Cloth menstrual pad
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Cloth menstrual pads are a reusable alternative to disposable sanitary napkins.
Generally these are made from layers of absorbent fabrics (such as cotton or hemp) which are worn by a woman while she is menstruating, for post-birth bleeding or any other situation where it is necessary to absorb the flow of blood from the vagina. After use, they are washed, dried and then reused.
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[edit] Current use
Commercially available - The majority of commercially available pads are manufactured by work at home moms or small businesses and can be purchased through some health food stores, select specialty stores and via the Internet. They are available in a range of lengths and thicknesses, similar to disposable pads, with longer pads for night use and thinner and shorter pads for light use. Some manufacturers will allow the buyer to select the fabrics, shape and size of the pad so that they can be custom made to fit an individual woman and be as efficient as possible.
Handmade - Some women make their own cloth menstrual pads. These pads range from folded wash cloths to pads similar to the cloth menstrual pads available commercially. Some women design their own styles while other women use patterns found on websites.
Washing and care - Cloth menstrual pads may be hand or machine washed, and then dried on a clothes line or in a clothes dryer, depending on the instructions from the manufacturer (different fabrics require different care methods). Some women choose to rinse out their pads in cold water before putting them in the wash with their other clothing, others do not rinse, but put the soiled pads straight into the wash.
Stains sometimes occur, however this is limited if the pads are rinsed out or soaked in cold water immediately after use. Some women prefer darker coloured fabrics which do not show stains as much as light fabrics do. Causes of staining include: allowing the blood to dry on the pad, and using hot water when washing the pad. Drying cloth pads in sunlight can help to fade stains.
When changing cloth menstrual pads away from home, some women place the soiled pads into a waterproof or ziploc bag to keep them from drying out and to contain or prevent odor, and then wash the pads when convenient.
Fabrics - The fabrics used range from 100% natural fibres to 100% synthetics. Some commonly used fabrics include:
- Natural fibres:
- Terrycloth
- Cotton
- Organic Cotton
- Silk
- Cotton Flannelette
- Hemp
- Bamboo
- Cotton Corduroy
- Synthetic fibres (usually used for waterproofing layers on the underside of the pad):
- Velour
- PUL Waterproofing
- Polar fleece
- Microfleece
- GoreTex
- Suedecloth Stay dry layer
Some styles of cloth menstrual pad have a waterproof layer to help prevent the pad leaking through while other styles of cloth pad may rely on more layers of absorbency and not include waterproofing.
Specialty fabrics such as hemp and PUL may be purchased from online nappy/diaper supply stores.
Fasteners - Some styles of cloth menstrual pad have wings that fold around the gusset of the undergarment and a fastener to hold the pad in place. Some commonly used fasteners include:
- Buttons
- Resin or metal snap fastener
- Velcro
Cloth menstrual pads that do not have wings to hold them in place may use a fabric such as corduroy, that can help to stop the pad from moving, while other designs have a waterproof pad holder that you can use with pads,and adjust the amount of pads used based on your needs. These pads can also be used as lay in pads without the waterproof holder for light days.
[edit] History
Through the ages women have used different forms of menstrual protection. The Museum of menstruation has articles and photos of some early forms of menstrual protection. Including among other things, knitted pads. Women often used strips of folded old cloth (rags) to catch their menstrual blood, which is why the term "rags" was used to refer to menstruation.
Disposable menstrual pads appear to have been first commercially available from around 1888 with the Southall's pad. Disposable menstrual pads had their start during the first world war, where French nurses used Kimberly-Clark's wood pulp bandages as a menstrual pad that could be thrown away after use.
Until the birth of disposable pads, women used a variety of sewn or makeshift pads made from a variety of fabrics, often leftover scraps, to collect menstrual blood. Those could generally be washed and used again. Though some women have used anything absorbent, including grass to collect menstrual blood. Cited here. Some women, mostly ones living in rural areas or from a low socio-economic status, did not use anything to collect menstrual blood and it has been said that they left a trail of blood behind them. Even after they were more widely available, they were too expensive for many women to afford[citation needed]. It also took women several years to be able to comfortably buy these products[citation needed]. One solution to this was to allow women to place money into a box (so that the woman would not have to speak to the clerk) and take a box of Kotex pads from the counter themselves. So it took several years for disposable menstrual pads to become commonplace.
Cloth menstrual pads made a comeback around the 1970s. With the number of cloth pad manufacturers and online communities devoted to this increasing in the 1990s and the early 2000s, they would appear to be gaining popularity.
In underdeveloped countries, reusable or makeshift pads are still used to collect menstrual blood. Cited here.
[edit] Advantages
[edit] Environmental advantages
- Environmentally friendly
- Less waste compared to disposable menstrual products:
- Can be made from recycled materials (such as old pillow cases and towels)
- Don't contribute to landfill
- When cloth menstrual pads wear out (after years of use), those made from natural materials can be composted whereas disposable sanitary napkins cannot be recycled.
- No plastic packaging
- Fewer chemicals used (especially those made of undyed organic cotton) compared to disposable menstrual products.
- Some cloth pads use Hemp as the absorbent core, growing and manufacturing hemp can reduce wastewater and require little or no pesticides to grow when compared with Cotton or Wood pulp.
- Pads made of organic cotton are grown without pesticides and chemicals.
[edit] Economical advantages
- It is less expensive (in the long term) to buy and produce cloth mentrual pads compared to disposable menstrual products.
- Can be made by hand for little or no cost
[edit] Personal advantages
- Customizable to each individual's needs and preferences (e.g. fabric color, fabric type, laundry detergent used, size, shape, style).
- No adhesive to get caught on hair or skin.
- More breathable than the average disposable pad. Thus, less odor.
- When worn they are less likely to make make a sound, unlike disposable pads.
- Eliminates the need to dash to the store to buy more sanitary pads because you have run out.
- Machine washable cloth pads, may be thrown into the wash by themselves or with other loads of laundry (clothes, bedding, towels, etc.).
[edit] Health advantages
- Less likely to cause rashes, contact dermatitis, and may reduce the scent of menstrual blood on the cloth pad. As well as helping women afflicted with certain types of vaginitis.
- Some women experience lighter menstrual flows, fewer days menstruating, as well as lessened cramping.[citation needed]
- Women with sensitive skin and allergies may find cloth pads to be more comfortable against their skin. Particularly cloth pads made of undyed organic cotton.
[edit] Disadvantages
[edit] Environmental disadvantages
Washing reusable pads requires water. The desire to reuse must be balanced against any local need to conserve water. Also, it is important that the water used to clean pads be disposed of appropriately. Even "biodegradable" soaps take a long time to break down.
[edit] Economical disadvantages
- Can be expensive to purchase initially.
- Not as easily available (generally not stocked in supermarkets, pharmacies etc.), but widely available online.
[edit] Personal disadvantages
- More time consuming due to the need to wash, dry, and care for the pads. It should be noted though that certain brands and fabrics can be laundered in the washing machine and dryer along with your clothing.
- Usually bulkier than the average disposable pads.
- Removing stains can be difficult, depending on if it the blood has dried or not, the fabric color and material, and detergent used.
[edit] Health disadvantages
Special care may need to be taken if the user has a Candidiasis infection (i.e. Yeast infection), once the infection is treated, the cloth menstrual pads may need to be sanitized in order to prevent reinfection.
