Caring for Your Reusable Menstrual Products

Women are increasingly turning to reusable menstrual products for a variety of reasons. They are environmentally friendly because nothing is thrown away. They are economical in the long run because there's nothing to replace. There are no chemicals or toxins in or near one of the most sensitive parts of the body. Caring for your products is essential, not only to make sure they last for years, but also to protect your health. Sure, taking care of your mama cloth or DivaCup is more time consuming than dropping a tampon in the toilet or wrapping up a pad in some toilet paper, but it's worth it. Plus it's not that difficult, I promise!

Let's start with mama cloth (the cute name for reusable cloth pads), arguably the most popular and accessible reusable menstrual product out there. There are probably hundreds of different brands and styles, and probably as many opinions on how to care for them. A lot of the methods I've read about seem needlessly complex, and I'm going to tell you the easy ways to wash your mama cloth. If you are cloth diapering a baby, the easiest way to wash your mama cloth is to throw them in with the diaper wash. Cold rinse, hot wash with a small amount of detergent, and an extra rinse or two to make sure all of the detergent is gone. You can dry them in the dryer or hang dry. If you're concerned about stains, let them dry in the sun because the sun's UV rays will bleach out the stains. If you're not cloth diapering a baby, you can throw them in with your regular wash. Really. If you're squeamish about that idea, you could soak them in cold water in a small pail in your bathroom until your period is over, then toss them in with the regular laundry. Just be sure to change the water every day (if you're a gardener, use the water for your plants, it's great fertilizer). If you're not into soaking, either rinse them in cold water before putting them in the wash, or do a cold pre-rinse before adding the other clothes. Caring for your inter-labial pad or cloth tampons is the same caring for your mama cloth.

Jade & Pearl Sea Pearls are sea sponge tampons and are used just like traditional tampons. Unlike other reusable menstrual products, Sea Pearls won't last for years, but with proper care one can last up to six months or more. Don't worry, these are highly sustainable: a sponge that was harvested at its base will regenerate within just a few months. Who knows, maybe your next set will be the regenerated sponge of the Sea Pearls you're using now! Every 4 to 6 hours depending on your flow, you should remove the tampon and rinse it out under cold water while repeatedly squeezing it until the water runs clear. Be sure to squeeze out the extra water before reinserting it. If you choose not to wear it overnight, simply rinse it out and put it in a safe container or the cotton bag until morning. When your period is over you have several options for cleaning your Sea Pearl for the next month. All the methods involve soaking your sponge for 15 minutes. Add a few drops of tea tree oil to one cup of water and soak (this is it method I use). You can soak your sponge in 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide mixed with 1/4 cup water. It kills bacteria but also bleaches the sponge, so use this method if you're worried about the harmless discoloration. Or you can add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or baking soda to one cup of water. Finally, you can mix one teaspoon of either colloidal silver or sea salt in one cup of water. Once you've soaked and dried your sponge, store it in the cotton bag until next month. Do not boil your Sea Pearl, it will shorten its life. And don't use soap, it will leave a film that could irritate your vagina.

Silicone menstrual cups, like the DivaCup, are also popular reusable menstrual products. Because they are made of medical grade silicone, they can be washed with a mild soap and warm water in between uses. You can buy specially formulated pH balanced DivaWash too. You should always at least rinse your cup before reinserting it, but washing with soap and water is preferred. The DivaCup has four holes under the rim and they may need extra cleaning sometimes. Soak your cup in warm water then use a toothbrush (not the one you brush your teeth with everyday!) or toothpick to gently clean out the holes. Don't use a pin because you could damage your cup. At the end of your period, wash with a mild soap or DivaWash then boil your cup for 20 minutes. Store it in a container that allows air flow until your next period. Do not use vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil, antibacterial or fragranced soap, dishwashing soap or castile soap like Dr. Bronner's.

The Keeper is another menstrual cup but it's made out of latex rubber and requires different care than the DivaCup. The Moon Cup is the silicone version of The Keeper and it requires different care than the DivaCup as well. You should clean either your Keeper or Moon Cup with a solution of 1 part vinegar to 9 parts water. Do not soak it in this solution, rather rinse it with the solution for no more than three minutes. You can also use a mild soap. Do not use any other cleaning method, such as tea tree oil or hydrogen peroxide.

Caring for reusable menstrual products isn't as difficult as you thought, right? If worrying about complicated care regimens is keeping you from making the move to mama cloth or a DivaCup, don't let that stop you anymore. Giving your reusable menstrual products a little TLC every month will ensure that they return the favor.