Washing

I was one of those who used strips of old sheets for periods, from when I started at age 13 until I left school and started work at 15 so I could afford then to buy proper protection. And they were put to soak in a bucket with a lid and then I had to wash them and put them out on the line in the back garden. Oh the humiliation.
Times sure have changed.

henetha, my mum used torn up sheets, left in a bucket of bloodied salted water under the sink, it was a remaining horror to have discovered the bucket when I was around 7yrs old. Mum's name for these strips was 'clout' a word that has brought up interesting conversations on GN previously. For some reason they were never added to the weekly (Monday) wash, though bloodied knickers were.

My grandma came from a huge family of girls was one remembered the buckets of bloodied strips kept in an outhouse -only this was not revealed to me until I was an adult .

My mother had sanitary towels .

They were kept in the airing cupboard .

I was in denial about starting my periods for about three months ( I just had a slight brown discharge at first ) until I realised what was happening and then used the sts kept in the cupboard .

No comment was made .
No acknowledgement .
The towels were replaced magically monthly .

I'd been given a booklet from some missionary neighbours about the importance of hygiene with no real reference to the biology .

I only recall lectures about boys not touching you .

Years later , I met women , who still have to make sanitary towels from strips of cloth and their mothers suffer even more from trying to keep themselves clean and fragrant when they have urinary incontinence .

We are so fortunate in this country .

A clout is a Geordie expression for a rag or dishcloth. Probably a cloot in Scots is the same?

Being allergic to all the chemicals that were used in sanitary towels during the years when I needed them, I reverted to what my Danish grandmother, mother and aunt had used during the Second World War: knitted cotton towels of the yarn used for kettle holders, hand-towels, nappy pants and so on.

Far more comfortable than the disposable kind, and at need you could wear up to three at a time,(which being a stage performered was useful, as two towels could cope when a Tampax super-large called it quits while I was on stage DANCING!

Washing no problem, if the towels had been steeped in cold salt water, rinsed then put into a hot white wash cycle.

Concern for the enviroment ought to make re-usable sanitary protection and cloth nappies fashionable again. We at least do have washing-machines. My grandmothers did their washing in a wood or coal fired copper.

When she married my grandad my granny was very poor as grandad had been invalided out of WW1 after being shot through the head and was hospitalised and unfit for work for some years. Some of his family lived locally and paid her to do their washing. You can guess what was included in it. Mum told me years later.

Oh almost in tears to remember all this. Haven't things changed for the better.

My Mum started her periods when she was 10. The teacher told her to go home. One of her older sisters threw a bundle of rags at her and said “It’s the curse! It happens every month”.

When I was at boarding school in the 1950s, each Friday evening we would find a roll on our bed containing one full set of underwear, including socks, pants, bra, vest (if worn), school shirt/summer cress, nightwear and couple of hankerchieves.

We wore all these clothes for a week.

I was allowed tampons together with pads from the age of 12, my periods were so heavy that each on their own were not enough.

As a geordie we pronounce clout as ‘cloot’

I have three sisters and remember my grandma being shocked by the number of pairs of pants on the clothes drier in our house 😅

Clout as in "ne'er cast a clout 'til May is out".

A while ago I counted 105 pairs of knickers - lots of different colours to go with various bras . Needless to say I haven’t really bought any for a good while apart from a few pairs of black Tena pants in L from Waitrose when a huge discount and one pair reduced when beige came out on line with a black absorbent lining and I find they are the best for me at my age ! And last many washes . 🌟

In Wales too Georgesgran - 'clwt' or 'clwtyn is a Welsh word used for a rag or dishcloth.

Made me think of my mum, at 13 I came home from school and said the teacher said I needed ‘something now’ … I didn’t have the courage to say sanitary pads. She was very loving but anything ‘personal’ just wasn’t talked about. She bought a Dr Whites belt & pads & these were mysteriously’ replaced each month in my dressing table draw. No info on disposal or anything. I used pocket money to buy the new types, less bulky.
I coped but didn’t build a relationship as a young woman. Was determined that wouldn’t happen to my daughter.
Had lots of discussions & advice on use etc. later when swimming lessons she asked for Internal protection so bought applicator & non applicator… she in the bathroom with door ajar & me just outside… talking to relax her & talk her through. She has always remembered that & thankful as many of her friends still suffered. Now 32 & we are still very close & she will talk about anything worrying her - sometimes difficult with age difference- but so good to feel I’m still helpful & in the loop!

My Mam was very good about periods and bought my sister and I all the necessary things.
We had clean knickers everyday. On a Monday, when Mam did the washing there were 21 pairs of knickers always on a little line near the house. My Dad always commented that the flags were out.

Not long after I started my periods mum had a stay in hospital and I was running out of supplies while she was there. I was so desperate I walked from school (4 miles) to visit to tell her my predicament - I had no clue how to buy more. She said she would sort it and the next day more supplies - bought by dad - arrived. I was amazed that he would go into a shop and buy them, and appalled that he knew I needed them

We certainly are very lucky.
I wore disposable panti liners for many years after my periods had stoped. Then a while ago my friend and I did research into different types of washable underwear, used mainly for periods but also great for us older ladies who may worry about that little leak!! When coughing laughing or just desperate the loo!
What a great find! M and S confidence pants , very comfy to wear and heavy medium and light absorbency to suit your needs. Wash well too.
No more panti liners for us 👍🏻😊
My friends daughter uses the washable pads with poppers and they are great for the environment and your pocket too.

My mother prepared me for menstruation when our boxer first came on heat, I was 13 when I started - at Christmas - and was already well informed. A neighbour once asked me to go the the chemist and buy her a box of Tampax. I was so embarrassed! I think I was at University before I found out how those were used.

When I was about 18 I was rushed to hospital with a severe asthma attack. The next day I was much better but found my period had started. No mobile phones then so couldn't get in touch with my mum.
I told the young nurse who asked her colleagues but nobody had any sanitary products. She decided she would make a sanitary towel for me and arrived ten minutes later with a huge boat shaped thing made from cotton wool and gauze. It was massive and a bit uncomfortable but worked.

I was well informed and prepared (Tampax, Kotex) when I started my period at age 13 (late bloomer!) I’ve often wondered what women did in the old days - like when they lived on the prairie in the wild west, settlers coming to America on the ships, native Indians, how about those Vikings??? Biblical times… I do let my mind wander sometimes. Well, everyone survived and the population kept growing.

I never did ask my mother what she did.
Sooo glad it’s over!!!
USA Gundy

I too am of an age when there were no such thing invented as tampax so I had the dr white belt and the pads with loops I can’t re member my talk with mum or how it all came about but I remember very clearly being given a newspaper and told when changing the. to wrap them carefully before putting in a special bin and to NEVER let Dad see them ( now my kind and gentle dad wouldn’t have been upset I m sure but that was how it was done then )
I can’t remember how old I was when Tampax came along (an adult) but I happily changed over

Thanks Jbp1 - I’ve spent £s on pantiliners @ 4 per day . Must go to M&S asap