All you need to know about using my Sanitary Towels!
What’s in them?
A very good question! My sanitary towels contain 4 major
ingredients for your comfort and security – don’t want any leakage and slipping
around when in use.
· Cotton
– I use cotton on both the top (the bit that is closest to your skin) and the
bottom (the bit that’s on your pants!). I use the best quality I can get my
hands on because it’s got to be soft and fairly thick to withstand washing and
also it’s got to be nice against your lady bits!
· An
absorbent core – This is the work horse of the pad. The bit that soaks up
all that blood. I use two types of absorbent fabric.
- Bamboo Terry – a natural towelling fabric that is thin and light. I use it on my make up remover pads too, it’s that soft. The one I use is organic too and Oeko-Tex certified.
- Zorb – As in ab-ZORB-ent. This stuff is great at sucking up lots and lots. It can replace 3 layers of bamboo terry. It sucks up 20 times as fast and 10 times as much
· A
waterproof layer – PUL – Whilst not strictly necessary, I like my towels to
have a waterproof layer sewn in and this is really thin and light. It sits
under the absorbent core and on top of the backing cotton. PolyUrethane
Laminate is recyclable.
· Snap
fasteners – I use KAM snaps to secure the pads to your pants. No itchy
Velcro or the horrible sticky stuff you get on disposables.
How do I wear them?
Just as you would a disposable pad, only don’t throw them
away! Place the pad on your pants as you would a disposable and snap the wings
on underneath. When you need to change it, simply unsnap and fold the pad into
the middle covering the blood and snap the fasteners round it on top. You now
have a little packet you can pop into a bag or your laundry basket ready to
wash. Pop your clean one on and off you go!
But what do I do when I’m not at home?
Fear not! All you do is keep a spare pad in a little
waterproof lined pouch in your bag. It’s like a disposable just a little bit
thicker. Change in the toilets wherever you are and put the used towel folded
up in the bag for when you get home.
Is washing them not a pain?
Not at all! You just need to get into a slightly different
routine. I deal with mine every day I’m using them. I find it’s best to rinse
them in cold water first before washing. This will minimise staining.
You could keep them in a bucket of cold water as well. Just
make sure it’s got a lid in case of inquisitive children! Also remember to keep
a decent amount of water in it. This is an absorbent pad and I put mine in the
sink once without enough and they soaked up all the water!
Then to wash them in the machine, put them in a laundry mesh
bag and wash them at up to 60oC. You can dry them in the tumble dryer on a low
heat, but line or rack drying is much better for the environment and reduces shrinkage. Don’t use
bleach and don’t use fabric softeners.
You should wash your pads before you first use them. They
increase in absorbency as you wash.
How many will I need?
A lot will depend on your period. You may have an extremely
heavy and short period of 4 days, or a light and long one of up to 7. You need
to think about your period. I would recommend around 20-25 of various
absorbencies. If you go through 5 a day, that will last you 5 days and you will
wash them in between. You don’t have to buy them all at once either. You can
make the switch over gradually. Just using one less disposable a day is a
really great start!
Pad absorbencies and sizes
These are the sizes and absorbencies I’ve been using and
finding work for me. I tend to wear Heavy and Medium most of the time. Although
Heavy only has one layer of additional absorbency, it is longer to give
additional coverage and will soak up more. The joy of making pads is that I can
make any absorbency in any length. If you want shorter and thicker, I can do it
for you!
Pad Name
|
Length
|
Layers of Bamboo
|
Layers of Zorb
|
Total Layers of Absorbency
|
Snap colour
|
Pantiliner
|
8.5 inches
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
Green
|
Light
|
9 inches
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
Yellow
|
Medium
|
10.25 inches
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
Orange
|
Heavy
|
11.75 inches
|
2
|
1
|
5
|
Red
|
How much will they cost?
The prices will vary dependent on length and number of
layers. Please look through the shop for current prices as they vary between £10 and £12 each.
Crikey, that’s a bit pricey!
Sure, but it’s me in my sewing space making them and I keep
my profits as low as possible because I really want women to make the switch. I
started my period when I was 12. I’m now 42. I’ve only ever missed 20 months
(pregnancies!) Seriously, I started again about a month after both children
were born (and I breast fed both exclusively so let’s get that myth out of the
way – lol!). That’s 30 years of me throwing away stuff I didn’t need to. Given
family history, I expect to have them for another 10 years potentially. Your
average pad, with care, should last you 5 years, if not more – some websites
I’ve read have women using them for 10 years. That’s a lot of life for your
pads and a lot of disposables saved from landfill.
Cloth sanitary pads are so much more comfortable to wear and
some users also say it reduces pain and also the length of their cycle.
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