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Frequently Asked Questions |
Taking care of your pads is really easy!
Soaking your pads straight away in cold water and getting most of the blood off before washing helps prevent stains, because the proteins of the blood don't adhere to the fabric when it is wet, soaking works best!.
If you do find your pads stain then Ecover do a bleach powder that works well, and drying them in the sunshine can fade any stains. Also Eucalyptus is a natural stain remover- dab on with an eco washing liquid as needed. Occasionally I give my pads a boil on the stove to freshen them up and remove stubborn stains.
You put an 'insert' (small liner) inside the pocket of the pad (or a few if you are bleeding heavily) choosing cotton, hemp or towelling inserts. Pads are made from soft absorbent flannelette for comfort and protection. Pads have wings (which help to prevent leaks) and they fasten with velcro so they are very secure!
The whole pad (including inserts) gets changed when you need a fresh pad.
The design of the pad, with the wings and choice of different inserts is extremely efficient. If you choose the right amount of inserts for the absorbency of your flow, the pads should not leak at all. For extra security there are inserts made from a double layer of towelling with a polyurethane backing.
Not using enough inserts is usually the cause of leaking, so use more inserts; 1 or 2 is suitable for light to med flow, 2 -4 for medium to heavy. Towelling inserts are the most absorbent.
A set for an average cycle of 4 days, with 2 heavy flow days, 1 medium flow day and 1 light spotting day is between 5-6 pads: So a set of pads- which includes a pretty bag, consists of 5 pad pockets,1 panty liner and 10 inserts (you can choose a mix of inserts so some are thicker towelling for your heavier flow days) A set is usually enough for your monthly use but it depends on your flow and whether you will be washing your pads daily or waiting until your usual load of laundry goes on!
Since you most likely won't be changing your pads because of leaking, you will change them because you are ready for a fresh pad. Most women change their pads once or twice a day, but that's a personal choice.
When cared for as recommended, Moon Times© last for years- mine have been going for over 18 years!.
There are 3 types of Moon Times© pads- 100% organic, the patterned and the luxury pads. All pads have an organic fair-trade cotton underside.
Moon Times© are available in 100% organic cotton, the 'top' layer is soft organic cotton flannelette and the underside is plain organic cotton. Organic pads are undyed or naturally dyed pretty colours.
The patterned pads are non organic cotton flannelette on top and organic cotton on the underside. Patterns vary from jumping rabbits, to kisses, moons, stars and bright colours depending on what is available.
Luxury pads vary in fabrics- they are all made with a soft silky satin fabric on top and black organic cotton underside. They are made for those 'special' nights out when you're wearing your favourite sexy knickers, why shouldn't you feel sexy just because you're bleeding?!
Inserts come in 4 types:
Cotton Inserts (100% organic undyed cotton)
Towelling Inserts (towelling sandwiched between a layer of 100% organic undyed cotton. More absorbent than the cotton liners and slightly thicker)
Hemp Inserts (100% hemp, a thicker woven hemp is sandwiched between a more fine hemp cotton mix cloth.)
Thick Towelling Inserts with waterproof backing (2 layers of towelling sandwiched between 100% organic undyed cotton on one side and polyurethane backed with cotton flannelette for a waterproof underside- great for heavy flow days!)
Bishopston Trading Company, Organic Fair Trade Cotton , Fair Trade Certified and recognised by the International Organic Standards and SKAL certified.
Green Fibres, Organic Flannelette , Soil Association and Organic Trade Association certificated
House Of Hemp, Hemp Fabrics
There are many reasons to switch to cloth:
Tampons are made from either cotton, or a mixture of cotton and rayon. Use of cotton of course raises issues of fair trade, pesticide use and genetic modification. Rayon is chemically processed from wood pulp. Disposable sanitary towels and panty liners are also made mostly from wood pulp, bleached from its natural brown colour. Chlorine gas was originally the bleaching agent used, and was a source of dioxin, which is a known carcinogen-due to lots of campaigning from The Women's Environmental Network they now use either chlorine dioxide or hydrogen peroxide. As a result of this and reduced use of chlorine in other processes, dioxin levels in the environment are tending to fall. Dioxins released during chlorine bleaching and plastics manufacture have been shown to cause cancer, miscarriages and damage to the immune system and toxic shock syndrome.
There are laws that protect our right to know what's in our shampoo, but none for tampons. Considering that the vagina is one of the most absorbent and vascular environments in our body, we've got to wonder what our bodies absorb from tampons and the chemicals in pads. Disposable pads contain a myriad of chemicals and additives which serve to increase their absorbency and keep them looking white and bright but these chemicals don't do you any good at all. Your genital tissue is highly sensitive, and these chemicals are easily absorbed into your body, causing vaginal irritation, itching and discomfort in the process.
