Reusable Pad Soaking?

[amberbella]

What do you soak your reusable pads in?  I've been using just plain water but would like to add something to the water to inhibit bacteria growth.

[littlegreenlady]

I hand washed them and soaked them in baking soda and water.

I haven't needed to use them in a couple years, but did it that way for a years without any problems.

[MsFortune]

I don't soak them.  I just fold them up and they dry like that.  I rinse them before throwing them in laundry.  I'm doing cloth diapers, so I just put them in with the diapers.  But I do laundry very frequently with two kids in diapers - so I don't have smell issues.

If you do soak in water, I'd be leery of using something to kill bacteria because a lot of those things are pretty toxic (bleach, for example).  You could try vinegar or put some tea tree oil in there.  But those things would be so diluted I don't know that their antibacterial properties would have any effect.  

[MrsSurplus]

I don't soak mine.  I also wash with regular laundry.  Since I have to do a couple of loads every day, they get washed within a day of my using them.  I do not like the smell from soaking and I don't think they get any cleaner sitting in a solution for a couple of days.

[laohaire]

I don't soak mine. I rinse it out in the sink a bit and throw it in the bucket. I tend to do the wash daily on the first three days of my cycle so I don't worry about it.

[lostinspain]

I give mine a spray of hydrogen peroxide and throw them in the washing machine to wait for the next load.  They can be washed at any temp that way, so I wash them with whatever load I put in next (diapers, sturdy cotton, or delicates).

[wookie]

Originally Posted by laohaire 

I don't soak mine. I rinse it out in the sink a bit and throw it in the bucket. I tend to do the wash daily on the first three days of my cycle so I don't worry about it.

:yeah: if you do laundry fairly often, even every other day, there should be no smell issues.

[Scarlettmoon]

I stopped soaking mine after I forgot them one time and almost ruined them- the smell was horrible.  :(  I just fold them dirty side in and snap shut and throw them in a dry bucket.  After my period, I soak them all over night in the washer with hot water, a little oxy-clean, and a little detergent.  In the morning I run them through a normal cycle, and during the rinse, throw a little vinegar in to soften.  If any of them have stains that didn't come out during the wash, I use a little Ecover (miracle product) on the spots and rewash those with other laundry.  I have absolutely NO stains on my pads following this method.  Even if I forget them for weeks.

[plantnerd]

I don't soak, like a pp, it was disgusting.  If they are super bloody (I only use as tampon backup or for my super light mirena periods) I will rinse them in the sink and throw them right into the washer to go with the next load.

[enjoythesilence]

I don't know if it inhibits bacteria growth that much, but putting a splash of hydrogen peroxide in the soak water makes them easier to get clean, in my experience.

[A_Random_Phrase]

Not doing that anymore, but when I used cloth pads, I would soak them, but change the water often. I made my own out of white cloth that had been given to me and didn't want any more stains than I had to have. Cold water gets protein/blood out better than hot, I was told, so I'm surprised to read that some of you wash in hot water without soaking them in cold first.