Period pants moan/advice needed

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I've got twin girls aged 13 who have started their periods in the last year. They were having a lot of leakages using conventional sanitary towels so I invested in some Wuka heavy flow period pants - not cheap, especially when buying for two. Wuka claims that they're a more environmental solution than towels and suggest the initial outlay will be made back because you'll save on buying towels. I really haven't found this to be the case and I'm interested in how others are getting on. I don't have a problem with the performance of the pants, but the washing palaver is really getting me down.
The advice is to rinse them under cold water until the water runs clear, but this takes a real effort - at least 5 minutes a time, with so much wringing while doing it that I've actually developed an RSI in my wrist from it! Even then, the water isn't clear, just less bad. The particular pants I've got are supposed to be washed by hand but I put them in the washing machine anyway as I think it would be impossible to get them clean by hand. I've tried to get my girls to wash them themselves, but they need to change them in morning before school and also before bed, which are stressful enough times as it is! We've ended up using them with sanitary towels as well, to minimise the effort of handwashing. Without that I'd be using my washing machine every day, on top of running the tap for ages to rinse them - hardly environmentally friendly! Either that, or leave them in a bucket or plastic bag and do one wash at the end of the week, but that seems really icky to me.
The girls are reluctant to use tampons and I don't blame them as I was quite a bit older than them when I started to use them, so that's not an option.
The reviews on Wuka are really positive. I just wonder what I'm missing here?

we do the short 15 min cycle with cold water and then add the normal laundry & detergent for the regular wash.

Wuka heavy are a seriously heavy duty period pant. They’ll take a lot, but do take a fair amount of rinsing and I tend to find that if heavily used then just standard washing machine cycle doesn’t cut it and they do need rinsing.

For buying more in the future, it’s definitely worth considering some of the less absorbent ones like M&S and primark or lower capacity wuka as they’re definitely less demanding on the washing. I tend to keep the highest capacity ones for when they’re needed.

Rinsing wise, the wringing is overkill and can see would be hard on wrists. I tend to keep run the cold tap in the basin, get a good soak through and then single squeeze with one hand, and then repeat that until the bulk of the bodily fluids are out. Or do less and Chuck in the bottom of the shower and get some of the rinse that way (but pick up before conditioner gets used).

I use the Uniqlo ones. Put them in the sink to soak while I am in the shower, light handwash with a bit of soap afterwards to get most of the blood off. Wring out just enough to stop them dripping water on the floor when I’m carrying them, then store in the empty washing machine until I next do a wash. We wash every 2-3 days in this house so they aren’t in there long.

I don't rinse mine, but I rarely use them alone (unless right at the end or start of period) so they don't get really messy unless I've flooded

@NCembarassed - can I ask what the sizing is like with Cheeky pants please?

I have never rinsed mine (and I have very heavy periods) the ones I wear must be several years old too.
DD has them now and they just go in a dark wash too.
I also put under wired bras in the wash and have never had an issue with that either!

We don't rinse them, just chuck them straight into a dark wash. Never had a problem not rinsing them out first.

I just chuck them in with the wash. If you had pants you leaked onto, you wouldn't pre soak would you?

This is a really unkind attitude, as if heavy periods at 13 wasn't stressful enough.

I don't use period pants but would just recommend the Hey Girls pads that schools get for free. They're so much more comfortable (bamboo I think, not plasticky) and maybe they could use the night time ones.

Wuka are my favourite but lots of super markets do cheaper ones.

They're not cheap but you do need to build a collection of them. How many times a day do they change them and how many days in a row do you want to go without machine washing.

You can also get reusable pads to insert and second lidded soaking bucket - quick rinse out and drop in.

No, I wouldn't, but that is just a small stain. If you have a couple of pairs of period pants that you have bled heavily into for several hours, that's a fair bit of blood that is swishing around in the washing machine.Whenever I've tried just washing a couple of pairs of heavily used pants without rinsing or soaking, my washing has had a distinct smell when it came out of the machine, so personally I prefer to rinse them. Lightly used ones just go in the wash as they are, no rising or soaking.

I never pre-rinse mine. I have been using reusable sanitary wear for 2 decades and now use WUKA period knickers because they are excellent.

They get stashed in a nappy bag (I used cloth nappies for my child) in my bathroom and when my period is finished I put them all into the washing machine on a rinse cycle but I use rinse hold meaning they sit in the water inside the machine to get a good soaking. About 20 minutes later I press play on the machine and it drains the water. I then add bathroom towels and wash as normal.

The machine does all the work.

I use washable pads. Much easier to change when out and about. Throw them in a tub of cold water when mucky (Old plastic cracker box with lid). Once I have a few, drain down the loo and chuck into a normal wash.

I've always put mine in a cold rinse in machine and then in with towels at 40 / bio washing powder with no issues. I air dry them in the boiler cupboard on the maiden and flip them so they dry in less than a day

I use wuka. Bung them in the machine for a rinse and spin, then just do them with my normal wash. I just ordered some new ones and realised that you're not supposed to use fabric conditioner though. This is a bummer, because I hate the feel of not using conditioner, and I don't want to have to do a whole special wash for 3 knickers...

Must say I’d have died of shame if my mum was hand washing my pants. I suppose it’s nice that OPs DDs don’t feel that level of embarrassment about a normal bodily function, but still!

I have cheeky wipes pads and knickers. I rinse them for a minute or so, don't wring them out, and put them in a wet bag I've had since using cloth nappies.

I chuck the whole bag in the machine on its own at the end, so about 5 days max. I use a long cotton wash cycle. No fabric conditioner.

I haven’t read the full thread but I use reusable sanitary towels and just put them in the washing machine on a rinse cycle before the main wash. No time for this rinsing by hand business.

I just fling them in the washing basket, doesn’t seem to be doing them any harm.

Oh and before these I used reuseable towels which also said to rinse until water ran clear. Did it the first few times but soon stopped and just put them in the basket. They all lasted over 5 years so I got my moneys worth.

I just throw mine in the dark wash, I don't rinse or soak

Put them on a rinse cycle in the washing machine before washing?

My DD has used flowette for a few years now & they've been really good. I wish they were around when I was a teen.

I rinse as my 12yo dd is quite heavy, she struggles to do it herself as she's autistic and gets really upset, it's a faff but I couldn't just throw them in the wash without rinsing 🤢

A lidded bucket to soak sounds like a great idea so I'm going to try that!

M&S period pants are fantastic, with dd bring very sensory we have tried them all, but M&S are the only ones she'll wear and has only leaked a few times when she's not changed often enough!

I just save up a days worth and wash them separately on their own wash. No rinsing. No hassle.