There are many ways to care for cloth pads. I just rinse mine in cold water after use and store in a little container under the sink until wash day (I recommend washing within 3 days or less.) If I’m away from home, I store my pads in a wet bag–a waterproof bag made with PUL (polyurethane laminated fabric) that can be thrown in the washer and reused again and again. Many cloth pad and diaper makers carry wet bags, but if you don’t have one a ziploc bag will work just as well.

Some women soak their pads in cold water until laundry day. If you choose this method, change the soak water at least once each day. You can also pour a little hydrogen peroxide directly on the pads or use oxyclean in your washer to help with stains.

Pads can be machine laundered and dried at any temperature, but they will last longer (and stain less) if you wash in cold and hang to dry or machine dry on low. The choice is yours!

IMPORTANT: Never use bleach or fabric softener when washing your pads! Bleach can cause your pads to break down, and fabric softener can cause them to lose their absorbancy.