Do you need to change period pants?

[CateringPanic]

I’m thinking about switching to reusable period products as I keep getting thrush from regular sanitary towels and pulling out tampons always gives me the heebie jeebies.

This is probably a really stupid question but if you wear period pants do you need to change them like you would a sanitary towel? Or can you just expect to wear them all day like a normal pair of pants?

I’d wear them on the first and last day of my period. Not on my heaviest days as they can’t cope with that and even if they could I don’t want to stay in them all day if there is a lot of blood. I’m might wear them on a heavy day if I was WFH and could change a couple of times but it’s not practical to do that when out and about

I don't now but I'm peri and fairly light now. The heavy ones last me 24 hours without issue. Also good for concerts, exercise classes and other "jumpy" activities when you have issues!

I like the chub rub shorts ones for summer

I have very heavy periods. I use them WITH a tampon during the day instead of towel & tampon - makes me completely leak proof.

I also use them alone at night. And I wear them on the days or two before and after my period to anticipate getting it / catch any last dribbles .

I can’t be arsed to change pants multiple times a day and the one time I wore them out all day on their own I really smelled unpleasant by the end of the day and felt like I was wearing a full nappy!

Meh. I'm not going to stop discussing stuff just because some weirdo might be getting off on it.

If you have a 15 min quick wash function you can just do that, then put them in with everything else. Or handwash to get the blood out first, then normal wash.

Bit grim to put them in with a normal wash - you risk blood transfer onto other clothes in the wash basket, or during the wash.

That’s why it tells you to rinse first. You rinse all the blood out then wash. You don’t need to wash twice, that will degrade them
quicker. Same principle as washable nappies. I don’t keep mine in the laundry basket. If there’s not a load to put in the machine they sit in what used to be our nappy bucket in the bathroom until the wash goes on. But usually for less than 24hrs. There’s no issue washing them with clothes once rinsed.

Depends on you and the pants. I usually change once during the day, on the first 2 days

Nappies are a bit different - you aren’t usually putting them in the washing machine alongside normal clothes. And you usually have enough to put a full load on every day or two.

With period pants, you may only have 2-4 pairs. It’s a waste of water/electricity to put them through by themselves on a full wash. The person I was replying to asked if other people just put them in with their normal clothes. I was saying yes, but they need rinsing first, either by hand, or by running them through a 15 min cycle in the machine first.

I don’t particularly want a nappy bucket in the bathroom until I hit menopause - I was very glad to see the back of it when DS was potty trained. I’m happier rinsing by hand in the sink.

I rinse by hand too usually. But you said handwash or short machine wash, not rinse. I said I leave them in the bucket until I’m ready to put a wash on. That might be for 2hrs or 12. It’s rarely as much as 24.

I did nappies as a load when we were using them all the time but now its night pull
ups only they have always gone in with clothes. I don’t save them up. I’ve never needed a separate period pants wash either. I have about 10 pairs of different absorbency but about 5 favourites that I wear most.

The nappy bucket has been redesignated for soiled clothes for DD anyway, she comes back from nursery absolutely plastered so I always have a pile of manky clothes to chuck in with my “special massive pants” as DD calls them 😂

How do people change them at work please?

You would have to take trousers and shoes off.

I get changed for various things at work so just in a normal toilet cubicle? You can get little wet bags to keep them in so that’s what I use although it is quite rare that I need to change them. Only if I’m going out straight from the office and will be a while. I’m suppose it might depend where you work. I frequently go from dress to jodhpurs or gym clothes to dress at work so no-one bats an eye.
If you have a clean toilet though it’s easy to change clothes. Although it’s a bit of a bastard with tights. I hate putting tights back on in a confined space. I crash about and it never feels comfy 🙈

Yes as I found out; luckily I was at home!

Maybe it depends on the brand re leakages. I have heavy periods with lots of clots and the super strength modibodi ones are enough for 8 hours in most cases.

Definitely depends on brand. Tried to get cheaper at Primark, Amazon and marks for my teens but we've all ended up with modibodi. Expensive but I've had mine for 2 years with no leaks. Nighttime was an issue for me but now I'm fine.