Fabrics and cleaning?

[tempestas_inu]

Hi, I've been a coth pad user for a little over half a year. I started out with enough Lunapads to last me through a cycle and I was quite happy with them. But then I lost over half of my stash in a laundry mishap. I liked Lunapads, but they weren't exactly easy on the wallet... and since I'd heard about all the different vendors on etsy I decided

Comments

[scarlette18]

I don't know why, but for some reason my Mimi's Dreams pads always come out of the soak perfectly stainless (both cotton and flannel). I am guessing it might be either the way the seller treats the fabric before sewing, or the hemp core (they're incidentally also the only pads I own with hemp). Perhaps the hemp core wicks the moisture away from the surface faster, resulting in less staining when it comes time to clean them? Either way, they are only ones that I can be absolutely certain I won't have to use a stain stick on. Also, they would be great for you because they're very affordable, and it sounds like you're replacing a significant portion of your stash. She also has very affordable "starter kits" if you want to try different sizes first.

[tempestas_inu]

Yeah... I accidentally lost so many pads >_< I'm having to replace about 2/3 of stash.

I own a Mimi's dreams pad, but I haven't used it yet actually. I'll do so this cycle and see how it goes and if it works out I'll go buy some more from there.

[bloggingsara]

i have several stained mimi's dreams. i stopped caring about stains on my pads years ago, hence the stains. i don't fault hope or mimi's dream for my stains. :-)

[chamekke]

Almost all my pads are from Etsy vendors (largely Yurtcraft and Popples) and have cotton or OBV tops, and I've always had good luck with stain removal. Mind you, I pre-soak in Oxy-Brite almost every time so perhaps that's why.

I do remember a previous thread in which people agreed that blue-coloured pads tend to hold their stains. Just out of curiosity, could that be the case here?

[tempestas_inu]

I don't own many light blue colored pads, most of the ones I own are red or green or dark blue/purple (my Lunapads were mostly purple and dark blue).

when you say you pre-soak in oxo-brite... do you mean right before you do laundry? Or not long after they're soiled?

[chamekke]

I pre-soak the pads right after I use them. So far the stain has always come out within 24 hours. If it's some time before my next laundry, I then rinse the pad thoroughly, air-dry it, and then throw it in with my regular laundry to be washed at the usual time.

[mela_chan]

Synthetic fabrics (minky, microfleece, suedecloth) are less likely to stain that natural fabrics (OBV, OCV, cotton woven/quilter's cotton, flannel, etc). I rinse my pads in the sink after use, treat any dried or dark spots with hydrogen peroxide, and put them in a dry pail until washing, and I haven't had any stain issues - but I also wash every day because I have a very small stash (though it's getting larger). I made myself enough pads to get through one day when I started using cloth, just to see how I liked them, then didn't find time to make more and got pregnant just a few months later. :\

[lizg12]

I get multi-colored patterned pads so the stains don't show :)

[sibilance7]

The pads I have that are the best at not holding stains are made of hemp fleece. They're really great. I squeeze all the blood out of them by stomping on them in the shower, then I put a paste of detergent and oxi-clean powder on them before I wash them and let them sit for about an hour. Then I rinse the paste off and throw them in the wash, and they always come out stain free. I got these pads from the seller Naturally Hip on Etsty. My favorite pads are from Yurtcraft, but Naturally Hip is a close second. My Yurtcraft pads didn't hold stains at first, but now they have some small stains. I'm not sure what's up with that - I switched detergents, so maybe that's it?