My typical wash routine is to rinse them until the water is clear, soak them in an oxy stain remover (I use the seventh generation brand), rinse them again, check the stains, re-treat with stain remover if necessary (very rare), use a small amount of detergent to hand wash, then rinse. When I washed these pads a few were still stained after treating with the oxy stain remover so I got more serious and used a shout brand spray. Still stained. I'm jealous of those who can use their pads and wash them without staining being a problem because if I don't soak mine in stain remover they will come out looking exactly like they went it. It must be the makeup of my blood. I fear they are stained forever at this point.
It may be worth noting that the stain has a weird green-ish tint to it. I've heard of other people having green stains. Does anyone know what causes the green color? Something in the blood, a chemical in the soaps, both? I take daily iron pills so that could be a cause for both the stubborn staining as well as the green tint. I have no idea.
Anyway, I'd appreciate any stain removing tips because the long wash routine is getting frustrating.
On a side note, if anyone else has ever forgotten to wash their pads for an embarrassingly long period of time I'm sure we'd all like to hear about it and feel less alone in that area. Lets face it, we've all been there.