Aren’t Reusables Really Inconvenient?

I don’t want to do even more washing than I already do! 

How could I possibly deal with a reusable product in public? 

It just sounds like sooooo much work.

I hear these questions a lot, and honestly, they’re completely fair. Convenience is one of the biggest reasons disposable period products became so popular in the first place.

Use it. Bin it. Grab another one. Simple.

And period products are really just one small part of a much bigger convenience culture. We buy coffee and matcha in single-use takeaway cups, water in disposable bottles, takeaway food wrapped in a ridiculous amount of packaging, throw-away wipes instead of cloths, and all sorts of products designed to save us a few minutes here and there.

We’ve become very used to convenience meaning disposable.

The tricky part is that “disposable” doesn’t mean the product simply disappears. It just means we don’t have to deal with it anymore. Someone else does.

A disposable period product might only be used for a few hours, but after that it still has to be collected, transported and managed as waste. Multiply that across hundreds of periods and millions of people, and those few hours of convenience start to create a lot of rubbish, which stays on our planet for years to come.

Reusable period products work a little differently. Instead of wearing something for a few hours and throwing it away, we rinse it, wash it, empty it, care for it properly and then use it again. And again. And again.

And I totally get it — at first, that can sound like extra work. And nobody is exactly sitting around thinking, you know what my life needs? More laundry. But once you get into a routine, those extra steps really do just become part of normal life.

Period underwear and reusable pads can usually be rinsed and then added to your normal washing. Cups and discs need to be emptied, rinsed and cleaned, then sanitised between cycles according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Yes, that is a couple of extra steps. But those couple of steps can give a product a life measured in years rather than hours.

And once the habit becomes normal, you barely think about it. We already wash our underwear, socks, towels and clothes. Adding a couple of reusable period products to that routine once a month doesn’t really majorly impact your life.

Reusables can actually be pretty convenient

There are some benefits we don’t always think about when we talk about convenience. Once you own your reusable products, you already have them.

No last-minute trip to the supermarket because you’ve run out. No realising halfway through the day that you forgot to put pads or tampons in your bag. No remembering to buy another packet every month. If your period arrives unexpectedly, your reusable products are sitting in your drawer waiting for you. Some reusable products can also hold more menstrual fluid than many disposable options, so depending on your flow and the product you use, that can mean fewer changes throughout the day too.

So yes, reusables involve a little more care. But they can also remove some of the constant buying, replacing, remembering and running out that comes with disposables. And let’s be honest — those things can be pretty inconvenient too.

Make reusables your usual, and use disposables when they genuinely make life easier. I think one of the biggest barriers to sustainability is the idea that you have to do everything perfectly. You don’t.

Choosing reusable products does not mean you can never use a disposable product again.

You might use period underwear at home and a disposable pad when you’re travelling. You might use a menstrual cup most of the time but keep tampons in your handbag. You might use reusable pads during the day and reach for a disposable option when you get caught short.

And that is completely okay. Even reducing your disposable use some, or most, of the time can make a bigger difference than you think.

If you use reusable products for most of your periods and reach for a disposable occasionally, you are still avoiding a huge amount of single-use waste over time. That’s a much more achievable version of sustainability.

A few tips to make reusables easier

Build up gradually. You don’t need to buy an entire reusable period kit overnight. Start with one pair of period underwear, one reusable pad or one cup or disc and see how you get on. Once you know what you actually like using, you can build up your collection from there.

Keep a wet bag handy. A small waterproof bag makes changing reusable pads or period underwear away from home much easier. Put the used product in the bag and deal with it when you get home. No dramas.

Create a washing routine. Rinse. Wash. Dry. Easy as. Once it becomes part of your normal laundry routine, it stops feeling like an extra job.

Keep an emergency disposable nearby. Put one in your school bag, handbag, bathroom or car. Having a backup can make trying reusables feel much less stressful.

Use different products for different situations. Period underwear for overnight, a cup for swimming, reusable pads at home and a disposable product while travelling. You don’t have to choose one product and use it for absolutely everything. Find what works best for your body.

Give yourself time to learn. Cups and discs in particular can take a little practice. That doesn’t mean they’re inconvenient or that you’re doing something wrong. They’re simply different from products you may already know how to use.

Make life easy for future you. Don’t leave everything sitting in the laundry basket until your next period rolls around. Wash, dry and store your products properly so they’re ready to go when you need them.

Anything new can feel inconvenient at first. Taking a reusable coffee cup everywhere can feel inconvenient until it becomes part of your routine. Remembering your drink bottle feels inconvenient until you stop spending money on bottled water. Reusable period products are much the same.

There can be a bit of an adjustment period, but once you’ve figured out what works for your body and your lifestyle, the extra effort starts to feel completely normal. And when you compare that small amount of care with using something for only a few hours before throwing it away, it starts to feel pretty reasonable.

Reusable don't have to be difficult. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

And it definitely doesn’t have to mean never touching a disposable product again.

Make reusables your normal. Keep disposables for the moments when you genuinely need the convenience. That small change in habit can make a very big impact over a lifetime.