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FAQ About Using Cloth Menstual Pads

With such a personal decision to switch over from disposable pads to cloth pads, there are many questions. Here I will list the questions I asked when first considering cloth pads, and any others that are asked of me. Please, feel free to email me for any information that you need that you may not find on my site! You can email me at: peggy@homemademama.com

Why did you make the switch to cloth pads?

Several years ago I first heard of cloth pads. My first reaction was "YUCK!" and then I left it at that. Then one day I realized that maybe I should research cloth pads at least a little bit. I was having problems with 'irritation' every month during my cycle and I wondered if maybe cloth would solve this problem? Through my research I was amazed at my findings, and also sad that I didn't research this earlier. To find out what I found you can go to any search engine and type in "dangers of chemicals, menstrual pads". I am sure you will be as surprised at the information you find as I was.

What differences have you noticed since you made the switch to cloth pads?

~No more yeast infections. ~No more problems with sticky (from glue) pads bunching up in my undergarments and pulling my hair! ~Much less blood loss. ~Less cramping! I went from having severe cramps for 2-3 days to about 12-18 hours of bearable cramps. No longer do I feel like I want to live in my bed for 2 days each month! ~More money in my wallet! (I just had to throw that in there! Tee hee!)

How do you care for your cloth pads?

Cloth pads can be soaked in a bucket, or other container, in cold water with a few drops of tea tree oil. For myself, I have 5 children so we do laundry every day, because of this, I don't bother with soaking. I rinse them out with water or just snap them up, and then I keep them in a waterproof make up type bag. Once a day I throw the pads in with a load of laundry washed in warm water. Sometimes if the pads are particularly 'dirty' I add baking soda to the load or a stain remover on the pad. One amazing thing about cloth pads is you don't flow as much as with a store bought pad. Disposable pads have chemicals in them which 'draw out' the blood from your body. I noticed this difference immediately when I made the switch to cloth! I had very little blood on my cloth pads compared to disposables. Most of the blood was 'shed' when I went to the bathroom to pee. I truly found this, and still find it VERY amazing. I never would have dreamed that disposables were actually doing this very un-natural thing to my body! Now I can't imagine ever using disposables again! If the thought of washing your pads with your regular wash (I do mine with undies and such) doesn't appeal to you, then you can soak them in a container and wash them as a small load as you would any under garments.

I have problems with recurrent yeast infections. Do you think cloth pads can help with this problem?

This was a question I asked, and I didn't fully get the answer until I made the switch. Now I can say that "Yes! Cloth pads DO help if you suffer from recurrent yeast infections!" If you do have a yeast infection while using your cloth pads, it's recommended that you iron your pads after washing to kill any yeast causing bacteria. You can also use tea tree oil in the wash.

Am I really going to save all that much money buying cloth pads?

Yes, you will definitely save money! For me, I was spending between 5-10 dollars a month on my menstrual pads and then 5-10 dollars a month on panty liners. Let's say you spend 15$ a month. That's $180.00 on pads per year. My starter kit will provide you with enough pads to last you anywhere from 1-5 years, depending on how well you care for them. The pads should last at least 2 years. My starter kit starts at just $75.00! To me that's a great deal! When we have to buy store bought, not only are we paying a certain amount per month for the pads, we also have to pay for the gas to get to the store, the time at the store picking out the pads etc... The cost of washing the pads is not much at all. If you wash them with your regular laundry, you aren't going to notice a change in your laundry costs what so ever. If you wash them separately, then it would be 1-2 VERY small loads per month. That shouldn't cost more then pennies.

I have teenage daughters. Can they use cloth pads too?

Most definitely! My eldest daughter thinks the cloth pads are just great! It's her 'job' to make sure she puts her pads into her own little wet bag, and then she puts the bag on the washer for me so I know hers need to be washed. This works well for us. As she gets older, I will expect her to care for the pads herself. I feel such a sense of 'security' (for lack of a better word) knowing that possibly none of my four daughters will ever be exposed to the chemicals in store bought pads! Of course the added benefit of the money we will save over the years, with five of us women here, is a great bonus! *(Check out our Pads page for our new TEEN Package!)

How messy are cloth pads?

As I mentioned in the other answer above, cloth pads are not nearly as messy as one would think. Since there are no chemicals in the pads drawing the blood out of your body, you will notice a very high percentage of your blood loss actually gets flushed in the toilet. If you are a 'squeamish' type of person, you could use some tongs or gloves for handling your pads. In all honesty though, when I first heard about cloth pads I was completely disgusted at the thought of using them. Then I read an article about disposable pads, and the possible link between these pads and endometriosis. I was diagnosed with endometriosis after my second child and the thought that any one of my four daughters could end up with a similar diagnosis one day due to disposable pads made me realize I should at least give the cloth pads a try. To my amazement, cloth pads were not 'gross' like I thought they would be and now I could NEVER go back to disposables!!

How do the Comfort Contour Pads stay in place and not move around?

I use soft fabrics in making my Comfort Contour Pads. These chosen fabrics help to keep the pads in place. The Comfort Contour also keeps the pad right in place between your legs, where they are needed. They do not 'slip' in the underwear, unless one was possibly wearing very loose undies. The Heavy pads stay very nicely in place also. This is perfect for the first night or two of a period, when the flow is heavier. If your flow is very heavy during the day, the heavy pads are very nice for day time use as well.
I now also offer Comfort Contour Pads with wings attached to the back!

If you have any more questions that I have not answered on this page, please feel free to email me and I will do the best I can to help you in any way!

To read more about the issues facing women who use disposable products,
you can read one story and much more info here:
Tampon Alert


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