Wegreeco Reusable Menstrual Pads for Women - 5 Pack Soft Cloth Sanitary Pads with 1 Wet Bag | Eco-Friendly Washable Panty Liners | Medium Size Bee & Bloom Design | Perfect for Travel, Work & Active Lifestyle

First, this is going to be a loooong review. I want to share some of the things I have learned the hard way, so you don’t have to. Hope this helps someone who really needs it.Why I made the switch:*Cost- Over decades, I probably could have saved a good chunk of change by switching to reusables. However, probably not that much, because I would have spent it on other necessities, like rent or gas.*Stinky Trash. No explanation needed.*Stinky Trash clogging landfills. Again not much explanation needed. For many years, I was one of those who wrapped a plastic pad, in the plastic liner and placed it in a plastic shopping bag that was placed in amongst the rest of the household trash in a large trash bag. The layers of plastic were to prevent varmints from ripping your trash bags and spewing your most intimate trash all over the street. (Yes, this really happened. No, I do not want to talk about it) . This also ensured my trash would take longer to disintegrate. So going reusable eases my guilty conscience a tad.*Mild yet annoying irritation. No one knows what is really in disposable pads and tampons. There is something in it that irritates my skin. However, I don’t know what it could be because the ingredients are not listed on the package. Trade secrets, I guess. I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that it took me decades to figure this out. I just thought my monthly rash/irritation was a natural part of the end of my cycle. One month, I switched to some new foam something with wings, and it was worse, so much worse. Thankfully, it made me realize it was the pads. I was so disappointed because I thought these pads were my friends. Little did I know, they were just pretending to help me.So all of that being the case, you would think I would have switched right away. And you would be wrong. I knew that I would have to create a system. Switching would require a strategy, good tools and a low maintenance cleaning system. So here is my strategy, keep in mind, it is still a work in progress.Daytime: Wegreeco Large Reusable Pads Wegreeco Bamboo Reusable Sanitary Pads - Cloth Sanitary Pads - Pack of 5 (Large, Mix Prints) ¡­ plus Sea Sponge Tampons (I bought these 3pcs/Set 100% Natural Sea Sponge Facial Puff,Soft and Deep Clean Your Face Without Heart Your Skin,Pure Sea Facial Puff.2.5-3" Assorted Size. Super Saving.100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.)Nighttime: Wegreeco XL Reusable PadsCleaning: Any Allergen Free DetergentSo I purchased the XL pads for $24.95. I also purchased the Sea Sponges. But that will be a separate review. I have used both items for the last 4 months. And I have learned a few things. Here they are:Pre-WashPrewashing increases absorbency. I threw these in with a regular load using the Allergen free detergent. They do take a long time to dry. I ended up running them through the dryer twice and finally hanging them to dry on an old plastic skirt hanger now dedicated for this purpose. These pads absorb wonderfully. Great for nighttime and especially for sleeping in.InstallationThey are about the size of the super duper overnight pads, hence my decision to make these my nighttime pads. I used these in the daytime with no problem, but if you don’t like to wear a bulky pad, don’t. Buy the smaller size. Pads come in all sizes because we all need something different. Long pads = better coverage. Better coverage= clean sheets. This is why I like the long pads. Ok, first things first, gray side up/color side down. Looking at the pads, you will notice that one end is tapered and the other is squared off. The tapered end goes in the front. On my set of three, that means the two snaps are on the left. This helps them to lay flat. I also found adjusting from one snap to the other can improve the fit as well. But you will need to wear underwear with a wider seat. Meaning, no thongs, g strings here, they won’t allow the pad to lay as flat as possible, the sides will curl up so you may get leaks. Once you have them installed correctly, get ready for softness. Yes, this is what a pad should feel like. No itchy scratchy here. After the first night, you will also realize this fabric breathes. At least, more than plastic breathes. Again, this is a good thing. After using these for awhile, I color code. I use the darkest blue on my heaviest day, then the pink and then the light blue. It helps me keep track when I have them in rotation and helps keep the lighter colors from showing stains.CleaningNow that you can take these on and off, it is time to clean these suckers. This is probably the most important thing about using reusables. Most people clean the first layer. We need to clean the inner layer too. Trouble is, it is really hard to get it clean. If you don’t clean it, stains will remain and odor builds up over time and your reusables will end up being tossed sooner. I did a lot of research because this was my main concern, how do you clean something that is repeatedly being stained. Pinterest helped me find the answer. I put in laundry stains and the blogs responded. Here is what has helped me:Step 1Rinse immediately with cold running water. More water pressure the better. I rinse in the tub, because the spout is directly over the drain and it has more water pressure than the sink. Rinse until the water runs clear. Congratulate yourself you have completed step one (the Red phase)Step 2Hydrogen Peroxide soak. This is what I discovered, HP works on organic stains. I am not a scientist (not even close), so look it up for accurate info. But, all I do is soak the pad in HP for a few hours. It will sizzle as you saturate the pad, so you know it is working on getting to the inner layer. I use full strength and I use it liberally. I completely saturate the top layer and leave it. It does all the heavy lifting for me. Full disclosure: Last year, I bought three bottles at my local pharmacy for a $1 when it was on sale. It is very inexpensive and good to have in a home first aid kit. Just keep it in the original brown bottle out of reach of children. It is clear and looks like water and you don’t want to mistakenly have a child drink it. It could make them very sick.Step 3Come back to the pad that has been soaking and it has plumped up. It is full of oxygen. Add some of the allergen free detergent to the top layer and scrub a dub. I scrub hard for a minute or so. Then I add water to the laundry tub and let the pad soak a little bit longer. (Personally, I don’t empty out the HP—no reason, just didn’t see the need). It is hard for me to keep track of times because this all will take place whenever I go into the bathroom. (or laundry room) I just do a step and move on. This is the lazy hand laundering method. I have even kept stuff soaking overnight. After this second soaking, I rinse the pad and hang it up on its’ handy dandy dedicated hanger and let it air dry.Step 4After my cycle ends, I toss all the pads with a regular load in the washer and dryer for a final cleaning. It is my belief, the agitation of the washing machine and the heat of the dryer can do things I cannot. After 4 months, my pads are still very clean, no frayed edges and no residual odors. So this method works well for me. I will probably replace my pads after 12 months just on principle. And I plan on adding new ones to the mix. I love these pads and I hope you will too.P.S. I have found my cycle has changed a lot over the years. From no cramps at all to horrible, no good, very bad cramps. Not fun at all. Over time, I realized the cramps were my body’s signal that I was dehydrated. Just like the athletes with leg cramps, I needed to drink lots of water. This has greatly reduced my cramps and bloating. I thought I would mention it because it is easy and cheap and may work for someone else. If not, at least you will have gotten your daily quota of water.