Help me! Period pants woe.

[dontticklethetoad]

I had the coil put in earlier this year, so switched from a menstrual cup and washable pads to period pants.
So far so good.
However, I do occasionally have a bit of wee leakage and now the pants smell not so much that you can smell when they're on, but I can smell it when I'm hanging them up/putting them away.
What baffles me is that my washable pads never used to smell, so why are the pants?!

I always soak them in cold water prior to washing and I have tried the following to get rid of the smell.

Soaking in white vinegar
Washing with white vinegar in the wash
Soaking in bio detergent
Washing with bio detergent
Spraying with pet urine neutraliser.
Soaking in pet urine neutraliser.
I always line or hang up to dry and use a cool wash.

Any advice gratefully received.

Try washing soda and/or bicarb.

Whether it is advised or not by the manufacturer, do you think the temperature you wash them at makes them smell? Is it hot enough?

Have you asked someone to check that they do actually smell? It could be your imagination.

Looking at advice online, washing at a hot temperature will cook the smell in [vom].

Husband has very diplomatically said there is a bit of an ammonia-y smell to them. He must love me

I use Floweret and they go in with my towels on a hot wash. I am fairly leaky and can report to no smells at all. They have started to go a bit bleachy crotched like my other black knickers though.

Are they period pants or are they suitable for incontinence?

There's one brand who aren't urine compatible. Frustratingly I can remember which it is!

Try Dettol Laundry liquid.

**Are they period pants or are they suitable for incontinence?

There's one brand who aren't urine compatible. Frustratingly I can remember which it is!**

The ones I mentioned above are. It even says on the blurb for the pants that they help contain explosive farts
I actually emailed the company to let them know that I suffered a miscarriage and the pants held up extremely well and contained everything until I got to the hospital. The nurse even claimed she was going to buy some as she was shocked by the containment (Can't think of another way to describe what she said). I see certain brands for sale for around £25 and Floweret ones cost as little as £6 a pair if you hit the website at the right time.

I don't see how washing at a hot temperature should cook in the smell? I use reusable nappies, it you don't wash them at 40 ans occasionally 60 then they will start to smell. Also how long is your washing machine cycle? Try washing them on a long (2h) 40 followed by a long 60.

A friend recommended using shaving foam on an area where my elderly & incontinent cat had wee’d - washing the carpet, etc hadn’t worked. Lo and behold, it worked a treat - might be worth a go?

I used to use tea tree oil in my nappy bucket, for this reason.

Cap of Zoflora in the fabric softener compartment of the washing machine (even in a 30 degree wash) . Ds wets the bed and it has been revolutionary in getting rid of urine smells.

Lokidile shaving foam is a great stand by product. It really soothed some painful sunburn I got a few years ago when we had unexpected hot weather and had no aftersun. I had used spf but clearly not enough. (Has got to be the mens version though).

@NigelWithTheBrie79

I use Floweret and they go in with my towels on a hot wash. I am fairly leaky and can report to no smells at all. They have started to go a bit bleachy crotched like my other black knickers though.

It's completely normal for vaginal discharge to stain underwear I can't remember exactly why it happens but I think it's to do with the fact that the vagina has a slightly acidic pH to kill any pathogens, so over time the acid stains the underwear. Absolutely nothing wrong if that happens (or if it doesn't, it doesn't mean your vagina's not cleaning properly if it doesn't bleach your knickers!).

I don't see how washing at a hot temperature should cook in the smell? I use reusable nappies, it you don't wash them at 40 ans occasionally 60 then they will start to smell. Also how long is your washing machine cycle? Try washing them on a long (2h) 40 followed by a long 60.

Also a veteran on cloth nappies. Baby urine is different. Doesn't have as much uric acid in.

I will try tea tree and shaving foam, thanks.

The pants are cheeky wipes and they are for both.

Do you put them on a rinse cycle before a proper wash cycle?

Check out CCN - I wash cloth nappies according to this, so the period pants would definitely benefit.

Cold wash, rinse or soak, preferably with salt to break down red blood cells (this is where “cooking” the smell in refers- hot water just cooks the RBC. Cold water and salt makes them explode so they are washed away)

Then hot wash to get rid of urine or non-blood smells.