Washable Pads for Incontinence

If you have struggled with bladder leakage or urinary incontinence, you probably know very well that disposable pads can add up quickly...both in terms of money spent and garbage gained. If you experience light to moderate bladder leakage (and even on the heavier side of moderate), reusable pads may be just what you are looking for. We want to do all we can to help you make the switch to washable pads that will put a hard stop to both of these things. We hope you'll find that reusables are the best pads for incontinence you've ever tried!

5 star review and customer testimonial for washable incontinence pads

Why are reusable pads great for incontinence protection?

stop the irritating rashes and reactions many women experience with disposable pads
stop spending your hard-earned money on literal garbage
feel comfy with natural fibres against your skin; no more sweaty paper and plastic pads
feel confident knowing your pad is wonderfully absorbent and has a waterproof backer to prevent embarrassing leaks
help reduce your carbon footprint by choosing a product that will be reused at least 100 times

Will washable 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 reusable 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, women 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 products is fairly straightforward. We find that women are happiest with their pad stashes when they take time to build them up over time. This gives you a chance to see what is working well for you and what you need more of. We'd suggest starting with 2-4 pads in an absorbency you think will work for you. We have pads in light, moderate and heavy absorbency, to make sure you can get the best pads for incontinence management. We also do carry a very large super/postpartum absorbency pad which can be a lifesaver if needed. (Please do read the caution below about drying times.)

❗ When in doubt between two absorbencies, we suggest you go with the more absorbent of the two

Light: If you experience light bladder leakage, like small dribbles or the occasional low-level sneeze pee, start by trying a couple of light absorbency pads.
Moderate: If you'd describe your incontinence as more than just the light leakage above, but less than a sudden parital-emptying of the bladder, we suggest starting with a moderate pad, in either a standard or long length.
Heavy: If you typically experience a partial emptying of your bladder or would otherwise describe your incontinence as heavy-moderate, start off with a heavy absorbency pad, probably in an extra-long length. This usually covers most people, but occasionally, heavier bladder incontinence may call for our super/postpartum pads. These are a very large pad with a lot of coverage and a lot of absorbency. The downside is that they can take a long time to dry, so we always suggest going with a heavy absorbency pad, if it will work for you.

Do you have a set I can just get?

Absolutely. While we have a number of sets geared toward periods, we also have a set designed with ladies in mind who are looking for washable incontinence pads. Our single-absorbency sets are a set of 4 pads in the absorbency of your choice. Click here to check it out.

Can I use 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 women 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.

Do cloth pads show through clothing? Are they bulky?

Nope! Thanks to lots of advances in fabric development, we think you'll find that reusable pads for incontinence 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.