Reusable Menstrual Products

Well, not only are we talking about periods... I'm going to tell you about an alternative way to deal with them.  Hold on to your hats.  It's a shame periods still have a shadow of taboo over them... just not warranted.  So welcome to the story of how I started using reusable menstrual products, and why I recommend them to anyone with a period.

How and why I got into it.

When I first heard about reusable menstrual products (menstrual cups and washable cloth sanitary pads), my first reaction was … no.  I’m glad if it works for some people, but that’s not for me.  However, it was one of those slow-burn ideas.  I started following groups on Facebook that are trying to make environmental changes to their lives, and it came up a few times.  I then joined a group that was dedicated to reusable menstrual products, then another, and ended up watching Youtube videos to learn more (Amy Nix and Precious Stars Pads are excellent channels for extensive information).

Anyway, after a few months I was changing my contraception from the mini pill to the copper coil (IUD), which in reality meant getting a monthly cycle back after 2.5 years of not really having a proper period (just sporadic and unpredictable half-periods).  I'd had a few months to get accustomed to the idea of reusables, and didn't find it disgusting any more, so I gave it a shot.  

In the ten years between starting my period and switching to reusables, I'd never particularly settled into a period routine.  Some people always know when their period is coming, know what it's going to be like each day, have their products in their bathroom cabinet, ready to whip out on the correct day.  I, on the other hand, would always be caught by surprise, would have to route through pockets of various handbags at 10pm to find any kind of sanitary product, and would go to the shop the next morning with some resentment about the errand and the cost.  I'd choose a singular product and use it for the whole of that period, deeply resent how uncomfortable it was and the ridiculous amount of soiled and plasticy waste that built up, then deliberately forget all about it until the next one.

For me, using reusables has (excuse the cliché) allowed me to get in touch with my body.  I know what it does when, and why.  I know which of my closed-loop products I will need when, and why.  Reusable products just make me happy.  I have everything I need, and they are all right for me.  And get this, I have stopped finding my period in the least bit disgusting.  Because it's not!  I know this sounds ridiculous, but I actually quite enjoy it now.

How does it work?

Well, so far the only reusable menstrual products (R.U.M.P.s, if you're in the online community) I have used are washable cloth pads.  They come in different shapes, sizes and fabrics, depending on your preferences.  However, they are basically a winged sanitary pad with plastic poppers/snaps to fix them round your underwear.  They normally have a waterproof layer to make sure you can't leak through, but they tend to be so absorbent that it wouldn't be particularly likely that you would anyway.  

Once you've worn them, there are different styles of washing routine available to you (*see paragraph at end for more details).  Personally, I put my pads on for a cold rinse, then a long cool wash with Ecover detergent and an environmentally friendly stain remover (http://www.homescents.co.uk/PBSCProduct.asp?ItmID=11531338).  It's important to me that I don't use detergent that releases anything harmful into the water systems or creates landfill waste, because I want to know that my routine has the smallest possible environmental impact.

I have also bought, but not yet used, a menstrual cup.  This is a small silicone cup that you use internally.  It collects, rather than absorbs, your menstrual flow and most women only need to empty it around 3 times per 24 hours.  The insertion takes some getting used to and you need to do some research before choosing the right cup for your body (but honestly it's not that complex and there is soooo much information online - have a look at the Youtube channels I have already mentioned).

Where do you get this stuff from?

Two good places to get cloth pads are femininewear.co.uk and Etsy.  For menstrual cups, you'll do no better than Feminine Wear - they have an extensive range, as well as information about the different types.  If you're a sewer, join 'Sewing Cloth Menstrual Pads' on Facebook (a genuinely lovely bunch of people) and learn how to make your own, which I've done :)  You save a lot of money, especially if you use stuff you already have, like old clothes, towels, blankets and sheets, and you can rejoice in the unconventionality of your chosen pass time.

As always, if I can provide any more information, I would be delighted!!

* About washing cloth pads.

Broadly speaking, you can either dry store (put them in a bag with a waterproof lining, not sealed, and wait until wash day) or you can wet store (put them in a bucket with plain water or diluted detergent or stain remover solution - make sure you change the water at least once a day).  Some people rinse each pad in the sink after each use until the water comes clear.  I generally don't, partly because it's laborious and partly because then you would have sopping wet pads to deal with.  Once it comes to washing day, most people soak their pads in Vanish Oxi-Action or own brand/eco alternative, then chuck them in the machine.  

This is a broad-brush overview and there are no end of different options, including stomping on them in the shower, washing them by hand in the sink, soaking and then using a stain stick.  It basically comes down to what works best for you, and I favour doing a multi-step wash routine in the machine.  For extensive information, Youtube is your best source, just search for something like 'washing cloth menstrual pads'.  Most don't show people washing actual dirty pads.  Those that do will have a warning in the title/description/beginning of the video.