If you’ve been reading long, you know all about menstrual cups, from the get-go to the more experienced take. (In case you need them, those are links, though I don’t think you can see them in this paragraph.)
Most menstrual cups do need a bit of backup at times, though, and a great way to take care of business while being eco-friendly (not to mention wallet-friendly AND far less wasteful) is reusable menstrual pads, pantiliners and the like.
The advantages
Reusable pads have several advantages:
- Better for the environment. Duh.
- Buy once, use for years. I bought mine over eight years ago, made some more to supplement those, and although I haven’t used them 100% of the time for those years, they are still serviceable. Overall, this is a financial savings, although there’s a little bit of an outlay at first.
- They are soft and comfortable — much nicer than commercial disposable pads.
The disadvantages
- Thick pads are a bit “diaperish.” Sometimes it feels a little bulky. That’s why I prefer the menstrual cup, at least during the days — at night, a little bulk is less noticeable.
- A little more work. Like so many things, it is indeed more laborious to wash and reuse than to throw away. But it needn’t be disgusting — stay on top of keeping pads rinsed and washed in a timely manner and you’ll be A-OK.
How do you care for them?
Essentially, most women seem to rinse or soak them, then wash them, usually with other laundry. (I have a special soaking vessel where I soak them with some Dr. Bronner’s and tea tree oil, and wash them with jeans or towels in warm water.) For a complete rundown of the cleaning options, check out this Web site.
Where do you get them?
Here are some good places to find out more about going to the reusable side:
- A while back, TipNut posted a collection of links with patterns and how-tos for making cloth menstrual pads.
- Gladrags is a go-to site for a variety of products. This is the brand I bought years ago.
- Lunapads is another well-known supplier of all kinds of natural menstrual supplies. Their design is a bit different, with a changeable “liner” on top of the pad for easy switching.
- Etsy.com features a host of designers making and selling pads. Be sure to check feedback and ask any questions before buying to find a design that will work well for you.
I’m not sure which route to go, although I’m getting ready to upgrade — my current, elderly stash is looking kind of sad, which just becomes depressing, and now there are so many more options than there were a few years ago.
Do you reuse? Why or why not?
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Comments ( 11 )
[...] couple of weeks ago, I wrote about reusable menstrual pads. In the comments, a question came up about making reusable menstrual pads for [...]
Cloth reusable pads for charity | Cheap Like Me added these pithy words on Jul 15 09 at 5:57 amWith both the Keeper and the Diva Cup, back-up is essential for me. I bought the Lunapad pantyliners and pads but am disappointed the pantyliners don’t have the nylon liquid-proof backer that the pads have. The pads are far more bulky – and expensive – so I don’t have many of those. After having to change panties and jeans multiple times every single cycle because of bleed-through, I decided to compromise. On heavy flow days, I use a commercial pantyliner under my cloth pads. Even if I bleed through the pad, the liner can stay for the entire day. I’m not thrilled about still using the commercial liners but in the big picture, I’m probably saving water and laundry that was being used to wash the extra clothes, not to mention a lot of frustration.
Chile added these pithy words on
Jul 02 09 at
7:55 am
While I’m sorry to hear Chile’s experience, I have to say, “I heart my Lunapads!!” Especially after having my baby, I found the fuzzy flannel so soft and comforting. I don’t even mind a little extra “pillow” down there because to be honest, after trying Lunapads, everything else just seemed so uncomfortable. I also love their designs. I haven’t tried any other brands, but I’ve been happy with my Lunapads. Very happy
frugalurban added these pithy words on
Jul 02 09 at
9:24 am
Reusablebags.com now sells Diva cups and Luna Pads; link below.
Of course, it is best to support any small business, such as those found on Etsy. But if you prefer purchasing from a larger business, reusablebags.com is a great choice as they are very committed to reuse.
Karen Peissinger-Venahus added these pithy words on
Jul 02 09 at
11:22 am
Informative and interesting article! I’m slowly making more eco-friendly choices – I live in Iowa where thinking green is still considered “weird” by many, so there aren’t many decent health food stores. I’ve seen the Diva Cup and Lunapads but was interested in hearing opinions. What a money and earth saver!
