Methods for Cleaning Cloth Pads

Hello! I’m Kay, I’m the Padmaker Extraordinaire at Moody V. I’ve been making and selling cloth pads for, gee wiz, like 2ish 3ish years now. Over those years I’ve found the best techniques for cleaning cloth pads. 

One of my favorite ways to sell pads is at local night markets like the Portland Night Market. Probably the most asked question I get from adorable and curious humans is:

“Uhhhh, but, umm….. How do you clean it?”

WELL! It’s honestly much simpler than it may seem. There’s a few methods for cleaning cloth pads to keep them fresh and ready to bleed all over again.

1. The first way, (most recommended) is to machine wash COLD! Emphasis on the COLD. Cold water gets blood stains out the best. If the blood dries on the pad, there’s a good chance you’ll see a stain even after it’s been washed. But! Stains fade the more you wash them. Also, can stains on your reusable pads just be okay? I think so. Then, air dry nice and thoroughly. We don’t want any moisture to stay in the pad, especially before we put it into our cozy, dark drawers. Seriously, let them bathe in the sun if you can. They will come back inside odorless, dry as a bone, and ready to absorb that uterine lining.

2. Ok, another way to go about it is to keep a cool water bucket near the toilet to soak your pad before it goes into the wash. This is the best way to avoid stains.

3. My personal favorite way to go about washing cloth pads is throw them into the hamper with the rest of the dirty clothes, wash them in cold water, and throw them into the dryer with everything else. You gotta understand though, friend. The dryer can get pads bent outta shape. Maybe scrunched, maybe folded, but nothing serious. It won’t be ruined. You can unscrunch it pretty well with your hands. I prefer this option because I know my pad is super dry before I fold it up into a cute little square and shove it into my undies drawer. AND! It’s so fricken easy. SO EASY!

Ok Ok last thing, I definitely recommend using a gentle laundry detergent without any fabric softener or anything harsh. Your pad is gonna be real up close and personal to a sensitive area, so it’s best to go with the least irritating detergent!

I hope you found these methods for cleaning cloth pads was helpful and that you’re feeling brave and ready to try cloth pads! They are seriously so comfy and so good for reducing waste.

Thanks for reading! Love ya!