We dare say that there is no identical answer for two women, as it will depend on the frequency and duration of your menstruation, the chosen washing method, whether it is to be used in conjunction with an internal collection method or not... What we suggest for those who have never used menstrual underwear is to start with one or two, to test the absorption and understand, on lighter and heavier flow days, how many times you need to change.

Although urine is much more liquid than blood, if the losses are not very abundant, menstrual underwear is an excellent ally to keep us dry. It is common, for example, in women postpartum, even after a few months, to have small leaks and use menstrual underwear to help avoid transferring urine to clothing (we emphasize, however, the importance of pelvic physiotherapy in cases of recurrent urinary leaks).

Another very variable question, as it depends a lot on the day / the flow / the activities of that day / using the menstrual underwear as a complement to an internal menstrual collection method or as the only method (in the latter case, just do as with normal underwear and wash once a day, unless there is any excessive leakage from the cup/disc).
As a general rule, the absorption of our menstrual underwear allows for the following hours of use:
- Very heavy flow (typically associated with hormonal pathologies): 2-4h
- Heavy flow: 4-6h
- Moderate flow: 6-8h
- Light flow: 8-12

There are several washing methods, depending on the number of underwear you have, whether or not you have a washing machine, or simply according to each person's preference. However, there are some rules to keep in mind:
- Always do a cold rinse to remove most of the blood before washing with detergent or mixing with other clothes.
- Always wash at low temperatures. At most, at 30°C
- Never use fabric softener
- Never use bleach or any other type of whitener
- Always dry outdoors, never in the dryer
- They can be washed by hand or in the washing machine

Our menstrual underwear is tested for monthly use for two years, so they are not supposed to stop absorbing, at least within this period. Of course, if there has been any lapse in washing (such as using bleach or fabric softener), it can happen. If the washing instructions were followed and they still stopped absorbing, it may be that they have retained detergent (we always recommend using little detergent and rinsing thoroughly). In this case, one or two cycles of intense cold rinsing will solve the problem. If it is still not resolved, send us a message or email!

Our menstrual underwear has been tested for two years, with no loss of absorption and waterproofing. With proper care, they can last even longer (3-4 years). The more care taken in washing and drying, the longer they will last. However, the advantage of this menstrual collection method is that, even when they have completely lost their absorption, they can still be used as regular underwear for everyday use, especially since throughout our cycle we release other fluids (such as discharge or small leaks of urine), which are less abundant but can become uncomfortable due to the moisture they cause. Thus, even after they can no longer absorb menstruation, they can (and should) continue to be used.

We know that the questions above are too variable and the answers are not very helpful (nothing like testing!), but Norm. is for women by women and we are here to help in everything we can), so we indicate below the hours that our team can withstand with a Norm. menstrual underwear and how many times we change them, as well as how many we think is ideal to have.

- On the first day of menstruation, the Norm. menstrual underwear lasts me all day. The same goes for the last day.
- On the second and third day of menstruation, they last about 8 hours (sometimes slightly more). What I do is wear one in the morning, change after lunch when I feel I'm not so comfortable anymore (I feel the underwear is less dry) and then I change again before going to sleep.
- Since I only wash them at the end of the cycle, I need to have 12 pairs of underwear available to feel comfortable (especially since one is always in my bag for emergencies - my cycle likes surprises!). Besides that, I don't only use them during menstruation, because since postpartum I sometimes have small urine leaks. So, I feel more comfortable, day to day, especially if I know I'll be out of the house for a longer time or doing sports, wearing menstrual underwear.
- My washing method is the laziest ever: I just throw everything into a large waterproof bag. At the end of the cycle, I put the bag, with the zip open, in the washing machine on a cold rinse program. Then I add more clothes (usually black, which is what goes at lower temperatures here at home) and put it to wash, with detergent, without fabric softener, at 30°C. Then I just hang it out to dry.

•⁠ ⁠On the first day of menstruation, the Norm menstrual underwear lasts me all day. The same goes for the last day.
•⁠ ⁠On the second/third and fourth day of menstruation, they last about 2 hours (sometimes slightly more). On those days of heavier flow, to avoid changing more than 4 times, I use a tampon. Before going to sleep, I remove it and change my underwear again, and they last through the night.
•⁠ ⁠I always wash my underwear by hand and hang it to dry if I am still at the beginning of my menstrual period. Since I have 8 pairs of underwear, I would only have 1 for each day, so I can only wash them all in the machine at the end of the cycle or if I happen to do a load during the week with the underwear. If I put them in the machine with more clothes and start a wash, with detergent, without fabric softener, at 30°C. Then I just hang them out to dry.

• On the first day of menstruation and on the last two days, the Norm. menstrual underwear lasts me all day, from morning until the end of the day.
• On the second and third day of menstruation, they last about 7 hours. I change the Norm. underwear when I wake up, after lunch, or when I feel the underwear is less dry, and usually at night, when I get home. My flow is very light at night so I only feel the need to change in the morning the next day.
• I have 7 pairs of underwear available, so I wash them during my menstrual cycle. I usually use 6 and keep 1 as a backup, in case something unexpected happens.
• I do a pre-wash of the underwear I used during the day, on days of heavier flow, just with water, and I scrub the excess flow from the underwear. Then I put them all in a mesh bag and put them in the washing machine, along with other clothes that are washed at 30°. They always dry on the clothesline, in the most ventilated spot in the house.

• On the first and last day of menstruation, the Norm menstrual underwear lasts me all day. On these days I use two pairs of underwear, one during the day and one at night.
• On the second day of menstruation, they last about 8 hours (sometimes more). I use some in the morning, change after lunch when I feel I'm not so comfortable anymore (feeling of less dry underwear) and then change again at night before sleeping.
• Washing management: I have 8 pairs of underwear available to use throughout the menstrual period, and normally after use I soak them for a few minutes in cold water with neutral detergent, or rinse them during my shower, hang them to dry, and at the end of the cycle, I put them all in a mesh bag and wash them together in the washing machine at 30 degrees, without fabric softener, along with my clothes. Then I just hang them to dry in a ventilated place.

- We send our menstrual underwear inside a thin recycled paper, in order to protect them in the best way, accompanied by a card, also recycled, with washing care instructions and our WhatsApp contact (it's normal to have questions and we are here to help!). We also send a dried flower with each order, a symbol of eternal beauty and the strength of something as fragile as a flower - a metaphor that represents the Norm woman very well. The transport box is also recycled and will be sealed with our Norm label.
- All our boxes can be returned to us in Lisbon and Guimarães (just send a message to the same WhatsApp number that is on the instruction card with the order and we will arrange a day and time for the delivery). These boxes will then be cleaned and reused for new orders.

- Our shipments are delivered within 24 working hours in mainland Portugal and Spain, because we know that sometimes our period likes to surprise us and show up unexpectedly. For islands and the rest of Europe, it may take a little longer - up to 5 working days.

- Of course, you have 30 days for any return and we cover that cost on the first order with us! We want our customers to feel confident with their purchase and, if it's not the right time to try our menstrual panties or if you made a mistake with the size, we are here to respect and help!
- To return all or part of the order, it is only essential not to have removed the hygienic protection in kraft paper, which is located in the central area of the panties. We recommend, for maximum comfort, to try the Norm menstrual panties with some thin panties underneath, before removing this seal.

All our orders are shipped from Guimarães, Portugal. It is also in this area that our printing house and the seamstresses we work with to produce our accessories are located.