Period pants smelling

[Blueowlnight]

i really struggle with period pants smelling after a couple of hours of wearing, sometimes even can catch a smell after washing (if I really smell them).

I have always rinsed until as clear as I can get them but this honestly takes 3-5 mins or so and there always seems to be a slight yellow hint to the water. I don’t think I’ve ever managed to get it clear but I’m there for so long using so much water! And then where do you let them dry? I don’t want unclean pants hanging around the house, have tried to air dry in the bathroom but they never seem to dry properly and then the smell is awful while I wait for a wash to put them in.

help, what is the secret? Is it better not to rinse straight away to avoid them just sitting damp? Or am I doing something wrong that means I’m not able to get them
dry?

Usual practice is wear in day or overnight; rinse them in cold water; hang them to dry (but this smells awful and they never dry); wash them on a 40c for 2.5 hours with a non bio smol tablet and white vinegar instead of softener.

I don’t rinse mine. I take them off and put them straight into the machine on a 40 wash for an hour with an Ariel pod and I never get any smell.

They need to be washed with bio. My daughter puts hers in a bucket of water and when I’ve a few to wash I stick them on a washing machine rinse then a wash at 40 on their own.

Chuck them in a bucket of water with some white vinegar in it for half an hour before washing them

There are both scented and unscented available.

Try a mooncup. They are a total game changer.

And I just put my pants in with the general wash and tumble dry. No need for a separate wash. Also buy the m&s ones- a third of the price so you might not feel so worried about washing them at a higher temp.

Used mine with a moon cup as a back up. Never rinsed them, just washed at 40. For the last e years I've had a mirena and no periods at all, hallelujah, wish id got it years ago.

Now I’m wondering where I can get period pants that hum. Mine are bog standard quiet ones.

Aldi middle aisle of course ;)

I don't bother rinsing, just put them in the wash along with other clothes at 40c with bio powder. Not had a problem with them smelling, and I'm not doing any extra loads of washing, so eco-friendly too. I use Mobibodi and Wuka.

@advicepleaseladies putting them in the shower and squishing with your feet? Gross.

60 degree wash once a week - you really need 10-14 pairs so you are changing frequently

I put my daughter's in washer on a 40 wash, with a good dose of white vinegar in the softener tray. They don't smell and I dry them on line or airer.

They sound like they need stripping to be honest. Put them on a long 40 wash with no detergent, it removes any excess detergent as it builds up over time.

Anything other than cold water will COOK the blood (sorry TMI) so that's why they'll smell unclean, I agree with leaving them in a lidded bucket and then doing as she suggests.

I'm fascinated by what you find gross? You'd normally have to use your hands to squeeze them out so instead I'm using my feet, and a shower instead of the tap to not waste additional water. Then of course the feet are washed properly in the shower after and the pants are washed properly in a washing machine after (in the same way that socks for example are washed after being on your feet). You must have some very gross feet yourself if this is something that appalls you! Luckily for me, I don't! And I also don't think the human body and period blood is offensive

also looks like I'm not the only one who does this! I did think I'd read it on here before too

This!

If I put on the period pants at 6 in the morning and return home at 7 (or maybe 9, 10 in the evening), I would be wearing the period pants for 13-15 hours. I wouldn’t want to wear a pad for that amount of time. So why would I want to do that with period pants?

I do quite like period pants as an extra layer of security when wearing a light dress or white trousers…

Edit: or I’d have to bring a change of pants and carry the used ones around until I get home…

@PumpkinsAndCoconuts for me it was the same as having to carry round used nappies as Ds2 was in reusables. The liners meant I could bin any solids but the nappies were still wet. There are specific bags you can buy which is what I used for reusable sanitary pads, then made the move to period knickers.

You are not expected to wear them for 13 - 15 hours, you change them, as you would any other sanitary product. There are period knickers with side clasps so you can change them without having to remove your trousers or tights.

As for carrying them around are you always on the move with your handbag? There are bags for them or I know someone who uses an airtight plastic container so it isn't like you just stuffed it to the bottom of your bag. It is a pair of knickers not a brick.

@CrystalSingerFan tampons make my period pain worse as I have endometriosis, same with a menstrual cup. It is to do with where my endo is.

I do the same as many others, I don't rinse mine, I keep them in a bag then put them into the washing machine on a cold short cycle with a rinse hold so they sit in the water. Drain that water off, add bathroom towels and wash on 40 with bio washing powder. I also did this with reusable sanitary pads so for over 20 years now.

I didn't bother with the rinsing. Just straight in the washing machine with bio detergent. No smells.

I need knickers that can be worn for an entire day (as in anything between 6 and 16 hours) without becoming smelly, moist /
soggy or increasing my risks of contracting a UTI.

I have worn them for shorter amounts of time and found them uncomfortable after a few hours to be honest.
If I wear a pad, I change it every 4-6 hours so
I would need to bring 2-3 pairs of period panties (in addition to the one I’d already be wearing) to comfortably get me through the day.

and I truly do not want to carry around used period pants when meeting friends for after work drinks or going to an important meeting…

as for handbags: depends on the day. But some of my handbags are certainly not large
enough to accommodate 2 pairs of panties in addition to their regular contents. (But that wouldn’t be an issue during a regular work day, that is admittedly true.)

Reusable pads rather than period pants, but I just keep them “dry” in a lidded bin for the few days of a period then do a wash with usual detergent on 60 (eg: as I would for anything soiled) and they come out perfect, no smell or staining. I don’t know if a regular wash on 60 would damage the stretch of knickers though.

Zoflor in the wash

I think it's the possible idea of verucas transferring from feet to fanny!

and I truly do not want to carry around used period pants when meeting friends for after work drinks or going to an important meeting…

So many potential scenarios for a Bridget Jones movie in this comment!

ModiBodi have a wool gusset so should not be washed in bio detergent. Most period pants can’t be hot washed due to the waterproof layer.
I have ModiBodi and I do as a pp above, I don’t soak them, I just wash them as normal. Sometimes I have used bio liquid without thinking, it hasn’t noticeably damaged them but it would degrade the wool over time so I try and avoid it. They can’t go in a tumble drier due to the waterproof layer and the wool layer, I hang them up on the Sheila Maid to dry.

Rinse then wash on a cool wash (max 30c) with only detergent, no fabric softener (if you have previously washed with fabric softener you will need to wash them a few times so strip the accumulated fabric softener out.)

Then air dry inside out so the pad bit fully dries.