Menstrual Hygiene in Floods: Pads, Cloth and Infection Signs
Short answer: you can manage a period safely in a flood even without much clean water or privacy. Change often, wash cloth with soap and dry it fully in the sun, wrap and bin used pads, and get checked for itching, a bad smell, unusual discharge or fever.
In brief
- Change: pads or cloth every 4 to 6 hours, more often on heavy days.
- Cloth: wash with soap in the cleanest water you have, rinse, then dry in direct sun until bone dry.
- Never use: floodwater for washing cloth or yourself, or a damp cloth.
- Get checked: itching, a fishy or foul smell, green or grey discharge, burning urine, belly pain or fever.
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Nobody hands out a leaflet about this in a relief camp. So girls and women end up using the same cloth for too long, drying it hidden under other clothes where the sun never reaches, and drinking less water so they need the latrine less, and each of those quiet workarounds makes an infection more likely. Here’s what works instead.
Pads, cloth or a cup: which is safest in a flood?
Stick with what you know. A crisis, with little water and a queue outside the latrine, isn’t the moment to learn a brand new product for the first time, so if you have always used cloth, keep using cloth and simply follow the washing rules below with extra care.
| Option | Good in a flood because | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Disposable pads | No washing needed | Running out; disposal |
| Cloth pads | Reusable, cheap | Needs soap, water and sun |
| Menstrual cup | Lasts years, little waste | Needs boiled water and clean hands |
If a relief agency offers a hygiene or “dignity” kit, take it. These usually hold pads or cloth, underwear, soap and sometimes a bucket with a lid. Ask for one for every girl who has started her periods, not just adult women. For a fuller comparison, see our guide to period pads, cloth, cups and rash.
How to wash and dry period cloth with little water
- Soak the used cloth in a small bucket of cold water (about 2 litres) for 10 to 15 minutes. Cold water lifts blood; hot water sets the stain.
- Wash with soap and rub well. Use the cleanest water you have: tanker, treated or boiled water. Never floodwater.
- Rinse until the water runs clear, then wring hard.
- Dry fully in direct sunlight. Sunlight helps kill germs, and a fully dry cloth grows far less fungus.
- If you feel shy, hang it in the sun under a thin light cloth rather than inside a pile of clothes.
- Store dry cloths in a clean plastic bag, away from damp ground.
- Throw a cloth away when it’s thin, torn, stiff or still smells after washing.
Pour the dirty washing water into the latrine or a soak pit, never near the place where people fetch, fill or store their drinking water. That matters.
A damp cloth is the real danger. Dry means sun-dry, all the way through.
How often to change, and staying clean
Every 4 to 6 hours is a sensible rule for pads and cloth, and more often on heavy days or in heat, because a wet pad pressed against the skin all day in a hot, airless tent is exactly how sore rashes and fungal infections get started. Change it.
- Wash the outer genital area once or twice a day with clean water. Plain water is enough; soap stays on the outside only.
- Always wipe or wash front to back.
- Never douche or wash inside the vagina. It removes the good bacteria that protect you.
- Wash hands before and after changing, with soap if you can.
- Keep drinking. Holding back water to avoid latrine trips makes urine infections more likely.
Menstrual cup users should boil the cup between periods, empty it at least every 8 to 12 hours as the maker advises and only touch it with clean hands, but if clean water is too scarce to manage all three, pads or cloth may be the safer choice until life settles. Tampons should never be forgotten.
Safe disposal when there’s no bin
Wrap each used pad in newspaper or the wrapper of the new pad. Put it in a bin with a lid if the camp has one; ask the camp management to place one near the women’s latrines if they haven’t. Don’t flush pads down latrines; they block pits that the whole camp depends on. Where there is no bin, camps usually burn or bury waste in a set place. Never throw pads into floodwater or open drains.
Go to the camp health desk if you have itching, a burning feeling, a fishy or foul smell, thick white, green or grey discharge, burning when you pass urine, sores or blisters, lower belly pain, or fever. See a doctor urgently for fever with a rash, dizziness or vomiting while using a cup or tampon, bleeding that soaks a pad every hour for several hours, or a period with severe pain that feels different from normal. Don’t use a cream or pill from a stall; the health worker decides what fits your symptoms.
Privacy, girls and first periods
Privacy is a health issue. Women who can’t find a safe, lit, lockable place to change will simply change less often, so ask the camp managers, politely and more than once if needed, for separate women’s latrines with a lock and a light, and a screened corner where cloths can be washed. Go in pairs at night.
Girls aged 10 to 14 may get their first period during the disruption and feel frightened. A calm, plain explanation from a mother, aunt or older sister helps more than anything. Our article on first period (pehli mahwari) has words you can use.
Many families still see periods as something to hide, and old beliefs forbid bathing during menstruation. Bathing and washing during a period is safe and helps keep infection away. What protects health is clean water, dry cloth and frequent changes, and there is no reason to go without them.
For more flood-season health guides, visit the Barsaat and Flood Season hub.
Periods during floods: common questions
How often should a pad or cloth be changed in a flood camp?
Every 4 to 6 hours, and more often on heavy days or in heat. A wet pad left on for long causes rashes and makes infection more likely.
Can period cloth be washed in floodwater?
No. Floodwater carries sewage and germs. Use the cleanest water you have, such as tanker, treated or boiled water, with soap.
How to dry period cloth when privacy is short?
Hang it in direct sun under a thin light cloth. Drying inside a pile of clothes or under a mattress leaves it damp, and damp cloth grows fungus and bacteria.
What are signs of infection after using cloth?
Itching, burning, a fishy or bad smell, thick or coloured discharge, sores, lower belly pain or fever. Any of these means a visit to the camp health team.
Is it safe to bathe during periods?
Yes. Washing during a period is safe and helps prevent infection. Use clean water on the outside only and wash front to back.
How to dispose of pads with no dustbin?
Wrap each pad in paper and keep it in a bag until you reach a bin, or use the camp’s burning or burying point. Never flush pads into latrines or throw them in drains or floodwater.
Is a menstrual cup safe without clean water?
It’s risky. A cup needs clean hands and boiled water for cleaning between periods. If water is too scarce, pads or cloth may be the safer choice for now.
Why do pads cause a rash in the monsoon?
Heat, sweat and a wet pad rub the skin raw, and fungus grows in damp. Change more often, keep the area dry, and wear loose cotton underwear if you have it.
Is burning urine during periods a sign of infection?
It can be a urine infection, which is more common when women drink less water. Keep drinking, and see the health team if burning lasts or comes with fever or back pain.
What is a dignity kit?
A pack from relief agencies with pads or cloth, underwear, soap and sometimes a bucket. Ask for one for every woman and girl in your family who has periods.
Can stress from a flood make periods late?
Yes, stress, poor food and poor sleep can delay a period or change its flow. If there’s a chance of pregnancy, or bleeding is very heavy, talk to the health team.