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Post by jka on Nov 29, 2006 10:38:06 GMT -5
I really want some cloth sanitary pads that I can wash. However one site they are really expensive, another site teaches you how to sew your own and I don't have a sewing machine, nor do I know how to sew. Do you ladies know of anywhere else you can get them?
Katy-Anne
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Post by Sister Penny on Dec 2, 2006 8:49:34 GMT -5
www.diapersewing.com/clothpads.htm Also you can just trace off the size of pad you prefer and enlarge it for the seam allowance and wings.... I used to make all of mine, that is the method I used..the outer covering pad was made of a soft flannel and I used a snap on the wings, the inner layer was terrycloth...I made them removable so you could take them all out to soak clean. I hope this link works, if not..please email me back! Sister Penny
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Post by qfmamato4 on Dec 3, 2006 23:07:59 GMT -5
Watch Ebay for them as well.... Also dont forget the pad will pay forthemselves.. I have 2 pads left over from when I made then adn that was 5 years ago.... Of course I have gone back to the store but dh said I can get some more material soon to make them.. I used to sell them and never did make any for me LOL.... But I want some as well and so does my dd.....
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Post by mandy on Nov 28, 2007 15:10:59 GMT -5
I have never used reusable cloth pads....I don't want to get graphic or anything,but do they work as well, or as reliable as the disposables. meaning do you have to change more ?
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Post by benshelpmeet on Nov 28, 2007 15:33:02 GMT -5
I have wondered about these too. With 6 daughters and myself, we need to research this topic. Any ladies care to share?
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Post by wife on Nov 28, 2007 21:28:57 GMT -5
I have used cloth pads, but only for a little while. I have never had any problems with leaking through. I used store bought cloth diapers and sewed them into shapes that were more useful, and just folded some into shape instead. I made a variety of thicknesses for obvious reasons. I have 2 daughters ages 12 and 9, and we have not needed to cross that bridge with them yet. I actually started doing this because I started thinking of how much it was going to cost us in a few years as well as how much garbage I generate myself each month. I have used them on and off. On the months I have, I have found that it was actually just as convenient to use them than to have the trash can filled up really fast. All I did was use the shape of the disposable one as my guide. I sewed elastic bands at the front and back to hold the actual pad in place, and I just pin the holder in place. It seems to work well thus far. I even have wings on mine to use for pinning. I suppose I should probably get snaps instead pf safety pins.
Gal 1:3 Angela W in NC
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Post by Donna on Nov 29, 2007 5:53:09 GMT -5
I have used cloth pads for incontinence reasons. The disposables were irritating to my skin since I wore them non-stop. The easiest pad to make is just fold a wash cloth (or several stacked) into a rectangle. If the panties are the least bit snug fitting the pad should be held in place. Some women prefer a waterproof or water resistant barrier against the panty. This could be something as simple as a square of polar fleece material. I find, however, that the pad becomes a little less breathable and feels hotter that way. The cloth that is just folded into shape has the added plus of being thinner so it will dry quickly and it isn't recognizable hanging on the clothesline either!
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Post by Sister Penny on Nov 29, 2007 8:45:33 GMT -5
I have used them in the past and found them to be so much more comfortable and easy to deal with.
I made my own pattern traced from a commercial one and used velcro or snaps for the closure that wings around.
Another thought, is that you are not exposing yourself to the bleaching agents used in the commercial store disposables.
Lastly, you are not filling up a landfill with more garbage.
God bless, Sister Penny
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Post by benshelpmeet on Nov 29, 2007 11:02:25 GMT -5
Pads irritate my sensitive skin too!
How do you get the stains out? Please give washing instructions and stain removal information. I think were going to do this. Is there a certain color of wash cloth that is best? Perhaps white so it can be bleached, or another color? What have yall found to work best? Do you wash them out immediately or drop them in a bucket of some type of solution? How do you go about all that.
Maybe one of those diaper disposal contraptions could some how be used, maybe put some cold water with some type of soaking solution in it. The diaper disposal has a small opening at the top to put the diaper in and then a little lid that shuts. That way it would be consealed and not seen. Then later you could wash them and rinse out the disposal container. What do you think?
