One day I learned about the cloth pad alternative and was curious to learn more. I drove to the natural food store nearby and found some to try! They were white “Glad Rags.”
In that moment I felt “free!” In a sense of newness, connecting to nature, and the idea of not being dependent on buying pads! I was determined not to be grossed out, to save money. It ended up not being that bad!
I wasn’t a fan of the Glad Rags as they were too small and rough. I learned I wanted thin panty liners and thicker menstrual pads. So I started with 3 liners and 5 cotton pads.
Instructions:
– I wash all my clothes before wearing them for the first time.
– I would put the necessary pad on the underwear as I would with disposables.
– Once panty liners were dirty, I would rub in regular soap, then rinse, and squeeze out excess water. Then throw into the laundry to be washed good. These were easy.
– Once the menstrual ones were dirty, I would rub in regular soap, then rinse, and squeeze out excess water (and flow). This would be repeated because of all the flow that builds up. Then I throw into the laundry just the same.
Tip:
– If I was out and about, I would fold the pad and put it in a cloth bag to wash later.
– I tried one suggestion to throw the dirty pads in a bucket of water (at home) to wash all later…but that smelled awful! Folding up the pad and putting it aside didn’t smell as bad.
My favorite go-to pads as of right now are from a Canadian company called Tree Hugger Cloth Pads! I get the bamboo topped ones, which are soft. I have more panty liners and more menstrual pads, because what I started with were definitely not enough!
Back in 2014 when I began this transition, I was in my new apartment and the washer and dryers were shared with all the tenants. So I had to wash and air dry in the sun the 5 pads I had! They were barely dried before I needed a new one! Finally I found Tree Hugger Cloth Pads and ordered more.
I have 4 overnights, 6 daily menstrual, and 9 panty liners!
As of right now, I only use the panty liners. I am too busy with kids to clean the menstrual pads, but would like to get back into it later. Especially now that I have my own washer and dryer!
Another Note: I prefer pads, but many women prefer tampons. There is a silicone cup that can replace tampons, so that is an option too. I wish I could do that, but it’s too uncomfortable for me!
Extra Note: Cloth Diapers
I tried…but it was too messy! I used cloth diapers with absorbing biodegradable disposable liners, but the pee soaked the whole diaper, I felt weird and grossed out. Wasn’t sure if washing it would take all the pee out! I did it for a full day, using up all the cloth diapers I had, and washing them at the end of the day. Wasn’t looking forward to doing that anymore. So sadly I went back to disposable diapers. But the cheapest brand my sister and I found that actually worked is: Hello Bello! I found them at Walmart, but we also bought them on their website in bulk, and they would throw in 4 free bags of wipes! Sometimes other free items! But it is stressful to buy and deal with stinky diapers. So if anyone wants to try cloth diapers, I say go for it!
