u/boxbleachbutthole

After some months of use my nursing pads and bras were smelling fine when washed and dried but the minute they got wet they’d waft with that rank *smell* not like breastmilk but like when your laundry sits for too long on the rack and never really gets dry (guess what country I’m from 😑).

I searched here and online not getting anywhere conclusive so I decided to use the Spa Day soaking ratios and method for my nursing pads and bras and it worked! I didn’t use ammonia in the rehab wash but I did do an extra rinse and spin cycle before line drying (in a warm dry house luckily).

Instructions incase you CBF hunting for them!

Soak items in HOT water ideally 40-60C (boiling kills the enzymes) with an enzymatic powder.

1/4 cup of powder to 4L of water - I only used 2L for two bras and 6 pads so obviously halved the powder amount. Dissolve powder fully before adding items. Ideally in a lidded vessel.

Ensure all items are wet/submerged. I used a plate to hold the items under the water. Put lid on container, wrap in a towel if you’re really invested.

I left one batch overnight and one for over 24 hours. Some colour leached out of the black bras and onto the pads but whatever. Both batches came out the same.

Wash using your usual dosage of detergent, then do an extra rinse and spin cycle. I air dried my things but I’m sure the dryer would be fine too.

Hurray! Now you’re not laying in bed with a damp stinky bra or sniffing your nursing pads all day wondering if anyone else can smell them.

BONUS TIP - since spa daying my bras and pads I’ve been pre washing them with our reusable nappies and the smell hasn’t come back yet!

NB my bras’ washing instructions say to wash cold (😱) but I’d rather lose a bit of life from them than have to put up with that smell. Idk how you’re meant to wash the pads optimally tbh but no absorbency from the pads has been lost through this process!

I feel like every day someone is coming into large chunks of money and it’s making my poor ass depressed.