Just a heads up that I will be talking about blood and bleeding so if you are squeamish, then this might not be for you.
The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 not only created the crazy panic buying of toilet paper, but it also led to the shortage of menstrual products and disposable nappies.
What if you no longer needed to worry about your monthly supplies? Never have to wander to the personal hygiene aisle and pretend to look at other products until you’re finally alone so you can quickly grab your stuff and get the heck out of there! That’s me now, going on 8 years.
I hated that time of the month and I would anticipate with such dread, a week before it even came. I have endometriosis and every time I got my period, it was like I couldn’t function as a human being. I didn’t want to do anything, just wanted time to fast-forward so I could skip past the pain, moodiness, bloating, the ordeal of having to complete simple everyday tasks while feeling like I’m bleeding to death.
I will write about my endo journey in another post but let’s focus on re-useable menstrual products (RUMPs) and how they’ve changed my period game. I stumbled upon cloth pads and menstrual cups on my quest to live more ‘clean’. I didn’t want to use sanitary products that contained chemicals or fragrances and while there were disposables that fit this description, I found my options were quite limited. That’s when I discovered cloth pads. There are many lengths, shapes and absorbencies to choose from and the best part about them is that they are soooo pretty. So I picked out a few that tickled my fancy and waited for shark week to commence.
My cloth experience
I really didn’t know what to expect, and to my relief, my period came on the weekend so I could test out my new pretties without having to worry about the possibility of leaking in public. The fact that I got to put on something pretty made the whole event less dreadful, but the most memorable moment was after I pulled up my underwear, I panicked because I wasn’t sure if forgot to put on a pad. I felt SO comfortable I thought I was bleeding right onto my underwear.
There was no guilt about when to change either, I could do it every hour if I wanted to because I wasn’t throwing them out afterwards. For the first time, being on my period was kind of fun because I had something to look forward to – deciding which pretty pad I was going to wear next. Before I knew it, shark week had come to an end.
It was an utter success and knowing that I no longer needed to depend on supermarkets for supplies was truly liberating. This feeling of empowerment urged me to try out other RUMPs, one of which was the menstrual cup which I will talk about in part two.
Onto pros and cons!
Pros:
- Pretty, so so pretty
- Comfortable compared to disposables
- Customisable to suit your needs – this goes for length, shape, absorbency, fabric, prints. There are many Australian WAHMs that are able to tailor pads to your needs.
- Health benefits - chemical and fragrance free
- Reusable - change your pad as many times as you like guilt free as they just get washed and not end up in landfill for hundreds of years
- Good for your wallet – not having to spend $20 for products that you have to throw away every month
Cons:
- Larger upfront cost for a sufficient stash to get you through your cycle. The price of cloth pads varies depending on where you purchase them from eg eBay/Amazon vs brands vs WAHMs. If you are on a budget, maybe start with a few and do a mixture of cloths and disposables and add more cloth to each subsequent cycle. You could also wash every other day to stretch out your stash when starting out.
- Laundering – some may be discouraged by this step but it’s seriously not that bad
How do I wear a cloth pad?
Unlike disposables where they have an adhesive backing, cloth pads have snaps on their wings that you wrap around and secure to the gusset of your underwear.
Are all cloth pads the same?
No they are not, apart from shape, size, core material and absorbency, you want to look at the composition. There are mainly two types I’m aware of, one that has PUL and one without. PUL is a waterproof layer used in cloth nappies and wet bags to help protect against leaks. Some pads use PUL as backing or has it hidden within. My experience with PUL is that while they are less likely to leak, they do feel more stiff and don’t move around with your body as well as fleece backed pads. With that said, while fleece backed pads are more conforming, the blood may seep through the backing and on to your clothes if it becomes over-saturated. So the rule of thumb is to change more often on your heavy days, one, to avoid leaks and two, because you can!
How do I change my cloth pad in public?
One of the best things about cloth pads besides comfort is that they don’t make that horrible crinkly noise when you’re changing so it’s very discreet. All you need to do is fold it in thirds and snap the sides. Then place it in a XS Lil Eco wet bag or similar and pop it in your bag.
Do I need to soak my soiled pad as soon as I change it?
