regarding mama cloths (aka cloth pads) - Page 2

[EnviroBecca]

Wet soak, but only one pad at a time. It works like this:

1. Take off used pad. Remove any separate inner layers. Place upside-down in empty pail (old family-size yogurt container) and put inner layers on top of it. Fill pail with cold water. Put on lid.

2. Later, remove pad, wring it out, and dump the water.

3. Hang damp pad on edge of laundry basket until wash day. (This lets it dry. If stored wet, it will get yucky.)

The "later" of Step 2 is when I change pads again, if I'm using pads all the time. Usually, I just use a pad overnight and use my Diva Cup during the day, so I put the pad to soak in the morning and "later" is when I get home in the evening.

My other tip is to use a zippered mesh lingerie bag to hold pads in the washing machine. It keeps them from getting lost among bigger laundry.

[blairhoney]

Dry pail, I guess. I have really beautiful fabric on my pads and don't want stains, so I fold mine, toss them dry into a side pocket on my hamper, and then at the end of the week, rinse and soak for about an hour in OxyClean, rinse through again, and then just wash with normal laundry. No stains and no remembering to change the soak water!

[kimiij]

I used cloth pads for the first time last month. My flow dramatically decreased and honestly, I barely had a period. So, when I took a shower, I would just rinse out the pads by hand and hang them to dry. Then, at the end of the week when I was ready to do my laundry, I threw them into the laundry with everything else.

If my flow was really heavy, I'd probably wash the pads in the washing machine the same day. I couldn't deal with a wet pail. I have to admit that it kind of grosses me out.

[marsmom]

I wet soak, but in my bathroom sink (off our bedroom so almost never gets used during the day - a laundry room sink would work great too if I had one). So pads soak in there during the day, then at some point late in the day, get rinsed out and hung up in the shower overnight to dry. If dh is around, then I'll accumulate a dry pail until I can soak in the sink, although he truly isn't bothered. When dry, they're just thrown in with the wash although I try to keep them all together and make sure I run them on a hotter load than normal with towels or particularly dirty clothes or whatever else is ready. No stains, no smell.

[LaffNowCryLater]

Dry pail, I actually toss them into spare diaper wetbag and keep them under the sink.

[Ruthla]

No option for me either- but #2 is the closest.

I haven't used cloth pads in a while, but I used to use a dry pail with no effort at "at least folding them first". The pail had a cover and I'd put the soiled pads into the container next to the toilet. Then, when AF was over I'd wash the whole lot of them at once. I'm never energetic when I have my period and I couldn't deal with extra laundry during that time.

Then again, the last time I used cloth pads I was single and childless and only did laundry once a week. Now that I'm doing laundry daily I might just toss them into the next load and need fewer total pads. I still wouldn't deal with a wet pail though!

[Dillpicklechip]

Originally Posted by avalanchelynn

oh yes, i think my biggest worry is about the smell coming from the wet pail method...

i've read about using tto or lavender eo's to mask the scent, by dripping a few drops into the water...will that honestly help somewhat?

i've got plants in the bathroom, so i suppose i'll be dumping the used water there...but certainly without dh knowing cos the plants in the house are his lol...and his job

wondering if there're any other methods out there?

I use the wet pail method, and I find that it does get stinky pretty fast if I don't add anything to the water, but if I add a splash of vinegar then there is no smell, even if I forget to change the water for a day.

[koru]

I immediately rinse with cold & then put in a dry pail. Never had a stain or an odor! I also treat them like any other fabric even though I generally wash them with diapers but sometimes towels. (I voted "dry" pail even though a bit from the other two apply).