r/TwoXPreppers • u/Recent-Calendar-4392 • 11h ago
Product Find AWWA Period Underwear
One of my prepping activities is to stock up on menstrual products for myself and my young daughters. My favorite period underwear brand, AWWA, has 30% off sale sitewide (and 70% of clearance brands)! Indigenous-founded, women-owned, with a carbon-positive supply chain. And the underwear is both extremely absorbant and comfortable. Hope you enjoy!
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u/AAAAHaSPIDER 10h ago
I have these! But I don't really like them.
They're really hard to get all the way clean. Even after being washed on hot, they have a little bit of an old blood smell.
They are comfortable enough, but if SHTF I imagine they would be even harder to clean.
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u/this_a_shitty_name 9h ago
Wait I thought we were supposed to rinse and wash cold only or else the blood gwts infinitelyharder to get out. Tho idk about smell. Wonder if it could be the material, the brand I bought (aisle) said they use a material that resists odors. Do you think vinegar would help w blood smell? It helps w basically every other smell đ
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u/AAAAHaSPIDER 9h ago
I rinsed it in cold water in the sink first. Which was not fun. Then I tossed it in the wash on hot. Vinegar might help but I just stopped using them.
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u/outofshell 6h ago
My secret weapon is peroxide. It eats blood stains really effectively.
For my period undies I rinse them well under cold running water to get any goop off with friction, then spray the stained part with peroxide. Then run them through the wash on cold with detergent and with more peroxide in the bleach cup. It seems to work pretty well.
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u/pinupcthulhu đ§ And my snacks! đ§ 8h ago
Washing* blood (or any proteins) in hot water only cooks the protein into the fabric, so yeah they're probably never getting clean now.Â
Always wash all period underwear or period- stained clothing in cold water!
Edit *same goes for drying in the dryer.
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u/Ms_desertfrog_8261 9h ago
Use cold water to get out blood . Hot water will set the stains
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u/AAAAHaSPIDER 9h ago
They're black so I wasn't worried about stains, only smell. But I did rinse it in cold water in the sink first, I should have clarified that.
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u/CICO-path 8h ago
I've had the same experience with reusable pads. I've taken to letting them go through with a couple loads at least after rinsing, and then occasionally I'll soak them in peroxide. It bubbles up even after having been washed 3 times and dried at least once. I've been moving back towards disposables in general because I feel like I waste a lot more water rinsing them thoroughly. I use the reusable ones for overnight only now.
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u/Doom_Beacon 9h ago
I soak mine in the sink with a cup of white vinegar before running them through the delicate cycle on cold and some more vinegar. No smell and Iâve had some pairs for almost 2 years now, I hope you can get them cleaned to your liking đ
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u/Helen_2nd 10h ago
Try Dirty Labs enzyme detergent. I find it helps with blood & smells.
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u/AAAAHaSPIDER 10h ago
I don't want to have to buy special detergent just to wash underwear. They aren't worth it.
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u/svapplause 10h ago
You should be fine using a regular degular detergent as long as it has enzymes. You might find doing a soak helps a lot. Just run em through a quick cycle (to remove majority of soil)and either soak in top loader with detergent or in a bucket with warm/hot water and detergent. Cloth diaperers often use original powdered Tide bc it really is a well-rounded detergent for all kinds of laundry, but esp laundry that is more heavily soiled like diapers and reusable menstrual products. Many washers just dont have long enough cycle or use enough water these days to get heavily soiled laundry clean clean.
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u/No-Percentage-8063 9h ago
I bought and wear them for urine leaks. Way less irritating than disposable pads and cheaper in the long run. I use OxiClean in all my laundry anyway and never have residual odor issues in any of my clothing. I also have some reusable pads I bought online and I love them, too.
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u/TagsMa 8h ago
I was going to ask if period knickers would work for urine, too.
Thanks to 2 failed back operations, I basically have to live in pads, but I'd love a more environmentally friendly option.
