7. Using a soaking method trades time for chemicals. Less cleaning chemicals are needed to do the job if you give the ones there longer to do the work. This is great for reducing your daily chemical exposure. This is especially important for female reproductive health.
8. Soaking gives a more thorough deeper clean, this is beneficial for dark coloured cloth/underwear where inadequate cleaning or stains can be missed due to the fabric colour hiding the remaining soiling.
9. Two options are given to treat lingering stains, both work well and are easy to do – stains don’t happen often, but everyone's yoni is a little different and some of us are more prone to staining than others – that’s life!
10. You don’t actually need to use a bucket, a small container will do the trick like a ice cream container. Reduce the cleaning products accordingly.
11. When you have a reliable cleaning routine like this, you know your reusable products will be clean and fresh just from laundering. You can avoid reusable products that tout ‘odour reducing technology’ this is fabric impregnated with chemicals to kill bacteria. Bad!

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