How to treat or hide a period stain

A period stain is nothing to be ashamed of, but if it makes you feel uncomfortable there are simple tricks to treat it or hide it. And don’t be afraid to ask a trusted adult—the school teacher, your grandma, your friend’s mom—for a hand if you need it. They’ve definitely been there, and they’ll be happy to help you out however they can.

At home 

If you’re at home or a friend’s house and you notice a leak on your clothes, rinse the stain in cold water, treat it with stain remover according to the packaging’s directions (sometimes rubbing the stain can help!), then throw the clothes in the wash like you would normally. Grab other clothes—may I recommend your coziest sweatpants?—and chill out while the washing machine does its thing. You can always ask an adult if you need help finding cleaning supplies or working the washing machine. 

And what about if you stain your bed sheets? No problemo. When you realize what has happened, just strip your bed, and follow the same instructions: rinse, treat, and toss in the washing machine. 

If you don’t have stain remover, don’t worry—there are actually a lot of natural or household items that can help get rid of period stains, too. You can mix a paste of either aspirin or baking soda and water, and leave it on the stain as a treatment for a half-hour or more before washing it like you would normally. Salt—or if you wear contacts, your saline solution—can be rubbed on stains with a little bit of water to loosen stains. If you’re trying to get a stain out of lighter-coloured clothes, lemon juice and hydrogen peroxide can do the same thing. And if you’re really in a tough spot, your spit—yep, your saliva—can be a great on-the-go treatment. A little gross, but it works!