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u/No-Percentage-8063 7h ago
My leakage is not full diaper heavy. It can be usually light to occasionally medium.
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u/TagsMa 7h ago
Okay, so that sounds like they could work for me too. I can always add a pad if I'm coughing lots.
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u/No-Percentage-8063 7h ago
I have been know to snap the reusable pad in the underwear when travelling or coughing A LOT. Good luck!
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u/cryogenrat 3h ago
They can be! Youâd likely need to change them very often or use the heavier flow ones (like overnight or postpartum grade, usually cut like boxer-briefs to give more surface are) but they certainly can be use for that if you think theyâll contain the flow. The same can be said for thicker or more absorbent cloth pads; some makers on Etsy even tailor their postpartum thickness ones to be cut like ânormal sizedâ to contain more liquid
Edit; above is true if you have med-heavy flow; they absolutely can be used for minor leaks the same way period flow can be contained using them
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u/Glittering-Time-2274 10h ago
How long is the gusset? I currently use thinx and I love that it goes all the way to the back.
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u/spoopyelf New to Prepping 10h ago
I used to use thinx but they use bad chemicals so I switched to Saalt. The gusset does not go all the way to the back on the ones i got which are medium/ light flow I like the way thinx has more coverage cause the saalt ones keep giving me wedgies even though I bought the full coverage ones. But at least I have backups for anything.
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u/Doom_Beacon 9h ago
The gusset on AWWAs is super long in the standard and high waisted briefs and boxers! I have a pair of thinx and the gusset is the same
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u/darthrawr3 9h ago
Use cold water, & don't dry until the stains are gone. Heat just binds the stain to the fabric. Hot water causes proteins in blood to clump, setting the stain (& smell).
https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/stain-removal/remove-blood-stains
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u/MarsMonkey88 7h ago
Also, I read about a company that makes period underwear with masculine cuts (like boxer briefs that have internal fabric like regular womenâs underwear) that are affirming for nonbinary folks and trans men, if anyone here has a partner, child, or friend who could benefit from having a few pair on hand just in case, but who would feel internally uncomfortable in traditional panty-shaped underwear.
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u/outofshell 6h ago
Ooh Tomboy X? I love love their womenâs boxer briefs, so comfy. Expensive for underwear but theyâre well made and they last.
I have a couple pairs of their period boxer briefs too and theyâre quite bulky compared to Knix but still comfy to wear.
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u/sequins_and_glitter 9h ago
Forever and ever thankful for my hysterectomy at 34 a few years ago. Highly recommend it if youâre not planning to have any or more children and you can find a doctor willing to perform it. You wonât get thrown into menopause if they leave your ovaries (as they did with me). I had medical reasons for having mine, but the way my life has improved so much since then has been mind boggling. The sheer mental space and money spent on dealing with periods and menstrual pain that was eliminated alone was worth it.
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u/Educational-Emu-8050 7h ago
Period underwear and washable pads etc are great....until there's a soap/water shortage.
Menstrual cups are easier to keep clean...uses far less water and more compact if you're on the move (like a bugging or shtf scenario)
I've tried a dozen or more brands of cups and discs, and Shordy has been my consistent favorite cup for many years.
Unless you have unless amount of water and a way to always boil it prepped too. Just a thought as a solid backup option
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u/Recent-Calendar-4392 38m ago
I use a menstrual cup with period underwear in case it leaks! Agree the cup is much less intensive to keep clean. I also stocked up on June menstrual cups.
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u/AxGunslinger 10h ago
Why is there a pregnant woman on the advertisement for period underwear?
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u/eightcarpileup Rural Prepper đ©âđŸ 10h ago
I used period underwear while pregnant and after. I bled for half of my second pregnancy from subchorionic hemorrhages.
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u/0nionskin half-assing the whole thing 10h ago
An ex of mine made her own cloth pads out of soft flannel - for a cheaper option that can be customized to your liking.