Making The Switch To Reusable Cloth Pads

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What are cloth pads?

Cloth pads are reusable menstrual pads made of cloth so you can wash and reuse them each cycle. They are also known as "mama cloth." However, I do not like that term as you do not have to be a mom to use cloth menstrual pads.

I think the term "mama cloth" became popular because a lot of moms will switch over to cloth pads if they are cloth diapering, as they can all be washed together. Plus teens usually aren't as concerned about the environment or would think something like cloth pads would be gross. I know teen me would have wanted nothing to do with cloth pads.

I also think calling it "mama cloth" can detour younger girls more from trying it as they see it as an "old" thing or a "mom" thing and won't even consider it as an option, so I will always refer to them as cloth pads or reusable menstrual pads.

Making the switch to reusable menstrual pads

My main reason for the switch was because it is more environmentally friendly. You can wash and reuse cloth. My only other reason for the switch is like with cloth diapers, there are so many cute and fun prints!

Some women are concerned about the "chemicals" in disposables and switch for that reason. I never really cared enough to look into it, to me, it sounded similar to anti-vax arguments, where there really is no truth to it.

Like a lot of women who decide to use cloth pads, I did so after I became a mom. We already used cloth diapers and that was going well, so I decided it would be the perfect time to try cloth pads as I can wash them with the diapers. Now that we're out of diapers, I just wash my cloth pads at the end of my cycle so I don't have to worry about wasting water.

I am a work-at-home mom, so I don't have to worry about dealing with cloth while out of the house. I do still use disposables when traveling as it is just more convenient, but for short grocery trips or quick errands, I will still use cloth as I can change when I get home. If you do plan on using cloth while at work, school, or on a longer trip, a wet bag would be something you would need to store your dirty pads.

One thing I didn't know when I started looking into cloth menstrual pads was just how many different sizes, designs, and absorbancies there were! I decided to start by going with ones that were a similar size to my disposables, and I only started with seven as you can see in the image below:

A post shared by Forever My Little Moon (@forevermylittlemoon) on Apr 9, 2018 at 11:38am PDT

I knew this wouldn't make it through more than a day, but I didn't want to invest in something I wasn't sure I would stick to just yet. I, of course, ended up loving them, and am now working on building my stash!

The cloth is surprisingly more comfortable despite the pads feeling thicker. This could be because they are designed to fit my body better, whereas all disposables are one size fits all, which they really don't in my opinion. Plus the material is softer, whereas disposable pads are so scratchy and itchy.

I worried about using them at nighttime at first, but I purchased some extra long heavy ones and have completely switched over to cloth at night. I also bought some period panties as a backup. The kind I got isn't designed to be worn on their own except on very light days, but I no longer have issues of getting blood on my pants or sheets!

Where can you buy cloth pads?

If you are just starting, I suggest going the cheap route and buy off of Happy Beehinds as the pads there are all under $3 apiece! Otherwise, Amazon is another great option for finding cloth pads at a cheaper price.

My favorite place to shop, however, is Etsy! There are so many crafters out there that make cloth pads and the best part is most of them will make custom pads for you! As I mentioned before, there are tons of options out there and that is what makes cloth better than disposables as you can have them designed to fit your body shape a lot better.

Here are some of my favorite Etsy shops for cloth pads:

How many do I need?

I have irregular cycles, so finding the right number of pads has been tricky. I currently have probably over 50 pads. I kept adding till I felt I had enough that I would not run out by the end of my cycle (and I also use the light ones on ovulation days). I also do not wash until after my cycle as I feel it's a waste of water, so you may need less if you plan on washing more often.

The key when making the switch to cloth is to start with a few, and just add until you feel you have the perfect number. Since you will just start switching over, it's likely you would still have some disposables hanging around so you will have a backup if you run out.

How do you wash them?

If you already use cloth diapers then you can just wash them with cloth diapers. If you do not use cloth diapers, you would first wash them in a normal cold wash or prewash, and then you would want to do a heavy-duty cold or hot wash. I prefer to use hot water for the main wash as I personally feel it gets things cleaner, but cold water is fine too. You must use cold water for the prewash unless you rinse all your pads by hand beforehand in cold water otherwise your pads will stain.

A lot of small shops actually recommend hand rinsing them in cold water first. Personally, I find this isn't necessary as the cold prewash does the rinsing for you. My pads have come out clean without a problem. However, If you want to rinse before washing, that's totally up to you! Like with cloth diapers, it's all about finding a wash routine that works for you.

For drying, I just throw them in the dryer on medium heat, but you can hang dry them too.