Menstrual cycle Women's health

Cloth Menstrual Pads

Cloth Menstrual Pads

The average woman uses up to 17 000 disposable menstrual pads and tampons in a lifetime. Therefore, there are a lot of reasons not to support manufacturers of disposable menstrual products based on unneeded waste and profit at the expense of women’s health and the environment.

Use Cloth Menstrual Pads

1. You will reduce your menstrual cramps, infections and skin rashes.

If you suffer from severe pain during menstruation and use one-time funds, consider using alternatives such as cloth strips of 100% organic cotton or menstrual cups. Disposable pads used plastic that blocks the air flow to the vagina, it is not surprising that it can stimulate a painful rash. They also used synthetic fibers, which absorb all the moisture in the vagina, increasing your chances of severe pain and infections — especially if you wear them regularly. After I switched to reusable cloth pads, my severe cramps had decreased to zero — now menstrual a miracle.

2. Reusable options are much healthier for you.

Disposable usually made from a combination of plastic, cotton, synthetic fibres and cellulose. Traditionally produced cotton is one of the most toxic crops grown, using 20 percent of the global volume of pesticides and herbicides.
Then it is bleached with chlorine dioxide, creating polluting, harmful and capable of accumulating by-products such as dioxin, which not only eventually end up in the environment, but also remain in our body for many decades. Add other synthetic chemicals and artificial flavors to that mix, and you have a recipe for side effects such as allergic reactions, hormone disruption, reproductive and gynecological disorders such as endometriosis.

Using cloth menstrual pads

3. Savings.

If the condition does not bother you, maybe the numbers will be more convincing. Of course, reusable, have a greater initial cost, but they are used much, much more. With proper care, cloth pads can be used for years (my own cloth wipes for six years and they are still working). Compare them with disposable, which have a lifespan of several hours, which forces you to buy them more and more — they all eventually end up at landfill.

4. You will help save the environment.

The transition to reusable pads can serve a vivid example of how seemingly small personal choices can have a huge positive impact on the environment. It is estimated that almost 20 billion (billion!) pads and tampons, is thrown away each year in North America. The layer of plastic will decompose in the ground for hundreds of years. The process of making these supplies also pollute our waterways, air and animal habitat. The transition to reusable pads can change that.

5. You will support a small company.

If you do not want to give their money to large corporations which probably do not take into account your interests, look for companies that specialty on providing safe and healthy alternatives, not to mention lots of manual options on the Internet (search for “Cloth pads”).

6. It is hygienic, does not leak and is easier to clean than you think.

When it comes to reusable options, you are bound to faced with questions: “Is this clean?” and “Will leak?” Many cloth pads use a removable liner for extra absorption, and many of them have a waterproof lining inside. It can be a little cumbersome, but sometimes the size is infinitely better than face lifelong health problems. With proper care, reusable products are also hygienic. Fabric strip, we recommend you soak overnight in water (you can add hydrogen peroxide or tea tree oil for disinfecting) and throw them in the wash hot water. For menstrual cups, it’s even easier.

7. This is creative.

Forget those boring, bleached white synthetic products — reusable options have a wide range of colors, patterns, unique design — individuality. I don’t know what scientists say, but surely bright colors can help alleviate any premenstrual syndrome-related moodiness.

We would also like to remind you that this is nothing new; women have long used the sea sponges and rags. “The cult of hiding,” floating around menstruation affect women, forcing ashamed of her body, and this complex makes us docile, unquestioning consumers of products that are bad for us and for the environment.

How to make a cloth menstrual pad by hand