I'm having problems with my mama pads.

[Kimmiepie]

Perhaps I'm not doing it right as this was my first month, so please let me know what I'm doing wrong.

I have a wet pail that I fill with 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water. After I use them I wash them out as best as I can and put them in the pail. But most of the time even when I'm washing them there is some blood that has already stained it, it won't come out. I thought for sure with the soaking and then washing it would come out but no. So I leave them in the pail for a day or so and then wash. But they are still stained.

What can I do?

Thanks!

[Dillpicklechip]

It's normal for there to be a little bit of staining. Sorry if this is TMI, but I find that the darker blood at the beginning and end of my period stains a bit no matter what I do, but that the bright red blood washes out completely every time.

It sounds like you're doing it right (although honestly I don't think you need to use quite so much vinegar). I wouldn't worry too much about a bit of staining.

[Siennaflower]

I don't use a wet pail, I'm not sure if the vinegar may be the problem? Before washing I do a cold soak for several hours (just water) rinse and then wash. I do have some staining but not much.

[pumpkin]

I use a dry pail. My periods are very long so sometimes the pads sit for a couple of weeks since I don't wash until I run out of pads or my AF ends.

When I do wash, I do a cold soak for quite awhile. My theory here is to basically get anything that has dried to soften up. Then i let the agitator run on a heavy cycle and rinse out that water.

Then i do a hot soak, often with some oxiclean. Then I add a tiny bit of soap and finish off the washer cycle.

I'm stain free and my pads are in great shape.

[ALittleBitCrunchy]

I don't do anything that fancy. I soak them in cold water for a minute, swish them around, then wring them out and throw them in a Bummis bag leftover from our CD days. The bag sits in my bathroom until my period is over, at which point I dump all the pads into the washer, throw the bag in after them, and wash them. My period is usually 2-3 days, so that helps, I am sure. I bought mine in darker colors with a slight pattern, so the staining may not be as obvious, but I've never looked at one and thought "Yuck!" so it must not be too bad. In fact, by mom unloaded my dryer one day and found them and had no idea what they were...I found them folded in our old diaper closet. So, it can't be *too* obvious.

Sorry you are having issues - I hope someone can help and you grow to love using cloth

[Kimmiepie]

Okay I feel a bit better.

It's just that some of the ones I bought were seconds and they were perfectly stain free! I just assumed they were supposed to be and I was doing something wrong.

It's not a lot of staining, I guess it just bugs me as I want them to look clean.

Perhaps I'll try less vinegar and try not to worry about it.

Thanks!

[CarrieMF]

Vinegar may be helping to set the stain.

I don't soak, I put them in the closet with the rest of my laundry and then wash when I do laundry.

You can use peroxide to get rid of those stains.

[Kavita]

I would second about the vinegar maybe setting the stains. After all, you use it to set fabric dye, so it would make sense.

Frankly, I don't do too much with mine. I just toss them in the diaper pail (dry pail) and wash them with my diapers--cold rinse, hot wash. Before I had DD I would soak them in cold water, just change the water every day, and wash by themselves or sometimes just throw them with a load of whites like towels or something. You can also sun them out and that will help with the stains if it bothers you. I have given up bothering with worrying about stains, I figure they're pads, that's what they are for!