In Jain dharma, menstruation (rajaswala) is understood as a natural physical process, not a sin and not a defect in your soul. The “impurity” (ashaucha) that is spoken about is mainly about ritual purity around sacred things and spaces, not about everyday touching of people and objects.

1. Touching people and clothes in daily life

For normal, day‑to‑day interactions:

• You may live in the same house, cook, wash, work, study, and move around normally, according to most present‑day Jain achar.
• Touching family members, friends, or their clothes in ordinary life does not make them religiously “impure” in the sense that they must be washed because of dharmic rules.
• Clothes, bedsheets, etc. that you use during periods should be kept clean for hygiene, but that is health/cleanliness, not a special Jain dharma rule that others become impure by your touch.

So: No — in normal household and social contact, you are not considered to be making everything impure just by touch, and people/objects do not automatically need ritual washing.

2. Where the traditional “don’t touch” ideas mainly apply

Classical Jain practice focuses on extra shuddhi (purity) only around sacred things, for a few days:

• Murtis of Tirthankars, temple garbhagriha, aangi / abhishek, ashta‑prakari puja items.
• Pratikraman books, Agam scriptures, gyan‑bhandar, and special puja asan/vedi.

Many families therefore follow customs like:

• Not doing abhishek, aangi, or entering the inner sanctum during periods.
• Not handling pratikraman pustak or Agam granths for those days.

This is seen as a vrata / discipline of respect towards sacred items, not a statement that the woman herself is spiritually low or untouchable. ( jainknowledge.com)

3. Differences in achar (custom) – Digambar / Shvetambar, family traditions

• Scriptures do not give one single, rigid rulebook for all household details, so achar differs:

- Some Shvetambar families are stricter (no temple entry, no kitchen work, separate bedding). - Some are milder (only avoid abhishek / idol‑touch; everything else normal). - Digambar families also differ locally; most focus on restrictions only for dev‑puja type activities, not on ordinary touch of people and clothes.

• In Jainism, avoiding guilt, fear, and aversion toward your own body is important. The key is:

- Maintain good hygiene and cleanliness. - Follow your family’s and local sangh’s achar as far as you are comfortable. - Remember that your soul (atma) is always pure; physical states don’t stain it.

4. Simple practical guideline

You can safely follow this simple line:

1. Everyday life

- OK to touch people, their clothes, furniture, utensils, etc. - Wash things as you normally would for cleanliness and health.

1. Sacred objects and rituals

- For the days of menstruation, avoid direct handling of: - idols, shalibhadra, chaityavandan books, pratikraman books, and temple asan/vedi, - and dev‑puja/abhishek/angis, if that is the achar of your sangh/family. - Instead you can do mental bhakti, stavans, and swadhyay from a little distance or at home.

If you wish to read more about how Jain achar explains menstruation and ritual purity, you can see a related explanation here: and general rules here: