Maybe you have never used cloth pads. Maybe you just discovered them and aren't sure why anyone would want to use a reusable cloth menstrual pad versus a disposable. Or, maybe you have been using cloth pads for months or even years and wish you had known about them even sooner. Whoever you are, and whatever you think of cloth right now, you're not the only one.
If you have just recently heard about cloth pads, you might be saying to yourself; "That sounds gross. Why would I want to use something I would have to clean. Wouldn't cleaning them be disgusting?"
Believe it or not, it isn't disgusting at all. A quick rinse, and drop into your wet bag and you don't have to see them until wash day. If you do rinse them after use you won't have much problem with staining either and that's important because one of the main reasons we use cloth pads is because they are pretty and stains ruin that a little.
When wash day comes around, you really can just throw them in to the machine on a gentle cycle in cold water. Hang them dry or tumble dry with low or no heat and they are ready to go again, stain free and as pretty as the first time you wore them.
Most women actually find that they not only look forward to using their pretty pads, but they don't mind taking care of them either. It makes them feel special and that they are something important to be taken care of and that's always a good feeling.
I don't know about you, but for me, dreading using disposables each month because of they're sticky, plastic, sweaty and uncomfortable and NEVER pretty, well that was never any fun. BUT, with the endless choices in prints, styles and fabrics available in cloth, I actually look forward to getting to use them each month. If you have a big enough stash, it is even fun getting to pick out which ones you will use that month.
They will never stick to your sensitive areas, make a bunch of crumply noise when you are changing them alerting everyone in earshot to what you are doing, and they don't carry an odor because your bodily fluids aren't mixing with harsh chemicals like happens with disposables.
There is a cloth pad for every style, need and even for different uses. Use Novel Red cloth pads as cloth menstrual pads, for light incontinence, for post partum bleeding and even for everyday discharge and moisture! Using cloth pantyliners daily and ditching those sticky disposable pantyliners is so much more comfortable!
Lessen irritation caused by the chemicals in disposables by using cloth pads too! Did you know that lots of women say that they experience less pain and cramping and even lighter flow after switching to cloth. Nobody knows exactly why but many suspect this is again due to the lack of harsh chemicals in cloth pads that are found in their disposable counterparts.
Cloth pads actually leak less and are way more customizable that disposables! If the sight of blood creeps you out you can even choose cloth pads with dark colors or busy patterns and in fabrics that resist staining and are super soft and ultra easy to care for like minky and Novel Red's Luxury Crushed Velvet pads. The only choice you have with disposables is white. No fun, white.
Cloth pantyliners can be used for menstrual cup backup (which if you are a tampon girl, you might be excited to know there is an internal reusable option that is chemical free - if of course you aren't already in love with the option of the cup that is!)
You won't ever have to worry about running out of pads or pantyliners if you use cloth because all you have to do is wash them! You can wear a light day pad or liner on days you are expecting your period or for the very beginning or end of your cycle and every day in between with confidence that you are doing the best for your body, the environment (keeping 1,000's of disposables out of the landfills) and making your period a little less dreaded and a little more fun. Yes, your period can be something to look forward to! Sound strange? Try some Novel Red cloth pads and tell me you disagree. We think you will know exactly what we are talking about. And for those of you who already know about everything in this blog post about why cloth pads are awesome, you also know you can never have too many and there's always one amazing pad you just HAVE to add to your stash!
All cloth pads aren't created equally though. Be sure to read our next blog post about the differences in design, construction and fabrics used in Novel Red's cloth pads. A quality pad is a soft, comfortable beautifully made pad that will last and last and look as beautiful the 30th time you use it as it did the first day you took it out of the package. Nothing bums us out more than a pretty pad that gets washed once and is ever after pilly, misshapen or faded. You'll learn how we chose our materials and why and why we think they are the best.
Head over to our shopping page and find something special just for you, just for this cycle or pick out a bunch of Novel Red cloth pads and build an entire stash of quality pads! Choose from amazing cotton prints, the organic collection, soft minky and flannel, specialty fabrics and prints and of course our best selling Luxury Crushed Velvet Pads! They are all our favorites and we want them to be yours too. Your perfect pad is waiting!