Within the past year, I have made a serious shift in my life. I have
changed from using disposable products, to using a more natural alternative:
cloth. Most of you here would support my choice, as you have been using
cloth for your baby's needs for a long time now. I, too, used cloth for
diapering my babies. I even used cloth diapers for my twin sons!! My
"babies" are now 12, and I haven't had to think of diapers since 1990. No,
the cloth item I am so taken-with is not cloth diapers. It is cloth for my
own needs: cloth menstrual pads. Perhaps you've heard tell of women using
those in the 'old days', but I want to introduce to you the concept of using
them in our modern times. I suffered for years with horrid menstrual
cramps. Debilitating, mind-numbing, "Give Me Morphine" cramps. I needed to
find an answer, and quick. The Pill was not an answer I was willing to
entertain; I wanted something that didn't alter me on the inside. There HAD
to be an answer, didn't there????
In May of 2000, I heard about and tried cloth pads for the first time. I
didn't use a single disposable product for that entire period. Amazingly, I
had no cramps for the first time in YEARS. I haven't gone back to
disposable products since that date, with the exception one month when I
tried a tampon again and had horrendous cramps within 20 minutes. The
bleaches and other chemicals used in their production must do something to
me, and quickly, for me to have such a harsh reaction. I have found cloth
pads and a lovely little item called The Keeper
to be a wonderful answer to my
monthly needs. I do love my Keeper!!! (a Keeper is a non-disposable, rubber
'cup' that is worn internally to collect the menstrual fluids. It is
similar in use to a tampon but more body-friendly, environment-friendly, and
budget-friendly, too~) I like the pads so well, in fact, that I have started
making beautiful, affordable cloth pads as a SAHM business. They feel drier
than any disposable pad I've ever worn, and the cleaning process is
relatively easy. Just as you probably find the cleaning of cloth diapers to
be a minor bit of work, they are such a wonderful product that it seems a
small price to pay.
These new pads are not the type that Grandma used. I like to think of them
as "designer pads". They are made from lovely printed fabrics and have
wings that wrap and snap around the panties, to hold them in place. Their
care is quite easy, too. When a pad is soiled, simply remove it from the
undergarments, take it apart, and rinse out any excess 'red fluid' they've
absorbed. Then drop the whole thing into the soaking pot to await washday.
Even though washday is a full week away, I never have an odor with this
regimen. My soaking pot is just a plastic dishwasher-detergent bucket that
has colored contact paper to make it more attractive, although a ceramic jug
would be very attractive. I've even heard of a woman using a rather plain,
flowered cookie jar for hers, and other ladies have used an old porcelain
teapot! In my soaking pot, I put the following:
- 6-8 cups of water
- 1/4 cup Laundry detergent (I use Surf or Tide)
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide
This solution works on the stain, breaking it up. If a pair of panties
somehow gets soiled (oops!), drop them into the bucket as well. The
detergent and peroxide will not harm the elastic, like bleach would. In
fact, I don't ever use bleach on my pads: it breaks down the fabrics.
(Remember, it was the bleaches in tampons and pads that first caused my
irritations.) The detergent & peroxide solution removes stains quite
effectively; my pads still look new, and they are a year old now!
Rarely will I get a stain that seems to be a bit stubborn, even after the
soaking. I then put full-strength hydrogen peroxide on it and let it set
for 10 minutes or so. That seems to get rid of even the most obstinate
stains. Another laundry tip for the care of cloth pads is: Don't use fabric
softener. Those of you who have been doing cloth diapers for awhile already
know this little pearl of wisdom. While fabric softener does soften the fabric, it also reduces absorbency,
which is something you don't want to do with diapers or cloth pads. White
vinegar will work as well as fabric softener at eliminating static and
softening the fabric, and it even removes odors, but it does not decrease
absorbency like fab softener will. Just use one cup of white vinegar in the
rinse-cycle, and enjoy the results. Works well on your towels, too, leaving
them soft,fluffy and absorbent.
I hope that these hints and ideas have helped ease your mind about the care
of cloth pads. If cloth pads are not something you have ever considered for
your own needs, I ask you to give it some serious thought. The average
woman spends upwards of $100 a year on disposable menstrual items, all of
which ends up in a landfill or sewage facility somewhere. Think of the
environmental savings you will contribute by switching over. A set of pads
will last several years (some sources say up to 5 years) and will pay for
themselves within the first year. The environmental and economic benefits
are easy to spell out. How can I describe the wonderful benefit of my
reduced pain? How can I relate the comfort and breathe-ability of wearing
cloth and feeling dry? How can I portray the silly sense of satisfaction
and, yes, even glee I get when I cruise past the pad & tampon aisle in the
grocery, knowing I don't have to spend another dime on those products? You
see, the benefits are many. I urge you to pamper yourself, much like you
have pampered your baby, with cloth. You won't regret it!!!
Be happy, be healthy, and God's richest blessings to you,
LisaJaney
