A device for retaining and dispensing in a controlled fashion at least partially porous absorbent pads (20) that includes an elongated storage chamber (11) that is intended and adjusted to receive inside a series of absorbent pads and that includes actuators (30) that are capable and have been set up to move an absorbent pad in the storage chamber to an exit opening (13) and dispense it at the exit opening. The actuators comprise a manually controllable control instrument (31, 32) that is capable and adjusted to enforce rotation on the carrier bodies and to directly hold on to them as well as a spiral profile (14) over at least nearly the full length of an internal wall (12) of the storage chamber (11). The absorbent pads comprise holding means (23) that are capable and have been set up to work together with the spiral profile (14) in the storage chamber so that a passageway can be enforced according to the spiral profile (14) for an absorbent pad with regard to rotation imposed by the control instrument.