Like pads, menstrual cups and tampons, the goal of period underwear is to keep those who menstruate leak-proof and dry.
With various designs in the market, period undies generally have a moisture-wicking top layer, over one or more absorbent layers in the gusset, and a leak-resistant final layer. Τhey incorporate anti-microbial and moisture-wicking properties to help prevent odours, and one of the main things about them is, they’re reusable. You can use them on their own to absorb your period or, if your flow’s heavy, you can use them alongside tampons or menstrual cups to help prevent any leaks.
How does period underwear work?
While there are many brands to choose from, most of them use some type of absorbent material like microfiber polyester that traps your blood flow. Period underwear typically have a moisture barrier to keep you feeling dry and a layer to help prevent leaking. Some brands even apply an odour-controlling treatment. Period underwear typically holds somewhere between one and two tampons worth of flow.
Still hesitant to make the switch and entrust your flow completely to underwear? Many users first start with lighter flow days or use their period underwear as backup protection before graduating to full-time use.
Types of period underwear
In our Femshopyou can find 3 types of period underwear: Classic, Active, and Hipster. They all have the following features:
Ideal on light to medium days of your period
Multi-layer technology for high wearing comfort
Antibacterial protection against bacteria & unpleasant smells
It all depends on when you intend to wear them during your period and how heavy your flow is. If your period isn’t too heavy, then you may potentially be able to wear period underwear for the day. On the days when your period is lighter, you may only need to use just one pair of underwear pants. For heavier days, you can still wear them, but may need to use a tampon, pad or a menstrual cup as well.
How do you wash period underwear?
Here are some general best practices you can use to help keep your period panties performing as good as new.
1. Rinse
The very first thing you’ll want to do after removing your underwear is to give them a good rinsing. And it’s super important to rinse them only in cold water — the colder, the better. Using hot or even warm water can bond the blood to the fabric and cause staining that may be a pain to remove.
Plus, cold water helps to break down any clots. And the more blood you rinse out ahead of time, the cleaner your undies will be when they come out of the washer.
You can rinse them in the bathroom sink or in the shower. Just hold them under the stream of water and continue squeezing them until all the blood has been removed.
If possible, it’s always best to wash your panties as soon as you’ve taken them off, rather than letting them sit for a while in a laundry basket.
2. Avoiding Stains
In our femshop we have a selection of black period underwear, this is to ensure that there will be no visible stains. In general if you need to get period blood stains out of fabric, first, it is ideal to rinse the fabric before the blood has dried. If after rinsing you still happen to see a stain, here are a few stain-fighting tricks and hacks you can try:
For light or dark-colored fabrics:
Mild detergent
Baking soda
Salt
White vinegar
For white or light-colored fabrics ONLY, try using:
Lemon juice
Sunlight — try laying your underwear out in the bright sun
Simply toss them in the washing machine and wash in cold water on a delicate cycle. Our selection of period underwear in the femshop can be washed at 30 °C.
Always use mild detergent — and skip the bleach and fabric softener, as they can break down the material.
Putting them inside a garment bag before washing is a great idea to keep other items from hooking onto your underwear as it is washing. Plus, it will make them easy to pick out of the freshly laundered load.
4. Dry
When it comes to drying your period underwear, air drying is always recommended.
Period underwear is specially sealed to keep your other clothes in the washing machine fresh and blood-free. Using excessive heat, as you would find inside the dryer (or even hot water) means you run the risk of breaking down the tape used at the seams and gusset.
If you want to increase the longevity of your period undies, air drying is a step in the right direction. Simply put them on the clothesline in the summer or near a heating vent during the winter months.
How long can period underwear last?
The lifespan of a pair of period undies vary greatly according to how they are cared for and how often they are used. Generally, they will last up to 2 years, and this is dependent on the wash and care.
Βenefits of period underwear
1. They’re reusable
Thanks to multiple absorbent layers of fabric that make them up, period panties can be washed and reused.
2. They’re better for the planet
Around 5 to 15,000, that’s how many pads and tampons (and all the packaging that comes with them) are used by people who menstruate throughout their life.
These same products are also winding up in landfills and contributing to the overall global pollution crisis, and because many of them contain plastic, or the packaging does, their impact on the environment is long-lasting.
3. They’re more comfortable
Some people may find pads a bit too fiddly or bulky to wear and that tampons don’t feel comfortable when they insert and then wear them.
Period underwear overcomes all of these issues.
4. Leading up
Who knows what time of day period will finally make her presence known! So on the days leading up to her arrival, or on the day she’s supposed to start, you can wear a pair of period underwear just in case she arrives when you’re busy, and to avoid constantly running to the bathroom to check.
5. They can be worn while swimming
Providing your period isn’t too heavy and you’re wearing period underwear that’s designed to be swim-proof, there’s no reason why you can’t go for a swim in them.
6. They’re more affordable
Because you don’t have to throw them away every time you use them, like you do with traditional menstrual products, which have a huge lifetime cost.
We’ve already covered the fact this means less waste; it also means spending less money on these products too because you need fewer of them.
7. Discharge supporters
Blood isn’t the only fluid “down there”.Discharge can vary in each part of the cycle from thick and gooey to watery. And since period underwear is super absorbent, it can collect all manner of liquids and save you from leaking through a thin pair of pants.
If you’re curious about whether period underwear is right for you, test out a pair on your lightest flow day.Try them on a weekend or when you can be at home. Overall, you need to make sure you feel confident and secure using period underwear.
