Cloth menstrual pad

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The [Neutral point of view>neutrality] of this article is [NPOV disputedisputed]. Please see the discussion on the [reusable alternative to disposable Sanitary napkins. Generally these are made from layers of absorbent fabrics (such as cotton or hemp) which are worn by a woman while she is menstruating, for post-birth bleeding or any other situation where it is necessary to absorb the flow of blood from the vagina. After use, they are washed, dried and then reused. Basket of various cloth menstrual pads Cloth menstrual pad Contents 1 Other Names 2 Current use 3 History 4 Advantages 4.1 Environmental benefits 4.2 Economical benefits 4.3 Personal benefits 5 Disadvantages 5.1 Environmental disadvantages 5.2 Economical disadvantages 5.3 Personal disadvantages 5.4 Health/safety disadvantages 6 Cloth menstrual pad manufacturers 7 Links for more information and Cloth communities 8 See also Other Names Cloth Pads Mama Pads Rags Moon Pads Reusable menstrual pads Reusable pads Current use Commercially available - The majority of commercially available pads are manufactured by work at home mums or small businesses and can be purchased through some health food stores, select specialty stores and via the Internet. They are available in a range of lengths and thicknesses, similar to disposable pads, with longer pads for night use and thinner and shorter pads for light use. Some manufacturers will allow the buyer to select the fabrics, shape and size of the pad so that they can be custom made to fit an individual woman and be as efficient as possible. Handmade - Some women make their own cloth menstrual pads. These pads range from folded wash cloths to pads similar to the cloth menstrual pads available commercially. Some women design their own styles while other women use patterns found on websites such as http://www.clothpads.org. Washing & care - Cloth menstrual pads may be hand or machine washed, and then dried on a clothes line or in a clothes dryer, depending on the instructions from the manufacturer (different fabrics require different care methods). Some women choose to rinse out their pads in cold water before putting them in the wash with their other clothing, others do not rinse, but put the soiled pads straight into the wash. Stains sometimes occur, however this is limited if the pads are rinsed out or soaked in cold water immediately after use. Some women prefer darker coloured fabrics which do not show stains as much as light fabrics do. Causes of staining include: allowing the blood to dry on the pad, and using hot water when washing the pad. Drying cloth pads in sunlight can help to fade stains. When changing cloth menstrual pads away from home, some women place the soiled pads into a waterproof or ziploc bag to keep them from drying out and to contain or prevent odour, and then wash the pads when convenient. There is no need to routinely boil or sanitise cloth menstrual pads#redirect , however this may be required if the woman has recently had thrush (to prevent reinfection)#redirect . Fabrics - The fabrics used range from 100% natural fibres to 100% synthetics. Some commonly used fabrics include: Natural fibres: * Terrycloth * Cotton * Silk * Cotton Flannelette * Hemp * Bamboo * Cotton Corduroy Synthetic fibres (usually used for waterproofing layers on the underside of the pad): * Velour * PUL Waterproofing * Polar fleece * Microfleece Some styles of cloth menstrual pad have a waterproof layer to help prevent the pad leaking through while other styles of cloth pad may rely on more layers of absorbency and not include waterproofing. Specialty fabrics such as hemp and PUL may be purchased from onlinenappy/diaper supply stores. Fasteners - Some styles of cloth menstrual pad have wings that fold around the gusset of the undergarment and a fastener to hold the pad in place. Some commonly used fasteners include: Buttons Resin or metal snap fastener Velcro Cloth menstrual pads that do not have wings to hold them in place may use a fabric such as corduroy, that can help to stop the pad from moving. History Through the ages women have used different forms of menstrual protection. The [Museum of menstruation] has articles and photos of some early forms of menstrual protection. Including among other things, [knitted pads]. Women often used strips of folded old cloth (rags) to catch their menstrual blood, which is why the term "rags" was used to refer to menstruation. Disposable menstrual pads appear to have been first commercially available from around 1895 through [Curads and Hartmann's]. Disposable pads had their start with nurses using their wood pulp bandages as a pad that was inexpensive enough to throw away after