reusable gone bonkers!!!

[Whyisitalwaysblue]

Reusable sanitary towels.....with pretty designs. No one seems to want to register that these beautiful cloth thingys will be saturated with blood?! Any way discuss!!

I got a moon cup. Persevered for 3 months but I hate it. I could feel it constantly and was so uncomfy. Might give fabric pads a bash though.

Where do you get yours from I can't find them anywhere

Cloth pads are an absolute revelation. Why have "cotton-like top sheet" on a plasticky disposable when you can have just pure brushed cotton?

They are especially brilliant on light days when it's just insurance. I used to hate throwing out practically clean pads after use, such a waste. Now there's no waste.

Years ago I went very lentil weavy and made my own. Some use pretty brushed cotton sold for crafting, some old winter pjs (amazingly soft & absorbent), even old t shirt fabric work well. The bought ones do look expensive up front but mine are 12 years old and going strong so they really do last, and you don't have to buy a whole set, you can mix and match with disposables. I'd really recommend getting a few to try on your lightest days, and working up to heavier days if you get on with them.

Earthwise Girls, Little Gumnut, Babipur, Fill-Your-Pants, Etsy, Twinkleontheweb

They're pretty, and apparently comfy. Cheaper to buy in the long run. I don't use them but I am a mooncup wearer.

For years I thought cloth pads were a step so far until I got some from Cheeky Wipes. They're so much comfier than disposable pads, which often made me sore. I tend to use them as backup with a Mooncup so can't speak for how absorbent they are on their own, but they seem pretty effective. They are also much less wasteful and cheaper than cloth pads.

I was looking at these the other day in a shop - I am intrigued. Can someone tell me what you do when out of the house though please? What do you put them in to bring them home? Do you rinse them first?

Katie you fold them up and fasten the wings over to hold it closed, then prob put it in a little plastic bag or something.

Soak when you get home if you like, a lot of people don't bother.

Bottom right pic above

I'm going to admit to using reusable wipes as toilet roll when I've run out of paper before. They were going in with the nappies anyway and what difference would a bit of my own pee do. Not something I could be arsed to do normally though (scuse the pun).

I was sceptical of cloth pads but my personal 'ick factor' went out of the window after having kids and especially using cloth nappies so I thought I'd try some. I do find them quite comfortable, especially overnight with a longer pad.

I'm quite interested in cloth pads. Can anyone tell me what the difference is between the different kinds of lining eg towelling, fleece, jersey? I find some pads (Always, I'm looking at you in particular) make me really sore and I can't help feeling reusable pads would be gentler on the skin. I always need a pad in addition to anything else as I have very heavy periods.

AllMy as any parent of a hard-to-toilet-train or bedwetting child knows, it's only wee.

Ambroxide towelling is bulkier than the others and less absorbent for its size. Tends to be cheap, but really not as effective as others. Fleece - look to see if it's polyester or cotton. Polyester is less quick to absorb than jersey or plain cotton and would be more of a wicking top layer or a base layer to protect your knickers a bit. Jersey is just stretchy cotton.

For gentle feel and least chance of irritating I'd go for non-towelling, 100% cotton.

Bamboo/hemp inners are good at holding a lot in a thin pad without leaking, but they tend to be slow to dry. Hemp can go a bit crispy over time.

I don't have much drying space

So you put your towel, after you've dried yourself on it, damp in the wash basket? For days, as you say you don't do washing very often? So it gets really, really smelly? Then you have loads and loads that need washing and drying? Where do you dry them when they have been in the washer? Where do you store them when they are clean and dry? Can't you hang a drying, just used

You may prefer a clean towel every time, fine, but that doesn't make everyone who doesn't use a clean towel every time, mucky.

(I have literally just ordered some reusable panty liners, we already use cloth nappies and I will happily wash stained pants but have been finding the disposable liners a little irritating and my flow is a bit light now for the Mooncup I used to use).

Thanks very much, Cressandra!

No worries Ambroxide, I may be out of date though as mine are years old.