(no subject)

[oh-so-quiet.livejournal.com]

okay, i couldn't find this in the memories; someone let me know if i missed it.

i'd really like to make and start using cloth pads. here's my problem: i work from nine to six every weekday, and i don't usually take breaks. there's no way for me to get home, and there's (obviously) no place for me to store or clean pads that i've used. is there anything that i can do? is it still possible for me to use them? i've heard about women doing things like keeping a bucket in the bathroom to soak pads until they can clean them, but i can't do anything like that. my only place to keep things is a storage closet that i share with two other women. any ideas?

Comments

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

What I do is roll/fold them up and then snap the wings around the rolled-up pad to keep it rolled up, then put that in my handbag. You could put it inside a cloth bag or even a zip-loc bag or something if your flow has been very heavy and you're concerned about it.

I don't bother soaking them, I just unroll them and take the inserts out and throw the whole lot in the washer at the end of the week. This means all my pads are bloodstained, but hello? they are menstrual pads, does it _really_ matter if they get stained? I think not.

Hope this helps.

[puttysan.livejournal.com]

lol I always wondered why they recommended soaking to avoid bloodstains. Besides that you're the only one seeing them, who cares if they're stained? :)

There are some patterns that have removeable inserts, which you can fold into a baggie until you get home.

[oh-so-quiet.livejournal.com]

is there ever a problem with odor or anything?

[ourika.livejournal.com]

I find that the only time I have problems with odor have been when I’ve soaked them or when I’ve left them in completely air tight packaging for a while. I used to soak my pads, but if I forgot to change the water regularly, the water got stinky. Now, I rinse them (if I can), and then just let them dry in a bucket with the lid open. That could be done in a closet as well as in a bathroom. If they pads are just allowed to sit somewhere they can dry out (I just toss them in the bucket, I don’t lay them out, but I do make sure that they’re not bundled into a ball) they’re ok. Obviously, you’ve got to do something with them for the day, so if the flow has been so heavy that you need to put them in a zip lock bag, just be sure to rinse them well before leaving them out in your closet.

That’s worked for me, at least. Like I said, I’ve never left them in a closet, I leave them in the bathroom, but since I don’t soak them, I don’t see what difference it would make where they actually sit. The odor occurs from stagnate moisture, but if the pads are allowed to dry, adn they're not left in standing water, there shouldn't be a problem.