Kristin added these pithy words on
Jul 02 09 at
12:42 pm
i just started using the gladrags pads/liners and so far so good! I’m slowly making the transition to the diva cup–next period, i’m going to give it a go. I know it’ll take a few cycles to adjust so i’m in it for the long haul! thanks again for your helpful and informative posts on this topic!
kimchi added these pithy words on
Jul 02 09 at
6:22 pm
Wow, I didn’t think I’d find this interesting at all, but it is. Since Missy so generously gave me her old sewing machine, I might have to whip a few of these up to test the machine out.
I’m going to do some additional research — there was some info on making these for women in Africa, but the link though TipNut was broken for Goods4Girls.
Again, I learned something really fabulous on your blog!
Angelique added these pithy words on
Jul 02 09 at
10:44 pm
Another one: Party in my Pants (PIMPs)
http://www.partypantspads.com/I got these as a gift & thought they’d be gross, but they’re not. They’re also quite thin, not at all diapery & not icky like I remember pads being. I haven’t used pads since pretty early in my period life & I’ve been using the keeper for years, but these make a good backup if you know you’re going to be running around on a heavy day where you won’t be able to empty the thing, or if you’re tapering off & worrying about spotting. I’m not a pads gal, so I can’t speak to their use in pads-only situations, but they successfully contained a keeper spill, which can be mighty messy. I wash them with my regular laundry (most likely cold or maybe warm) & they look fresh and spiffy. There’s the liner fabric that goes against your body and a waterproof barrier.
They’re also super cute. The two I have are flannel with kittens and vintage chenille (I didn’t see vintage on their site, so I don’t know if they still do those). They fold up into themselves & snap shut so if you’re all demure, you wouldn’t have any idea what they are.
If you want to try them out, new customers can get a free sample for the cost of s/h ($2.99): http://www.partypantspads.com/shop/discounted-items/liner-giveaway
Nikol added these pithy words on
Jul 04 09 at
2:36 pm
This is a comment from Nikol at The Thrifty Knitter that got deleted during the host hacker situation:
Another one: Party in my Pants (PIMPs)
http://www.partypantspads.com/I got these as a gift & thought they’d be gross, but they’re not. They’re also quite thin, not at all diapery & not icky like I remember pads being. I haven’t used pads since pretty early in my period life & I’ve been using the keeper for years, but these make a good backup if you know you’re going to be running around on a heavy day where you won’t be able to empty the thing, or if you’re tapering off & worrying about spotting. I’m not a pads gal, so I can’t speak to their use in pads-only situations, but they successfully contained a keeper spill, which can be mighty messy. I wash them with my regular laundry (most likely cold or maybe warm) & they look fresh and spiffy. There’s the liner fabric that goes against your body and a waterproof barrier.
They’re also super cute. The two I have are flannel with kittens and vintage chenille (I didn’t see vintage on their site, so I don’t know if they still do those). They fold up into themselves & snap shut so if you’re all demure, you wouldn’t have any idea what they are.
If you want to try them out, new customers can get a free sample for the cost of s/h ($2.99): http://www.partypantspads.com/shop/discounted-items/liner-giveaway
Cheap Like Me added these pithy words on
Jul 10 09 at
1:50 pm
I tried these about 10 years ago and, well, I did not like them at all. They were too bulky and they didn’t seem very absorbent. I have been considering the diva cup for a few months but I am not there yet….
Erin added these pithy words on
Jul 15 09 at
2:03 pm
My husband can’t believe I’m actually considering trying out mama cloth. But since it’s not something that will ever really affect him, as long as he doesn’t have to hear about it too much, he is willing to let me try.
But it occurs to me that I could probably just my daughter’s diaper sprayer to rinse off the pads in cold water and then just toss them in the wash with her cloth diapers, as long as I don’t bleach them. I’d also love to try Lunette Selena cup but I’m a bit intimidated and it is a serious investment up front if it ends up being a mistake. I can always still use and re-purpose my mama cloth if I don’t end up liking them.
Laundry Lady added these pithy words on
Dec 06 10 at
7:32 am
