Did you know that an average wearer of disposable pads uses nearly 1100 per year?! Even at only 3 pads a day, these add up tremendously. If someone is wearing them for 10 years, this is 11,000 paper and plastic pads thrown in the trash and building up in our overburdened landfills. Fortunately, there is a better way.

We say that one reusable pad will replace a minimum of 200 disposables, but in our experience, many people find they will get 300 or more uses out of each pad!

Are reusable incontinence pads a good option for bladder leaks?

Yes, they absolutely can be. You can use them for light bladder leaks or for moderate (even heavy-moderate) incontinence. It is all about choosing the right absorbency for you, which we'll cover later on.

Do reusable pads smell?

Reusable pads have a huge advantage here. Disposable pads contain super-absorbent gelling material, chemicals and fragrance intended to mask odours that, paradoxically, have an offensive smell of their own, particularly when wet. Cloth pads are just that - cloth, and are free of odours. Most of the time, following a standard wash routine will keep them nice and fresh, but occasionally, they will need a very simple step to give them a little TLC. Read on!

How do you wash washable pads?

When you remove a pad, you can rinse it or simply leave it in a container open to the air so the pads can breathe (this is really important), and toss them in with your regular wash and dry when ready to wash. You can also hang them to dry if you prefer. Sunshine, especially, is a terrific natural sanitizer and freshener. Occasionally, people will find that their pads start to hang onto a urine smell after washing. This has a very simple and economical fix. Before washing a batch of pads, simple soak them in a tub of water with a tablespoon or so of baking soda for about 15 minutes. This will neutralize the smell of urine. Wash and dry as usual.

Which ones should I start with?

Choosing the right reusable incontinence pads is fairly straightforward. Most people find it easiest to start with a set — you'll do far less laundry, and you'll have everything you need right from the start. Not sure which absorbency is right for you? Our quick quiz can help you figure it out in just a few questions.

Want to skip straight to a complete kit? Our Incontinence Essentials Set includes seven reusable pads in the absorbency of your choice, a large wet bag, a small wet bag, a drying strap, and a wing extender — everything you need, all in one place. Also available in easy-care black Amie Active fabric.

We have pads in light, moderate, heavy and super absorbency. Important note - our pads were originally named for period use. Please refer to the description of each absorbency to ensure it will be the right match for your bladder leaks.

• If you experience very light bladder leakage, like small dribbles or the occasional low-level sneeze pee, light absorbency pads are a great place to start.
• If you'd describe your incontinence as frequent sneeze-pees or small splashes with exercise or exertion, we suggest a moderate pad, in either a standard or long length.
• If you typically experience frequent leaks, small but continual dribbling or small to moderate gushes, heavy absorbency pads in an extra-long length are a good fit.
• If you experience a partial emptying of your bladder, we suggest trying a super/postpartum pad. This is a very large pad with a lot of coverage and a lot of absorbency. The downside is that it can take a long time to dry, so we always suggest going with a heavy absorbency pad, if it will work for you.
• If you experience quite heavy or total urinary incontinence, it is unlikely reusable pads will be a good option for you.

Can I use cloth pantyliners?

Weeeelllll...you can use them, but we'd like to point out that our reusable pantyliners are different from disposables, in that they don't have a waterproof backer. They are designed for daily freshness for people who like to use pantyliners, for very small amounts of thick-quality end-of-cycle menstrual flow or for just the teensiest dribbles of urine. Mostly, we steer people toward our pads instead of liners for the extra insurance of the waterproof backer.

Will reusable pads show through clothing? Are they bulky?

Nope! Thanks to lots of advances in fabric development, we think you'll find that reusable pads are trim and discreet.

The inside layer of our pads is a bamboo/organic cotton fleece that is highly absorbent. You can feel confident wearing them, even in leggings.

I hope that information is helpful to you. Please reach out anytime if you need help choosing reusable pads for incontinence (or anything else!) via our contact form. We're here to help!

Written by Christine Gayfer, founder of Amie Pads. Christine has been designing reusable pads for both menstruation and incontinence since 2017. She's helped thousands of Canadian customers find comfortable, sustainable alternatives to disposables.