This is sort of a touchy subject for some, and I know talking about reusable menstrual products might seem a little....well...gross. Bear with me, though! Switching away from disposables isn't just about cutting back on waste - it's about saving money and taking our femininity back from marketers who just want to sell us disposable products month after month.
Why Reusables?
Before we get into the how, let's talk a little bit about the why! Women use over one billion disposable pads and tampons every single year, and that's just in Australia alone!
Not only do disposable pads and tampons contribute to landfill waste, they're not so great for our bodies. Most conventional tampons and pads are made from bleached cotton, which is not the ideal thing to have in contact with your lady parts for hours at a time.
Tampons also can dry you out, which isn't just unhealthy - it's uncomfortable!
The best part about reusables? You'll save so much cash! Rather than dropping around $5-$10 per month on pads and tampons, you can invest in a menstrual cup or some cloth pads that will last you for years!
That's Gross!
I know, the idea of reusing a menstrual product might seem icky at first, but so much of that is drilled into our heads thanks to clever marketing. Women are supposed to be "fresh," right? Our periods are something to be ashamed of and dealing with it is a hassle.
That just isn't true at all! Once you get the hang of reusables, you'll not only be reducing landfill waste and saving raw materials, you'll get more in tune with your own body.
And really, what's grosser: switching to cloth pads or menstrual cups or thinking about those tons and tons of used menstrual products sitting in the landfill?
Reusable Options
If you're used to using tampons, a menstrual cup might be the option for you. Most cups last between five and 10 years, so while they might be a bit of an investment at first, they save you tons of cash in the long run.
Not all cups are created equal, and Reusable Menstrual Products has a great FAQ on choosing the right cup for you.
The thing many women find daunting about a menstrual cup is the size, but this is a little deceptive. Sure, it looks larger than a tampon, but that's a tampon without any liquid absorbed in it. A saturated tampon is actually about the same size as most menstrual cups.
If you're more a pads kind of gal, cloth pads are your reusable alternative. You can find store bought sorts, but if you want to buy handmade there are lots of Etsy sellers like Pleat who make cloth pads in a variety of absorbencies.
Feeling crafty? You can easily make your own cloth pads! Here's a great tutorial on making cloth pads from Crafting a Green World.
So spill it, ladies! Do you use a menstrual cup or cloth pads? Is there another reusable menstrual product out there that I missed? Tell us about it in the comments!
Image via Pleat on Etsy.
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Totally agree on all counts! I love my diva cup, but I just got a couple reusable pads/pantyliners, trying to be all grown up and keep my underwear unblemished. This etsy shop I bought from is on vacay right now, but is awesome also.
Here’s a great personal review from a blogger I like, which convinced me to get one, and then I won a contest on her blog and she sent me some more!
I love my Diva cup! I have to admit when I received it I wondered how the heck THAT was going to fit! It folds very well and it’s so nice not having to run to the restroom every couple of hours to change out tampons.
One thing that I was very surprised about after I started using the cup…I didn’t have that terrible odor like something had died up there! I never realized that your menstrual flow doesn’t really smell bad, it was the tampons that “fermented” that smelled so bad.
Yay Diva Cup!
I may try the Glad Rags as I use a pantyliner when I’m finished up. Don’t they get all stained after use?
I switched over to GladRags several years ago and find them super-easy to deal with. I just add them to the wash with my other clothes and line dry them with the rest of my undies. I still keep a few disposable products for when I’m travelling and won’t have access to my washing machine, but the pads are really not the hassle that many people think they are.
That’s great to hear! I keep a couple of cloth pads around to use from time to time and totally agree – they don’t have to be a big deal at all.
After a slightly less green friend of mine chided me for not doing this, I got a mooncup. The name is more icky than the use of it, though you HAVE to read all the instructions so you don’t end up frustrated with its removal!
Totally. The directions that came with the cup help so much with insertion and removal!
I have been using a keeper cup for many years. They last for about ten years and you can choose rubber or silicone. I prefer the rubber but the dogs made a chew toy out of that one a while back (yuck!) and I replaced it with silicone to try something new. The cup is far superior to tampons in my opinion. As for the pads, at my house we upcycle old socks that have gotten holes into reuseable pads. Not so pretty as the ones pictured here but they get the job done! Thanks for the tutorial!
Reusable is THE way to go. I had forgotten to pack them on my last trip and found using regular pads so uncomfortable now that I’m used to the others. I tell people that the difference is like using plastic underwear or flannel underwear. The reduced waste was my initial drive to switch but now it’s so much more.
I have been wondering if such items existed for weeks! THANK you for the info!
Awesome! Glad we could help you make the leap!