use#redirect . Products like the Johnson & Johnson [Lister's Towel] failed because of a lack of publicity. Kotex would appear to be the first of these early disposable menstrual pads to really take off. Until the birth of disposable pads, all women used some form of cloth or reusable pad to collect menstrual blood#redirect . Even after they were commercially available, they were too expensive for many women to afford#redirect . It also took women several years to be able to comfortably buy these products#redirect . One solution to this was to allow women to place money into a box (so that the woman would not have to speak to the clerk) and take a box of Kotex pads from the counter themselves#redirect . So it took several years for disposable menstrual pads to become commonplace. Cloth menstrual pads made a comeback around the [1970s]. With the number of cloth pad manufacturers and online communities devoted to this increasing in the 1990s and the early 2000s, they would appear to be gaining popularity. Advantages Environmental benefits Environmentally friendly Less waste compared to disposable menstrual products: *Can be made from recycled materials (such as old pillow cases and towels) *Don't contribute to landfill *When cloth menstrual pads wear out (after years of use), those made from natural materials can be composted whereas disposable sanitary napkins nearly always contain non-compostable materials#redirect . *No plastic packaging Less chemicals used compared to disposable menstrual products: *Many cloth pads use Hemp as the absorbent core, which uses less water and pesticides to grow than Cotton or Wood pulp#redirect Economical benefits It is less expensive (in the long term) to buy and produce cloth mentrual pads compared to disposable menstrual products. Can be made by hand for little or no cost Personal benefits Customizable to each individual's preferences (eg. fabric colour, fabric type, washing detergents used, size, shape, style). Disadvantages Environmental disadvantages Water is required to wash cloth menstrual pads Economical disadvantages Can be expensive to purchase initially. Not as easily available (generally not stocked in supermarkets, pharmacies etc.) Personal disadvantages Takes time to wash and dry the pads. Handwashing cloth menstrual pads can be time consuming and difficult. Usually bulkier than many disposable pads. Many women find the concept unpleasant. Other family/household members may be uncomfortable with their use. Cloth pads can stain. Users have more contact with blood. Using disposable pads is quicker and easier. It is generally more socially acceptable to use Disposable pads. Many women would not like the added complication of caring for menstrual pads. Health/safety disadvantages Special care may need to be taken if the user has Thrush (the cloth menstrual pads may need to be boiled or sanitised to reduce the chances of transmitting this infection to other members of the family or reinfecting the woman herself). Cloth menstrual pad manufacturers This is a random selection of cloth menstrual pad manufacturers, to give an indication of how varied the styles and shapes of cloth menstrual pads there are. Listed in no particular order Canada & USA http://www.lunapads.com http://www.moonhutnaturals.com http://www.gladrags.com http://www.hindsightdiapers.com/rhythmandblues.htm http://www.newmoonpads.com http://www.pandorapads.com http://www.hagrag.bigstep.com http://pacificcoast.net/~manymoons/moonspads.html UK http://www.clothmadmummy.co.uk http://www.treehuggermums.co.uk http://www.plushpants.co.uk Australia & NZ http://www.moonpads.com.au http://www.pleasurepuss.com http://www.greanbeans.co.nz http://www.radpads.com.au http://www.wemoon.com.au http://www.obsidianstar.net Links for more information and Cloth communities Websites with more information [www.clothpads.org] a large website for information on reusable menstrual products http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/rags Museum Menstruation items http://www.mum.org The Museum of Menstruation Online support communities [www.moonhutnaturals.com] a website including a discussion forum for menstrual products. http://www.livejournal.com/community/menstrual_lib Menstrual Activism http://www.livejournal.com/community/diy_pads Pad making community http://community.livejournal.com/cloth_pads Cloth pad community http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/changeyourpad Yahoogroup http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cloth4us Yahoogroup See also Sanitary napkin Pantiliner Menstrual cup Tampon Feminine hygiene Menstruation Vulvovaginal health   From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 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