TMI?

I'm going to share some personal information (perhaps a little too personal) but it's for a good cause! That is, if you think the earth is a good cause.

Some women get their periods like clock work. They know exactly when they are coming. Other women, such as the one writing this post, never know when the period is coming. It's usually somewhere between 15 and 45 days between periods. To avoid accidents, I wear a maxi pad just about every day. I really can't be teaching and suddenly think, "I have to get to a bathroom!" The honest truth is that I can't just go to the bathroom whenever I want to in order to check and see if my period has arrived. So, I have to have a little extra protection.

I was offended at the amount of pads I was using "just in case" my period showed up. I also seem to use a lot of pads at the end of period when I don't really need a pad but I don't want to stain my underwear. (I know - too much information.) So, I went out to Etsy and bought one or two pads from a variety of sellers. I found one I was very pleased with and went back for more. Pleat has a shop full of pads, and a line of happy customers.


These pictures are of the pantyliners. They are way more comfortable than disposable pads (I hardly notice I'm wearing them). One of the reasons I preferred Pleat's pads to the others I tried was that they were substantial enough for me to feel confident in them but still pliable enough to be very comfortable. They are very well made and they come in cute fabrics. The pads are made to order so you'll wait just a few days for them to arrive. The turn-around time is very reasonable. The seller must be sewing like crazy!

So far, I've only used cloth pads for the "just in case" time of my period and for the end of my period when the flow is really light. (Once my period starts I've been switching to disposables.) I just change the the cloth pads a couple times a day (for comfort and freshness) and they go in my regular laundry. I'm planning to switch to cloth pads for use when I'm at home but there are many women who use cloth pads all the time. I read that they are great for extra protection with a diva cup.

Pleat sells pantyliners, regular pads, overnight pads, and even thong pads! Instead of buying single pads you can also buy them in sets.

They are not hard to use or clean. Here's what Pleat's shop announcement says (and it's true!):

"New to cloth pads? Give them a chance and join the ranks of happy cloth users. They are super soft and comfortable - no more chafing from disposables. Secure, highly leak resistant, chlorine free, environmentally friendly and frugal, what's not to love about them? Oh, and I bet you would be surprised how easy it is to keep them stain free and fresh: just rinse in cold water after use, fold and snap, and then run through the washing machine at your leisure (before they dry out is best). A bit of white vinegar added to your wash load is an amazingly effective, inexpensive, all natural deodorizer that eradicates odors and mildew and leaves them fresh as new."

That's the end of my TMI post. I hope you will all consider cloth pads as another easy way to reduce waste.