Now that you’ve heard about period panties and know how they work, you can start planning how you’ll use them. Much of how to use period panties depends on your personal preferences, but here are some general tips to help you get started.
Check out our Top 10 Period Panty Reviews »
1. Use Them as Backup
Using menstrual underwear as backup is a popular way to use them, and it’s a big reason behind why people buy this type of panty. They are much more breathable and comfortable than typical plastic panty liners, plus they’re easier on the environment.
When you wear period panties as backup, you’ll have that extra reassurance against leaks when you’re stuck in a long meeting at work or flying to visit family for the holidays. They’re also so much more comfortable to wear than plastic pads or panty liners when you’re practicing sports. No more chafing! Period panties are perfect to wear as backup overnight and on heavy days, too.
2. Use Them on Light or Uncertain Days
Wearing period underwear makes total sense on light days of your period, like at the beginning or end of it. Lots of period underwear brands make light-day styles. Most thong period underwear is meant to be worn on light days or as back-up.
Menstrual underwear is fantastic for women who have irregular periods or who never know how heavy or light their flow is going to be. They’re comfortable and breathable enough that you can wear them every day. Plastic panty liners, in comparison, don’t breathe well, and wearing them all day, every day can increase your chances of getting yeast infections.
3. Use Them Every Day of Your Period
Some women with light periods want to make the switch to period underwear totally. It’s totally doable when you buy a few pairs to cover you throughout your cycle.
If you have very heavy periods, it might not be possible to make the switch to some period panty brands 100%. However, you can reach a middle ground by using period panties that are meant to work together with pads, like LunaUndies. This brand’s period panties hold cloth pads in place. You can add and remove the cloth pads as needed during your cycle.
But How Do You Actually Use Them?
Using period panties is simple: Just put them on like any other pair of undies and go about your business.
After wearing them, rinse them out in cold water as soon as possible. Then, hand or machine wash them with cold water (hot water sets blood stains). Make sure not to use bleach or fabric softener on them.
It’s usually best to hang them to dry instead of putting them into a drying machine because the hot air of the dryer can be damaging to elastic. That applies every type of elastic, though, not just period undies.
Buying more than one pair is advisable, especially if you’re getting the kind that absorbs or has four layers. They can take a little longer than overnight to air dry, especially if you’re not drying them during hot, dry weather.
If you’ve been hearing about period panties and wondering how to wear panties during period, the answer is to choose specially made panties that have absorbent and leak-proof qualities, like the ones described in this Top 10 list.