No, soaking is not necessary. I just dry pail all my pads/period underwear in a wet bag until the end of my cycle.
How do I wash cloth pads? It’s a pain isn’t it?!
There are some extra steps involved when it’s wash time but it’s not too troublesome. Make it as simple as possible for yourself so you can enjoy the best part of RUMPs. I’ll go into detail about my wash routine near the end of the post.
Period undies
In the last couple of years, period underwear has gained popularity. For those that aren’t familiar, they have absorbency built in so you don’t need to wear a pad. I have ModiBodi and Bonds and although I do like them, especially my MBs, I wear them more as backup for my heavy days than standalone.
I have tried wearing my MB heavy/overnight by itself on the first couple of days of my cycle (which are the heaviest) and it just can’t cope. The heavy/overnight style has absorbency all the way to the back of the underwear but it doesn’t absorb the blood evenly. So while the back of my MB is completely dry, the gusset is drenched and leaking. If you are thinking about wearing them on your heavy days, you may need at least 3 pairs to get you through the day. Changing underwear when you have many layers on can also be an inconvenience, especially when it’s cold or you’re out in public. What I can say is that I love them as backup for my cup on heavy days and on their own on my light days.
Like cloth pads, they have different absorbencies and styles. My heavy Bonds bloody comfy undies don’t have absorbency that stretches all the way to the back like my ModiBodis so just keep that in mind when comparing different brands.
Here are some pros and cons,
Pros:
- Comfortable, feels just like underwear.
- No need to worry about your pad shifting around because it’s built in so it moves with you therefore awesome for nights
- Health benefits – chemical and fragrance free
- Reusable – use the same cup every cycle
- Good for your wallet – not having to spend $20 per month on products that you have to throw away
Cons:
- Expensive – period underwear average around $30 a pop so there’s a fair bit of upfront cost if you want to use them exclusively (although there are bundle packs available which makes them a bit cheaper). If you only want to wear them overnight, then 2-3 pairs may be enough if washed alternately.
- May not be sufficient to wear alone on heavy days
- Laundering – some may be discouraged by this step but it’s seriously not that bad
Finally, the wash routine!
Ok, so I feel like this is the make or break part when it comes to using cloth pads and undies. I have to admit that it was my least favourite part so I had to make it as hassle free as possible and now it’s become a monthly routine that I don’t even think about. *Please remember that there are many ways and recommendations depending on who you listen to but this is how I wash mine.
So, as soon as my period starts, I bring out my wet bag. Each time I change my period underwear or cloth pad, I place the soiled one in my wet bag. I keep doing that until my period is over. (Remember, there is no need to soak each item after changing. If you have a child in cloth nappies, you can add your items to the nappy pre-wash and then dry pail as normal.)
To wash, I take my wet bag and tip all the contents straight into the washing machine. Then, I do a pre-wash to get rid of the bulk of the blood using both washing powder and Vanish Gold. My setting for my front loader is 60 degrees Celsius for an hour, finishing with the highest RPM (1600).
- The length of your pre-wash depends on your washing machine. Front loaders need a longer wash than top loaders.
- “Washing your pads/underwear only in cold water or it will set the stains” is a myth. I have tried cold, warm and hot washes and have not seen a difference in staining. I have found however that items washed in cold water retained a faint odour while washing in warm/hot did not.
- Warm or hot wash is up to you (40 degrees Celsius being warm and 60 degrees Celsius being hot). I do a prewash at 60 and then the main wash at 40. Other combinations are prewash at 40, main at 60 or 40 for both pre and main wash. I think 60 degrees for both washes is too harsh so wouldn’t recommend. Also washing at 60 may cause some colours to fade.
- If you have restricted water access, an alternative to a machine pre-wash is to ‘shower stomp’. Instead of putting them into the washing machine, you tip pads/undies onto the shower floor and use the water as you shower to rinse them. Once the water is clear, wash with your normal laundry (see below).
After my pre-wash cycle is complete, I add in my wet bag and my normal laundry to the pads/undies that have just been pre-washed. Then I do a long warm wash. After the load is done, my pads/undies are clean and ready for the next cycle!
I hope you found this article helpful and if you haven’t already, give cloth a try!
Lily
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