Period knickers, is it me, or am I doing something wrong?

[AHelpfulHand]

So I purchased some Cheeky Wipes period knickers, the heavy flow ones, thinking they would be better than pads.

However I’m on my 3rd day with them now and I’m finding them such a faff!

You have to take your trousers off to change them, I’m on my 3rd pair today and have spent 15 mins with the tap constantly running rinsing out knickers.

The blood goes all over my hands and just seems to take forever to rinse out.

I don’t know were to put them once they have been rinsed without them dripping everywhere, as they haven’t been spun in a machine etc.

I draped them over the bath until I was to put a dark wash on, only to then find that they left a stain in my bath (stone bath) which would only come off with a special cleaner.

Am I missing something here? I feel like they’re more work than they’re worth.

I use them as a moon cup backup just in case the cup leaks overnight. I have Wuka ones and they're excellent.
Maybe try them in combination with a cup?

I use the Cheeky Wipes reusable wipes on dd and I use these lidded boxes - you fill them with cold water to help them soak until you put a wash on.

How are period pants (made from more synthetic material, bigger) more environmentally friendly than reusable cloth pads?

DD uses Modibodi. I found that rinsing and leaving them wet for a day or more before washing means they end up smelling really musty, and I don't want to run a wash every day. So like some of the PPs, I bought her a small bathroom type bin with a removable inside and she puts used ones straight in there. No soaking. They then go on their own rinse cycle in the machine every few days, before adding other clothes etc and washing as normal.

I tried washing them without rinsing first but they didn't smell properly clean.

I wash them at 40 degrees rather than the recommended 30, because again they didn't seem clean at the lower temp. I'm concerned that I'm damaging the filling (is it wool based?) and they will end up not lasting as long or losing absorbancy. But they really don't seem clean at 30 degrees.

They do take ages to dry so we have to have enough to last her whole period because I can't wash and dry them fast enough.

I think they are a PITA to be honest but they seem to be working for DD.

@pastaandpesto mine are modibodi too. Agree with the tendency for residual smells to hang around if the recommended washing technique is followed. The way we're doing it (as I put in my earlier post) has dealt with the smell issue for us and I'm really interested to read yours as I've only ever washed on cold. But I have recently started putting them in the tumble dryer on low heat setting when it's not sunny enough to hang outside, and they seem to be fine so far

I don't soak them, I use the machine and the rinse setting on there

@MaybeSane , I might try an antibac wash.

I'm not sure I'd recommend washing at 40 - the first time I did it by accident (our machine defaults to 40) and although they came out cleaner, the padding didn't feel as soft or, well, padded. Like when you accidentally wash wool too hot. So I think perhaps it has damaged them a bit, although DD hasn't commented and I haven't seen any evidence of them leaking.

You don't need to rinse them, just store them dry in a wet bag and machine wash in their own load at the end of your period.

I generally prefer reusable pads though as easier to change. I only buy UK brands with cotton tops and fleece backing, not the cheap Chinese ones.

That's grim. Period blood smells after a few hours, trust me I can smell when my colleague doesn't change her pad all day.

Also, having the same pad against your skin for 12 hours is a breeding ground for bacteria. On the odd occasion I've had to do this it's given me skin issues on my labia like rashes or even a couple of spots. Never happens when I change the pad regularly.

Period pants are no different from regular pads in terms of hygiene and smell, they still need to be changed no matter what nonsense the marketing team at these companies comes up with.

Also I have really, really heavy periods, pp help as added security on days 1 & 2, when used with pads or tampons only. Fine on their own after that.

I have a small bucket in the bathroom with a lid that I store mine in (not knickers but cloth pads) until I wash them, and I put a bit of vanish powder in the water before the first one goes in.

If you can't be arsed rinsing them so much, put them in a bucket of water and empty it out in the evenings and refill it, giving the knickers a squeeze before going back into the water.

I have been using my cloth pads for about four years now, haven't had to replace them, and love them. When I have to use a "regular" disposable pad, the feel of them makes me cringe, I hate them now.

Also, having the same pad against your skin for 12 hours is a breeding ground for bacteria. On the odd occasion I've had to do this it's given me skin issues on my labia like rashes or even a couple of spots. Never happens when I change the pad regularly.