Of course, Thrush can sometimes be caused but the plastics in disposable pads, because cloth pads are breathable this discourages the moist environment that thrush loves. If you are suffering from a Thrush infection, for extra sanitation we recommend 5 seconds in the microwave after you have washed your pads. (or boiling them if you don't own a microwave) This will kill off any bacteria that might survive washing.
Well although menstrual blood has an odour, it's a bit different from the odour that your vagina has at other times during the month and in fact unless there's something medically concerning, the odour isn't all that noticeable. Cloth pads do not enhance that odour; by allowing for adequate air flow, unlike the plastic-backed 'disposables' they can actually reduce the smell. If you leave your cloth pad on for an inordinate length of time, that smell will increase, so change it before that happens!
Well, lets think about underwear for a second, do you think your underwear is unsanitary? Do you boil it after every wear? Hopefully you don't. Same goes for cloth pads!
So why does the disposable product industry rely so heavily on their 'sanitary' image? Same reason that toilet paper is white, because it has become normal. There's a complex historical argument behind this, but basically somewhere after the Second World War, white became a symbol of sanitation. In actual fact, the tampon and disposable pad industry operates under no regulations that ensure sanitation and they aren't really all that sanitary; they're just white.
Buying cloth pads can be a pricy investment, bear in mind they are hand made (in the UK, not in a sweat shop somewhere!), made using organic cloth and they are reusable! It may seem expensive at first but as you begin to save money by reusing your pads you'll see what a difference it makes to your purse! At first maybe just buy 1 to try. Then invest in a few more in the coming months. Or buy a few to start, wear them only at night and buy a few more every couple of months or so. The long term savings are massive and chances are all the money you spend is going to smaller women-run businesses.
Sometimes your period can be a hassle Having to go out in the middle of the night because you forgot to buy tampons is a hassle! Using cloth pads simply means taking a few extra minutes out of your day to rinse out some pieces of cotton and hang them somewhere to dry. Sometimes that's a hassle. You'll get over it. If you're like me, and many of the cloth pad users I've spoken with, you might actually grow to enjoy the time you spend washing your pads. Unfortunately our lives as busy women/mothers/workers on the go doesn't really allow for enough time to stop and think about what's going on in our bodies. I love this quote one of my happy customers sent me- I love my washable pads- for me they are about getting away from the attitude of 'stick in a tampon and forget you're bleeding' and more about honouring your menstruation and the earth. I love watering my garden with my moon blood (from soaking my pads)- I make the whole ritual a sacred ceremony-it's a beautiful thing to connect to your cycle, the moon and the earth...and to other women,how great is that- just from using, soaking and washing cloth pads!!
But they don't fit into my lifestyle. It really isn't such a big shift to make, if you've got this far reading all this info I'd say you are wanting to make the change! .It really only takes a few extra minutes of your time and a shift in attitude about social taboos. Don't have a washing machine at home? That's not a problem, just rinse them as you go and take them into the laundrette with the rest of your laundry.
Of course Moon Times© can be worn for yoga, cycling, running, power walking, but I'd just like to say that when your bleeding your body really wants you to SLOW DOWN! But a little exercise helps ease the cramps away so do a little when you need to. If you are a lifeguard/aerobics instructor/yoga teacher/west end show girl, the you probably will want to use a tampon /mooncup/ sponge while you're at work , Lots of women just wear washables at night. If you start using cloth pads at night you will cut the amount of sanitary waste you produce and money you spend by about one-third. So that's a great place to start.
No, it's like wearing a cloth pad! Yes, it is bulkier than an ultra-thin maxi-absorbent disposable pad, or one of those 'thong panty liners' You can get different kinds of washable cloth pads, some of which rely on bulk of material for absorption, while others use specifically absorbent types of cotton to help reduce the bulk. I actually prefer a little bulk over those plasticy, synthetic disposables on the market. Of course if you are wearing skin tight white trousers then your patterned pad might show!
Well they are for some hippies, as well as some business women, mothers and daughters, graphic designers, teachers, waitresses, photographers, students, midwives, artists, doctors and nurses. Hippies and goddess lovers have been more inclined to stick to cloth pads throughout the eras of Tampax marketing, much like they've been doing yoga and drinking herb teas for decades now. Hippies can be wise folks; learn from them!
If you honestly think that your partner is going to have an issue with you using washable pads then it's time to rethink your relationship! I'm presuming that your partner likes your vagina the rest of the month, and so it's time they dealt with the few days that it might not be as appealing to them. Besides, you maybe surprised. In the many years that I've been making pads, I have learned to not assume that men will be repulsed by them and there have been many men along the way who have been some of my biggest allies. (A special thanks to Bis for all his encouragement of my Moon Pad Soaking Jars on the windowsill, to Mark for washing my pads- by mistake, he thought they were his girlfriends- but didn't care anyway! And to Tom for his constant support! Thanks guys ?)
