What are Period Pants?
Periods pants are reusable underwear pants designed to replace pads and tampons. They are a little bit like cloth sanitary pads but built into knickers. They wick away any moisture and are designed to prevent leakage, through three thin layers:
- Top layer. Often made of bamboo, wicks away moisture, prevents bacterial growth and stops bad odours.
- Middle layer. Absorbs fluid.
- Bottom layer. Waterproof.
So, from a practical perspective, most people will wear one pair during the day and another pair during the night. They can hold up to 20ml fluid, which is the equivalent of 4 tampons, although absorbency does vary, with light, moderate and heavy variants available. If you have really heavy periods, one may not get you through the day in which case you would need to change, use them as a back-up with a tampon or menstrual cup or save for use on your lighter days.
It may be surprising for you to learn that disposable sanitary pads and tampons contain plastic, bleach and other chemicals which are not only harmful to the environment, but can also be detrimental to your own health too. Period pants are not only better for the planet from an environmental perspective, they are also more sustainable from a financial viewpoint. Imagine never having to throw your period products away again, imagine never having to worry about running out and imagine a far more comfortable period than you get with traditional pads and tampons.
There is no rush to the shops to stock up when your period starts unexpectedly, no need to touch dubious-looking sanitary bins in public restrooms and the reusable nature of these products means they typically leave less of a carbon footprint than disposable sanitary products.
Maintaining period pants is simple and easy and can be done in four simple steps:
- Wash before first use
- Rinse in cold water (< 30°C) after wearing until water runs clear.
- Machine wash on a cold wash (40°C) and line dry.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 after each use.
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