@InterFactual it seems perhaps you haven't used reusable cloth pads, or period knickers? Disposable pads are absolutely rank and become very uncomfortable after a couple of hours, cloth pads are very different, and I can guarantee they don't smell. I would also very strongly recommend to not wear a regular disposable pad for more than a handful of hours, cause 1) they're rank, and 2) thy start to hurt your skin, and 3) they smell.

I've got some of the Uniqlo ones and they're very good. I do a very quick rinse in cold water and then put them in a wet bag. I think the washing at 30 degrees is because blood comes out better at lower temperatures, so I don't put them in with reusable nappies which I wash at 60. But I'd put them in with other delicates.

I have some from primark and also some pads from bloom and Nora. I have a little zip bag from there as well and use it for the pads and the pants. Rinse them and put them in the bag then wash them

I don't think they're great.

They are like wearing a nappy.

Also if I take them off after a couple of hours I get blood all over my hands

Similarly putting them in the washing machine - I have to deal with blood again.

I felt I saw blood a lot more when I wore period pants.

So I gave up. Some of them are made of awful material too.

I really think something like a sponge layer would be better. More comfortable to sit on and would soak it up easier.

I can't believe after all this time , they haven't experimented with making different period products. When half of the world gets them!

What brand of resuable pads do you use @mushroomushroom?@mushroomushroom

I'd like to see if they would work for DD as a more practical and economical alternative to period pants.

The one upside of coming out the other end of the menopause!

I was born too late for egg cups or period pants and it was tampons all the way for me. Obviously, there were some times that sanitary towels had to be used and used to LOATHE them for this very reason. That awful glug glug glug when you get up from sitting down and the resulting squelch splat squelch when sitting down again, ugh.....

I have WUKA ones and Victoria Secret. I love them and think they're a real game changer. I don't know how pp can think they're like wearing a nappy as the material is only slightly thicker than normal knickers, esp the VS ones. They're super absorbent - never wet and no, they don't smell like pads do. I can wear them a full day and just throw them straight in the washing machine, I've never heard of anyone soaking them. I don't have a particularly heavy flow though.

I do think we look at periods wrong.

We have been taught by mainly male scientists to see periods as bad and to see the blood as a waste product. So many women see periods as an inconvenience.

When actually menstruation is a sign of a healthy body. And blood is powerful and healthy and can tell us about how our body is doing. It is an important time of the month and we should treat ourselves with care.
In an ideal world I think that we should have the time of our periods off work and off school, if we want. We should have the option to rest if needed.

In much older societies, women who menstruated were treated with a lot more respect. They were allowed to rest and take care of themselves during this time . And I think women were also believed to be more powerful to this time as they were more connected to nature at this time. And in the older societies, people used to go to menstruating women and ask them for their wisdom, their intuition as women were thought to be very powerful and knowledgeable at this time.

I also only change twice a day at each end. If I'm very heavy (which it sounds like you are) I use my menstrual cup as well so the pants become more of a just in case.

Uniqlo ones feel dry all day, and I have a really heavy flow (have to change pads multiple times a day)

Hi @pastaandpesto I got mine from a brand called "eco period", but apparently they've changed name to "bleasy". I have the period knickers from them too which I'm not actually a fan of, but I really like their pads. I have mostly the medium sized ones, a couple of the large ones (I use those at night or when very heavy flow) and about two small ones. The medium ones are the best for me to be honest, and the large. The small ones can move around when you walk, plus I find if my period is at a light stage anyway it doesn't bother me to have a medium one one anyway. I thought I would hate them in the summer but actually they're totally grand.

@pastaandpesto sorry just to add, I don't like their period knickers because they ran small, they cut into me, and I've since put on a couple of pounds and it's even worse 😅 I was a size 10-12 then and got the medium, I'm about a 12-14 now. If I'd known I'd have gotten the size large.

I have Modibodis.

I store them unrinsed in a wash bag and put them after 2 days in the washing machine on a rinse cycle and then wash them properly.

No smell, no rinsing by hand and after 2 days DD or I have around 5-6 pairs depending on which day of the cycle we are.

I originally rinsed by hand but I have the really heavy ones and it was a disaster.

I just put them straight in the washer, no rinsing. I just chuck them in and each evening put a rinse cycle on, then after 4 days when they are all in I still the liquid in and put them on a wash cycle.