How to Deal with Menstrual Cups and Reusable Pads in Public Bathrooms
How to Deal with Menstrual Cups and Reusable Pads in Public Bathrooms
Many women prefer to be private and discreet about their menstrual cycle. And while there is nothing wrong with being proud of your body’s natural process, we still want our periods to be mess-free and simple. When it comes to reusable sanitary products, this discreetness is still very possible.
During the first few days of your cycle, when your period is at its heaviest, you may not be able to simply hold onto your cup or pad for the whole day. While most menstrual cups can hold for up to 12 hours, you may still feel like you want that fresh feeling midday, so having a sound routine is still important.
So, if you’re out at a special event, or want to keep things discreet while at work in the office, here are our tips for maintaining your reusable pads and menstrual cups in public spaces.
For your menstrual cup
Most public bathrooms don’t have private sinks for you to rinse out your menstrual cups. While this makes things a little harder for you to manage your menstrual cup during heavy periods, there’s still ways around emptying/ swapping out or removing your cup.
Firstly, ensure you’ve washed your hands before removing the cup. Once you’ve removed it, you can empty it out discreetly in the toilet and rinse it out with water. Most women will bring along a water bottle so they can rinse out the cup over the toilet, which is a good option if the sink isn’t in easy reach. Then, just reinsert and you’re good to go.
For reusable pads
Reusable cloth pads are probably a more discreet option, as you won’t need to clean them right away. The only difference is, instead of disposing the used cloth like a traditional pad, you’ll have to hold onto it until you get home.
To make sure your pads don’t stink out or get all over your other things, secure used pads in a wet bag. Then, keep your clean pads in another dry bag so you aren’t mixing the two up, and just store them bag in your everyday handbag or tote. Then, you just have to wait until you get home to wash them!
With these in mind, you’ll be able to get a clean, easy and zero-waste menstruation this month. If you’re interested in trying out cloth pads or menstrual cups, be sure to check out Pelvi’s range.
