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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask...where do you put your used tampons at home?

475 replies

YellowCat3 · 07/04/2019 15:27

Okay, I'll fess up...for years I've flushed them [blush. I've never thought too much about the enivronmental impact as I thought it was the same as loo roll, but have recently become aware that I definitely need to stop.

But I don't like the thought of them lingering around the house. We don't have a bin in the bathroom as it seems disgusting somehow, and our only bin is in the kitchen. It seems beyond skanky to put soiled tampons in there. I just wondered what other women do - do you put them straight in the bins outside, or are you happy to have bloody tampons in the bins inside for days? Not sure if I am being OCD about this (probably), but feel puzzled as to the best way to dispose of them?

OP posts:
Laiste · 08/04/2019 07:53

The cloth/disposable thing: here's a study done about the difference in environmental impact between cloth and disposable nappies. It's not as simple as cloth is best by any means.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/earthnews/3353497/Nappies-terry-cloth-more-environmentally-friendly-than-disposable.html

To save ploughing through it; the basics of it is that using cloth nappies is only better IF

  • you have a properly energy efficient machine
  • put on a full load every time
  • wash the nappies on low heat every time
  • line dry them all every time

''Using disposable nappies over the period (2.5 years) would result in a 550kg of carbon dioxide being pumped into the atmosphere. Using reusable nappies with an average washer and drier use produced a global warming impact of 570kg of CO2 equivalents.''

LoubyLou1234 · 08/04/2019 08:02

How is a bathroom bin disgusting but carrying a used wrapped tampon to put in the kitchen bin ok?? Bathroom pedal bin and emptied regularly! Bathroom is cleaned, hands are washed. What's the issue?

Vulpine · 08/04/2019 08:06

The bin free brigade - if you have daughters who have just started their periods what are they meant to do?

LaurieMarlow · 08/04/2019 08:12

What have toilet brushes got to do with the question?

A chance to air the usual mumsnet lunacy.

I have a bin the the bathroom, but it’s only emptied once a week so I wrap and put them in the kitchen bin.

SnuggyBuggy · 08/04/2019 08:15

Mumsnet is so weird about bathroom bins. Some people seem to have them but are overly precious about what goes in them and consider sanitary pads and tampons disgusting.

VanGoghsDog · 08/04/2019 08:18

In 23 years my neighbours have never complained about their pipes. Not had a problem with mine either!

I haven't complained to my neighbours, I just paid to get their literal shit cleared out of my driveway.
They have no idea I had to do this.

You can't pick and choose which bits of society you work within whole trying to claim everyone else is wrong.

And flushing food down the loo is equally anti social!

Ferii · 08/04/2019 08:20

@Ie42 You can tip the mooncup blood down the toilet and then pop it back in as is, or wipe it down with tissue, or give it a rinse with water. I shower twice a day when I have my period and empty the mooncup then which is super handy and by far the easiest way to learn for beginners. The Mooncup UK website and their social media is fantastic to read through the FAQs. www.mooncup.co.uk It holds more than a tampon and is loads more comfortable as it doesn't dry you out or leave fibres behind. I can't recommend it highly enough and if you try it and decide its not for you then no harm done :)

PookieDo · 08/04/2019 08:22

My teenage DD’s appreciate the bathroom bin trust me
If it has a lid it doesn’t smell

Laiste · 08/04/2019 08:22

Our bathroom bin is quite big! Long white drawstringed (drawstrung?) liner in it. Empty it every ... 10 days or so i guess. There's lots of us in the house, all but one are women (5 adults one DC) It genuinely only smells when i empty it and air gets wafted out of it while i pull the liner out.

StarlaP · 08/04/2019 08:24

Wrapped in tissue and put it in bathroom bin. It does get emptied daily though, with three females living here it needs to be.

PookieDo · 08/04/2019 08:24

Even if it did smell, it doesn’t smell like decomposed flesh or shit. It doesn’t smell the house out or the street

NancyJoan · 08/04/2019 08:28

Paper bags and into the bin.

cushellekoala · 08/04/2019 08:32

We have bathroom bins. Even unwrapping a tampon (or other san pro) creates rubbish, and put dental floss and toilet wipes in there as well.

AdvancedAvoider · 08/04/2019 08:36

I didn't think a thread on MN could make me feel so angry and want to stab people at 8.30 on a Monday morning but this one has managed to.

All you fucking fuckers flushing your tampons down the loo and refusing to stop should be forced in to the sewers and made to clear all the blockages and fatbergs with your bare hands, ALL OF YOU.

Until we all grow up a little bit and stop being ashamed of periods, woman are still going to be made to feel dirty because they bleed once a month ish.

I'm going to get a coffee now and try to get my 50 something head around all this nonsense.

sugartitz · 08/04/2019 08:38

I always had a problem with tampons that they would fall out when I sat down to do a wee, and fishing them out wasn't pleasant, but necessary. Id just wrap them in toilet roll and take them to the kitchen bin - no big deal. We can't have a bin in the toilet because it's too small and we don't have anyone of period age visit (not a coincidence - i just don't have visitors!). I've now swapped to a mooncup, which is much better.

WatershedMoment · 08/04/2019 08:40

Yes, flushing tampons its wrong but I wish there was a less gross solution to putting used tampons in the bin. I'm squeamish and find it grotesque. (OMG to the person who doesn't even use a bin liner!).

WatershedMoment · 08/04/2019 08:41

People threatening to stab people about their tampon disposal. Are you on your period now?? Wow, just a bit unnecessary.

JacquesHammer · 08/04/2019 08:42

Are you on your period now??

Oh fuck off with that misogynistic crap.

Bojangles33 · 08/04/2019 08:45

How are people who put them in a plastic bag thinking this is better?! Jesus Christ. Buy a mooncup.

JacquesHammer · 08/04/2019 08:47

How are people who put them in a plastic bag thinking this is better?!

Because the plastic bags come anyway. I save the ones that come through the post etc. It’s far better to use them for something rather than just bin.

Jesus Christ. Buy a mooncup

Well that wouldn’t be a good use of plastic as I can’t use one Smile

Pinkyyy · 08/04/2019 08:48

I'm actually so shocked at the ignorance of some people saying they didn't know they couldn't flush them, and refusing to stop.

This isn't people being martyrs for the planet, it's basic knowledge that everyone should know. You don't flush anything other than toilet paper or bodily functions. I'm sure before long all of you people refusing to stop flushing them will get hit with a huge bill or a burst pipe full of human waste, maybe that will stop you.

LeatherFace · 08/04/2019 08:48

Until we all grow up a little bit and stop being ashamed of periods, woman are still going to be made to feel dirty because they bleed once a month ish

^^ this.

Do what you want as long as it’s not affecting other people, but flushing stuff fucks up the environment/your neighbours drains, and treating periods with shame fucks up the progress of equality for women.

CanYouHelpFindThis · 08/04/2019 08:51

Put back in the wrapper (wrapper of new one)
Put into a nappy sack then put in bathroom bin.
Then just empty bathroom bin daily

AdvancedAvoider · 08/04/2019 08:51

Watershed I'm fairly sure you know I wasn't being literal.

And don't ever ask a woman if she's on her period because she's angry or grumpy. Do you always use misogynistic language towards other women?

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 08/04/2019 08:53

I have a bin the the bathroom, but it’s only emptied once a week so I wrap and put them in the kitchen bin.

My kitchen bin doesn’t get emptied that often as we don’t produce much non recyclable rubbish plus my bedroom and bathroom are on the top floor of a three storey house..kitchen bottom floor... bathroom bin is a much more sensible option for me.