Unbleached bedikah cloths - Nishmat Yoatzot Halacha

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Unbleached bedikah cloths

December 1, 2008

Question

First off, thank you so much for your website, truly a wonderful addition to the orthodox world.

I have tried to use the bedikah cloths but the chemicals (probably the bleach) on the cloths irritate me. Do you know
a. a place to get "natural" not so chemically treated cloths? I live in the US.
b. can i buy more natural fiber cloths and use them? Do they have to be perfectly white, or can they be "natural cotton"?

Answer

(a) We are not aware of a "natural" bedikah cloth supplier.

(b) It is fully permissible for you to make your own bedikah cloths. Natural cotton is fine (though if you have a choice, the whiter, the better). It should be large enough to cover the finger and reach all the interior surfaces of the vaginal canal, but not so big that it is hard to manipulate. (About three inches square is typical.)