Reusable Pads 101: Wearing & Washing
Wear
Recommended wear time: 4 to 5 hours
Number needed: 6 or 7; but it depends heavily on weather conditions if you are if handwashing.
Wash
If handwashing, one can use clothes soap. This blue soap worked great and while it didn't leave the pad stainless, the sun's UV rays will kill many of the bacteria that would be in the pad. Additionally, a block of soap takes more time to be consume than liquid or dry detergent, reducing costs in the long term (maybe; I'm no finance person).
After taking off a bloody pad, run it down the open faucet, squeezing and the blood and scraping any solid residues. Continue until pouring water falls into a (plastic) basin relatively clear. Optional: pour nutrient-rich water onto nearby plants.
Rub soap on pad and cover with soapy-content. Scrub pad against itself in attempt to remove stains. Leave it soaking.
Remove the pad after a few hours (perhaps after changing out of the next pad and coming back to wash it) and squeeze and scrub under running water until most soap material has washed out. Place the pad to air dry/sun dry. On rainy days or nights, one can clip the pads on a hanger and put them in front of a fan. However, I personally put them back outside the following day.
Optional: Check the pads that are drying every time after washing a pad. Drying time depends on various weather factors like exposure to the sun, temperature, humidity, etc. Bigger pads tend to take longer because they have more cotton inside to absorb more blood.