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It is totally possible to switch to reusable menstrual cloth pads on a budget. When I did this about 5 years ago, I was a student with very limited funds. Like, necessities ONLY. Even as I finished school, my situation didn’t change much thanks to the way the world has gone. So trust me – I know the concern about making this type of investment.
But it’s so worth it.
I started with just one cloth pad. There weren’t many online resources, so I kind of just had to…experiment on my own. And I was nervous. But I knew I needed the chemicals out of my life, so I was desperate.
I also come from a science background, so I tested for a few things with that first cloth pad:
- how long can it last on a light day? a medium day? a heavy day?
- are there any differences in wearing it vs the disposable?
- is it easy to clean, carry with me, and dry?
I had hope that with that knowledge, I would be able to decide whether the upfront investment was worth it, how many I needed to invest in, and how much extra energy it would take for this lifestyle change.
The answers I experienced:
- it lasted longer than disposable pads on every single type of day, with less side leakage issues
- it had less smell/leakage/irritation/slipping&bunching, less allergic reactions, and less period flow onto the actual pad
- with a wet-bag, it was easy to carry until I got home and then wash. Hand washing took a few minutes, and drying depended on the method
So I made the investment over time and I never looked back.
If you’re in the same shoes as I was, though, I totally understand how it’s sometimes hard to take the word of one stranger on the internet for something you don’t know about. So here’s 5 things you can try if you’re just starting out and also on a tight budget.
1 – Buy one cloth pad in a regular size
I found a local store that carried locally made pads, and started with just one of their regular-sized pads. My experiment was during the day where I could monitor for any weird or new feelings. And if you want a funny story: I actually put it on for the first time in the shower stall (no water), and stood/sat there for a while.
Yep. Literally. It’s funny looking back on that, now.
Anyways. Invest into just one pad at first. It should be anywhere around 12-15$ Canadian. I’m sure there are options on Etsy and Amazon these days, too.
Wear it on a day when you’re usually between medium and heavy, and when you have reasonable freedom to book it to the bathroom or wear cozy clothes. Have your regular disposables on standby. Time how long it takes until it feels heavy/saturated. See if there’s any smells. See if there’s any irritation. How does it feel?
Try hand washing it and see how you feel. If it’s not for you/takes too much effort (or is too gross), then do the soaking method and wash it with your regular load of laundry.
2 – Buy slowly as budget allows, or: buy two overnight/one long/a few more regular
I started with one regular sized cloth pad. And when I found out it was going to work, and was actually a huge improvement, I bought two more – an overnight one, and a long one. I used them mixed in with the disposables. But I also tried to wash/dry and reuse the three during the same cycle to get away from disposable as much as possible.
But…that can be very hard on the fabric. So a few months later, I budgeted for a few more. And then a few months later: another few. At that point, I was able to go without disposable entirely…and wasn’t reusing too many of them on the same cycle.
My recommendation for starting out: two overnight (for two heavy nights), one long (for a heavy day), and a few regular. If your period is longer, then plan to wash and dry a few to re-use them. It should cost about 85$ Canadian depending on the maker/retailer.
Disposable pads for the year are about the same cost. The difference is that reusable cloth pads will last you a lot longer than a year if you’re taking good care of them. Plus, you don’t have to worry about running to the shop when you get the tell-tale signs, so you’re saving yourself time (and leakage stress) plus transportation costs, too.
3 – Make your own cloth pads
There are tones of different blogs and videos out there, now, that teach you how to make your own! The biggest cost barrier for this method is that the absorbent materials are usually the most expensive fabrics in the store. But, from some tutorials I’ve seen, it looks like this layer isn’t used as much as the outer layers, which will help you save a little bit.
Outer layers should be made with cotton flannel. There’s probably some sales/final sales for it at your local fabric store. I recently saw a sale price of 4$ a meter in my local shop, and you’d probably only need a few meters to get the front/back layers for a bunch of pads. That leaves the absorbent layers which, last I checked, were about 26$ a meter.
So watch a few tutorials first, plan out your sizes/patterns/material usage, and only then go buy the exact amount of material you need.
No sewing machine? No problem – learn how to hand stitch, and buy a sewing needle/cotton thread. There are tutorials for different hand stich methods, too. It may take you a while, but sewing with a movie or show in the background can be super soothing. Plus, you’ll know exactly how your pad was made which will give you extra peace of mind when wearing it.
Pro-tip: buy LIGHT colored cotton flannel. It’s harder to visually check your absorbency/fullness on darker fabrics!
4 – Patch any issues with cotton flannel
Hard water is very rough on the fabric, sometimes, as I learned the hard way in Mexico. If you’re not able to afford or access a new pad to replace the one with a hole/fabric tear, purchase a meter of “patching” fabric (cotton flannel), a sewing needle, and cotton thread. The fabric should be a cotton flannel (it feels much softer than regular cotton, and it should be marked as such in fabric stores – if not, just ask the attendants where it is).
I haven’t done this yet…because of procrastination. But it’s on the to-do list, and I already have the patching fabric. Some of the rips are significant (I can’t even explain how they happened except that the water must have been extra hard), so I’m planning to add essentially a whole new outer layer. But for smaller patches: as long as you make sure the edges are folded under (like you would for any hem), I can’t imagine there would be any issues with irritation.
5 – Get one cloth pad wet bag
This tip is mainly for those with busy/active lives. There will inevitably be a heavier day where you just need to switch one out before you can make it home, so it helps to carry a wet bag with a spare. I think mine was only 10$, too, and it holds all of the different pad sizes. Just take out the clean pad, put in the dirty one. And if you can’t rinse/wring it out right away: I’ve left one in the wet bag for a few hours, and it was okay. Probably not ideal – but it was okay.
The reason I recommend this extra step even though it’s adding to the investment: when you get used to cloth pads, and get away from the disposables, you will be in for a SHOCK if you ever have to go back to them. They use chemicals, and the body is reacting to them. You just won’t notice it until you’ve been away from them for a while.
If you’re looking for an example of what I mean by a wet bag, then it’s something like this.
Conclusions?
It’s super worth it to make the switch to reusable cloth pads, even though it can be a daunting upfront investment at first. The best way to try it is to do a small test, figure out what your needs are, and go from there. Take it slow if you have to.
But most likely, you’ll love the differences that it brings and you’ll start to feel a little bit more positive about your monthly experience. Our cycles are all about cleaning and refreshing, after all. It’s supposed to be a renewing experience that sets us up for a brighter future.
And, hey – if you’re like me and your sweet cravings go through the roof at that time? Make sure to check out my recipe for no-bake brownies!