I've gt to figure all this out before we switch over. There are only three of us using pads so far, but we spend alot of money a month. We are all willing to try this.
Thank you ladies!
Love,~ sister Darlene ~
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Post by Sister Penny on Nov 30, 2007 8:42:35 GMT -5
Sister Darlene, I keep mine in a bucket of water that has a mixture of borax and Fel's Naptha soap...Fel's seems to take out any stains...
Hope this helps.
God bless you, Sister Penny
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Post by wife on Dec 1, 2007 13:24:24 GMT -5
I have a small trashcan with a lid that I put mine in. I use a little homemade laundry soap and oxy type cleaner. I use hot water to dissolve it then pour in cold water so as not to set in the stains. Also, hydrogen Peroxide is great to treat that sort of thing too. I discovered this when my daughter had a skinned place on her leg and I poured some peroxide on it. It had bled onto her tights and so the peroxide just bubbled the blood away! It never stained at all! So you could use peroxide in place of the oxy-cleaner. Sometimes I do that when I'm out of the other. I agree that the folded ones are great! It's easier to clean them too. I wash every day anyway, so this is not a burden to me. I don't use bleach on any of our clothes since it would defeat our purpose in using them (well one reason anyway was to steer clear of chlorine for sensitive skin). We use homemade laundry soap and the oxy cleaner in that particular load, then a bit of vinegar in the rinse water. Not only does the vinegar soften cloth, it also "resets" the pH closer to what our skin actually is. Since chlorine is caustic (meaning a base) and vinegar is an acid- and our skin is slightly acidic- it stands to reason that the harshness of chlo0rine comes from it being opposite of our skins natural need to acidity. Vinegar smell goes away as soon as the cloth is dry, and if you hang them to dry, acts as a catalyst for the sun to bleach out stains better and faster.
Gal. 1:3 Angela W in NC
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Post by benshelpmeet on Dec 1, 2007 14:37:24 GMT -5
Oh thank you so much for your post. I think I'm going to try this when the pads we have run out.
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kscarle
Member
Philippians 4:4, Romans 12:1, John 14:15
Posts: 97
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Post by kscarle on Dec 1, 2007 15:02:59 GMT -5
I have come across aa pattern before but was a little uneasy about trying it, I did not even consider the bleach used in store bought. The post have been very informative, thank you for sharing.
Sis. Kristie
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Post by wife on Jan 17, 2008 11:31:06 GMT -5
I have now been using cloth pads for a number of months, and I can tell you, they are more convenient than the store bought disposables. This is because they are always here, and I don't have to run out and purchase pad to let the world know it's my time of month. I always found that to be a little more than embarrassing. Now, I have a 12 year old daughter- who we have discussed it and she will also use cloth form the beginning. There are several web sites with free patterns, so it's not hard to locate what you're looking for. Or you can make your own up. I suppose it's like using cloth diapers for your baby- cloth breathes and is better for baby's skin than disposables- so why wouldn't we do the same for ourselves?
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Post by 7schmicks on Apr 25, 2008 22:50:29 GMT -5
A friend of mine first got me using cloth baby diapers a number of years ago. After she told me she had begun using them, I raided the rag drawer for our babies' old diapers and tried it myself. I like not having to buy them and always having a renewable, long-lasting, supply on hand. I don't use a soak pail but think I should because they do stain (I just don't worry too much about it since that is the only thing I use them for,) and throwing the dirty ones in the the dirty-clothes basket like I usually do has stained a few other things, even though I try to wrap them in an washcloth or towel. They can leak through if you go too long, but I had many more "accidents" with the disposable kind because they just aren't as absorbant. If you check often the first few times you use them, you'll get to know your flow and be able to judge how thick to make them and how often to change. I fold the diapers to the width I need and wear two for the first couple heavy days. I add a third (not the prefolded type) folded extra long for night-time. On the lighter days or while waiting, I just use one. I once tried the foam-filled night-time diapers and they didn't work. Menstrual flow is heavier than urine and isn't absorbed as well by the foam in them. My main problem has been on days when I expected to be away from home for awhile because that means carrying the bulky things and having to have a plastic bag to bring home the dirty ones, but thankfully I don't have to go away from home often. I probably should keep a few store-bought ones on hand for emergencies.
Sister Brenda
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