Head to our Femshop to explore period underwear and create a new and better experience for your period (and not only) days!
Like pads, menstrual cups and tampons, the goal of period underwear is to keep those who menstruate leak-proof and dry.
With various designs in the market, period undies generally have a moisture-wicking top layer, over one or more absorbent layers in the gusset, and a leak-resistant final layer. Τhey incorporate anti-microbial and moisture-wicking properties to help prevent odours, and one of the main things about them is, they’re reusable. You can use them on their own to absorb your period or, if your flow’s heavy, you can use them alongside tampons or menstrual cups to help prevent any leaks.
How does period underwear work?
While there are many brands to choose from, most of them use some type of absorbent material like microfiber polyester that traps your blood flow. Period underwear typically have a moisture barrier to keep you feeling dry and a layer to help prevent leaking. Some brands even apply an odour-controlling treatment. Period underwear typically holds somewhere between one and two tampons worth of flow.
Still hesitant to make the switch and entrust your flow completely to underwear? Many users first start with lighter flow days or use their period underwear as backup protection before graduating to full-time use.
Types of period underwear
In our Femshop you can find 3 types of period underwear: Classic, Active, and Hipster. They all have the following features:
Classic
Active
Hipster
How long can you wear period underwear?
It all depends on when you intend to wear them during your period and how heavy your flow is. If your period isn’t too heavy, then you may potentially be able to wear period underwear for the day. On the days when your period is lighter, you may only need to use just one pair of underwear pants. For heavier days, you can still wear them, but may need to use a tampon, pad or a menstrual cup as well.
How do you wash period underwear?
Here are some general best practices you can use to help keep your period panties performing as good as new.
1. Rinse
The very first thing you’ll want to do after removing your underwear is to give them a good rinsing. And it’s super important to rinse them only in cold water — the colder, the better. Using hot or even warm water can bond the blood to the fabric and cause staining that may be a pain to remove.
Plus, cold water helps to break down any clots. And the more blood you rinse out ahead of time, the cleaner your undies will be when they come out of the washer.
You can rinse them in the bathroom sink or in the shower. Just hold them under the stream of water and continue squeezing them until all the blood has been removed.
If possible, it’s always best to wash your panties as soon as you’ve taken them off, rather than letting them sit for a while in a laundry basket.
2. Avoiding Stains
In our femshop we have a selection of black period underwear, this is to ensure that there will be no visible stains.
In general if you need to get period blood stains out of fabric, first, it is ideal to rinse the fabric before the blood has dried. If after rinsing you still happen to see a stain, here are a few stain-fighting tricks and hacks you can try:
For light or dark-colored fabrics:
For white or light-colored fabrics ONLY, try using:
3. Wash
Washing your period underwear couldn’t be easier!
Simply toss them in the washing machine and wash in cold water on a delicate cycle. Our selection of period underwear in the femshop can be washed at 30 °C.
Always use mild detergent — and skip the bleach and fabric softener, as they can break down the material.
Putting them inside a garment bag before washing is a great idea to keep other items from hooking onto your underwear as it is washing. Plus, it will make them easy to pick out of the freshly laundered load.
4. Dry
When it comes to drying your period underwear, air drying is always recommended.
Period underwear is specially sealed to keep your other clothes in the washing machine fresh and blood-free. Using excessive heat, as you would find inside the dryer (or even hot water) means you run the risk of breaking down the tape used at the seams and gusset.
If you want to increase the longevity of your period undies, air drying is a step in the right direction. Simply put them on the clothesline in the summer or near a heating vent during the winter months.
How long can period underwear last?
The lifespan of a pair of period undies vary greatly according to how they are cared for and how often they are used. Generally, they will last up to 2 years, and this is dependent on the wash and care.
Βenefits of period underwear
1. They’re reusable
Thanks to multiple absorbent layers of fabric that make them up, period panties can be washed and reused.
2. They’re better for the planet
Around 5 to 15,000, that’s how many pads and tampons (and all the packaging that comes with them) are used by people who menstruate throughout their life.
These same products are also winding up in landfills and contributing to the overall global pollution crisis, and because many of them contain plastic, or the packaging does, their impact on the environment is long-lasting.
3. They’re more comfortable
Some people may find pads a bit too fiddly or bulky to wear and that tampons don’t feel comfortable when they insert and then wear them.
Period underwear overcomes all of these issues.
4. Leading up
Who knows what time of day period will finally make her presence known! So on the days leading up to her arrival, or on the day she’s supposed to start, you can wear a pair of period underwear just in case she arrives when you’re busy, and to avoid constantly running to the bathroom to check.
5. They can be worn while swimming
Providing your period isn’t too heavy and you’re wearing period underwear that’s designed to be swim-proof, there’s no reason why you can’t go for a swim in them.
6. They’re more affordable
Because you don’t have to throw them away every time you use them, like you do with traditional menstrual products, which have a huge lifetime cost.
We’ve already covered the fact this means less waste; it also means spending less money on these products too because you need fewer of them.
7. Discharge supporters
Blood isn’t the only fluid “down there”.Discharge can vary in each part of the cycle from thick and gooey to watery. And since period underwear is super absorbent, it can collect all manner of liquids and save you from leaking through a thin pair of pants.
If you’re curious about whether period underwear is right for you, test out a pair on your lightest flow day.Try them on a weekend or when you can be at home. Overall, you need to make sure you feel confident and secure using period underwear.
Head to our Femshop to explore period underwear and create a new and better experience for your period (and not only) days!
Share