Other Ways to Wash your Reusable Pads

We have a suggested wash routine, which works well for most women, but it is far from the only way to care for reusables. If you have another method that works for you, please use it with our blessing!  We just ask that you stay away from fabric softener, which can coat the fibres on your pads and reduce absorbency.

Recently on our Amie Reusable Pads Community Facebook group, there was a thread about alternative wash routines.  Here are a few other ways to wash that work for our community:

Just throw them in the washer!

I throw them in a wet bag as is and then straight into the wash. No extra steps, nothing fancy. There is some faint staining on some but nothing overly intense. I personally think totally unmarked pads is a futile effort. They get used monthly, why make yourself nuts (plus the extra chemicals, effort and wear and tear?)
Linnea C.

I dry store til wash day. No soaking and I throw right in the wash with good detergent and a stain booster like oxy. I wash my pads on hot, contrary to popular belief that you should use cold water for blood. I wash them twice on a heavy wash cycle and I hardly ever have stains.
Becki D.

Shower with your pads!

I typically rinse in the shower when I go in and give a little spot treatment with soap then hang to dry until wash time, I would not store them in the wet bag after rinsing to prevent mould and mildew.
Samantha P.

I throw mine in the tub and turn the shower on to pre rinse then I put them under the tap and hang them to dry
I then throw them in my wash with towels
Tanya R.

Rinse when you take them off

I put used pads straight into a bucket under my sink of water and Oxiclean. I let them soak overnight and rinse them out. If needed, I apply a stain remover and hang them until they're dry or almost dry and toss them into my wet bag then. At the end of my cycle I toss them all in the wash and hang to dry, outside when it's summer time. The sun does wonders for removing stains!!
Brenna L.

I rinse and dry and then put them in a wet bag (even though they are dry). I don't really pay attention to staining, but mine are all dark patterns. I figure no one will be looking at my pads for stains anyways 🤣
Kaili M.

As someone who has used cloth for almost 20 years... The best way to avoid stains to to rinse after... I will scrub the surface with an old nail brush and some soap then rinse until water is clear.
Alana S.

I wash mine in the sink right away, until they look like they are clean and then I hang them until I do laundry, I have zero stains.
Nicole R.

I rinse mine and quick scrub with a stain remover bar either right away, or at least same day, then hang dry and store in wet bag until I'm ready to do laundry Jessica E.

I basically wash mine by hand once I take it off and let it hang dry before adding it to my wash pile. I don't worry about stains either. Amy D.

Do a continuous soak - just be sure to change the water

I rinse in cold water as soon as I take it off, then toss it into a bucket with Oxiclean and cold water to soak. I leave them there until my period is over, 3ish days, replacing the water and Oxiclean each day, then I wash them all in the machine on cold. A couple have faint stains, and I have found I leave stains during certain days of my cycle (light days when I’m spotting dark, but heavy days rinse right out). Anyway, so I have a couple liners and lights that I dedicate solely to those days.
Kerri L.

In the warmer months I will often use the bucket method... Just toss the pads into a bucket of cold water and whenever I change the water, I dump it into my garden or compost and then scrub any with noticeable stains before tossing into the washer.
Alana S.

Spray pads with straight hydrogen peroxide

I rinse right away in cold water, then either use a few sprays of peroxide and if it doesn’t start fizzing up then I use resolve stain remover and let it sit for a few mins because that always works. After sitting, I’ll rinse it then let them dry until laundry day.
Samantha T.

If you are looking to avoid being concerned about stains altogether, we invite you to check out our new all-black stain-resistant line, Amie Active, launching June 15, 2021!

Maybe you are looking for a terrific wet bag?  We have lots of really beautiful ones, all made in Canada.  Click to see them here

And, if you aren't a member of our Amie Reusable Pads Facebook Community, we'd love to have you join this group of amazing people!