7 Awesome Benefits of Cloth Menstrual Pads | Pink Lemonade Shop Review

Learn about the benefits of cloth menstrual pads and about Pink Lemonade Shop pads. 

Should I Use Reusable Pads? 

Do you remember when you got your first period?

I got my first period when I was nine years old. Yep, you read that right. I have been using disposable menstrual products since way back then, but recently I decided that I wanted reusable menstrual products instead.

Why? There are just so many benefits that I wish I knew about a long time ago!

While I already have a menstrual cup, I felt it was time to make the switch to reusable cloth menstrual pads as well…

…and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made in terms of my feminine health.

If you’re on the fence about whether or not to use cloth menstrual pads, read about the AWESOME benefits of cloth pads below).

Benefits of Cloth Menstrual Pads

There are quite a few benefits to using cloth pads vs disposable pads, but let’s focus on these 7 awesome benefits:

1. Cloth pads can save you money. 

When I bought disposables, I’d buy a big package of generic ones, enough to last me two cycles. The generic ones cost around $5-$6 a pack, which can add up to be $30-$36 a year for me. If I bought a box of tampons, it was another $30 or so a year.

So if we did the math, since I was nine years old, I have spent about $1500+ on disposable pads and/or tampons. Some women, depending on their cycles and preferences, may have even spent more in that time.

If I were to continue to use disposables until I no longer needed them, roughly another 15-20 years, it might be another $900-$1200, for a total of $2400-$2700.

It’s a lot of money!

Reusable cloth pads can actually save you money. While they cost more upfront, anywhere from around $7 to $15+, they are a one-time purchase and can last upwards of 5 years or longer.

Why are cloth pads so expensive upfront? Many cloth pads are created and made by small businesses. The pads are made with high quality materials and are often hand-made. They are made to last.

If we do the math, one collection of about 25 pads at around $7 each, it’s $175. That’s $175 for 5+ years worth of pads.

If the pads were replaced every 5 years over the course of 40 years (the average amount of time a woman has her period), it would cost around $1400, about $1000 less than if disposables were used. (And that’s just if the pads need to be replaced. Some may last longer!)

Don’t have a lot of money to spend on your whole stash? Build your stash up slowly! Buy a few when you can, supplementing with disposables until you have enough to stop buying disposables for good.

Be on the lookout for coupons and sales too!

2. Cloth pads reduce your impact on the environment.

If you’re trying to green your menstrual routine, using cloth pads is the way to go. Basically, cloth menstrual pads help keep disposables out of landfills. Disposables cannot be reused and take years and years to decompose in landfills.

Cloth pads on the other hand are reusable and washable, lasting upwards of five years or longer.

That’s a lot of disposables kept out of the trash.

According to Pink Lemonade Shop, just one of their reusable panty liners replaces 100 disposables!

Some critics may say, “But wait! What about all that water you’re using to wash them?”

If you read ‘how to wash cloth pads’ down below, you’ll see that you don’t use up that much more water by washing them. (Of course, it depends on how you wash them and how often.)

3. Cloth pads are better for your body. 

Disposable menstrual products are most often made from synthetic materials and may contain harmful chemicals and residue. Being that they are placed near a very sensitive area of our body, these harmful materials can get into our systems.

Cloth pads are most often made with safe materials that are hypoallergenic and chemical free.

Believe it or not, I have read several articles that mentioned that cloth pads may even reduce menstrual cramps due to not having harmful chemicals. BONUS!

4. Cloth pads are great for sensitive skin. 

Besides being hypoallergenic, reusable menstrual pads are made from cloth that is breathable, which gives your sensitive skin a chance to breathe and not develop a rash.

The lack of bleach commonly found in disposables also helps sensitive skin.

5. Cloth pads are comfortable. 

Soft? Check. Scratchy? Nope. Cloth menstrual pads are actually quite comfortable compared to disposables.

In fact, many cloth pads just feel like an extra padded layer of underwear, of course depending on the material.

Added to that the potential bonus of reduced menstrual cramps, and I’d say that cloth pads are definitely more comfortable than disposables.

6. Cloth pads help you to be prepared for every cycle. 

With a stash of cloth pads, you’ll always have pads on hand, ready to go should your cycle appear out of the blue! You won’t be caught without pads and you won’t have to make a run to the store to get more.

They’re also very easy to transport, fitting easily in purses or bags for when you’re out in public.

7. Cloth pads are quiet. 

If you’re like me and don’t like to announce to the world that you have your period, you’ll love that cloth pads are super quiet. The snap on the wings sounds like a little button, but other than that, there’s no sound. (Wish I had these when I was in junior high and high school!)

8. BONUS: Cloth pads are pretty. 

Cloth pads come in so many patterns and colors! I have heard of some people becoming obsessed with some prints and how they stock up on so many pads.

If you don’t care what they look like, then there are solid colors to choose from, but hey, you have to admit that the cloth pads I have in the images of this review are pretty!

Have I convinced you yet? Continue reading to learn more about cloth pads, or skip on ahead to a giveaway!!

FAQs About Cloth Menstrual Pads

How to Use Cloth Pads

Believe it or not, reusable menstrual pads are very easy to use. Just like traditional wing pads, they fit on your underwear, but without anything sticky on them.

The wings are held together with a simple snap button.

Since they don’t have any stickiness to them, they may slide on your underwear, depending on the material of your underwear and the pad. I have only had that issue at night. To remedy it, I bought a longer pad that covers everything.

How to Wash Reusable Pads

Washing reusable pads is kinda similar to washing cloth diapers. They can be rinsed in cold water, and you can put them in a wet bag until you are ready to wash them.

You can wash them every day or as one load at the end of your cycle.

If you prefer, you can wash them separately from your other laundry, with warm or cool water, or you can add them in with your towels or cloth diapers.

There’s usually no need to use bleach, vinegar, fabric softener or the sanitize cycle on your machine as these can harm the materials of the cloth pads.

If you have a stain, you can use a stain stick to remove any residual stains.

How Many Cloth Pads Do I Need?

While it really depends on the length of your cycle, how heavy your flow is, and how often you wash them, Pink Lemonade Shop recommends that you have about 20-25 pads for your whole cycle.

Some women may need more, and some may need less.

I currently have 8 cloth pads, four that were given to me for the review below and four that I bought because I liked them so much. I like to wash the ones I use by the end of the day so I have them ready for the next day.

In the future, I am definitely buying more so I won’t have to wash them as often.

Are Cloth Pads Gross?

Okay, I totally get where this question comes from. It seems that as a society we are squeamish about our menstrual cycles and the bodily fluids that come from it. The thought from having to deal with it all and see it all…

…is probably what made people create disposables.

But think about it: it’s very possible that your grandmother or perhaps your great-grandmother used reusable pads (most likely rags) as her ancestors and their ancestors have done before her. They had to rinse and wash their ‘pads’ even back before there were washing machines!

If you have ever rinsed out your underwear or pants after having a period leak, then you can rinse out and wash cloth pads. It’s as easy as removing them from your underwear, rinsing them under cold water, and throwing them in a wet bag for future wash or straight in the washing machine.

Not at home? You can just put them in a wet bag and rinse/wash when you get home.

Click here to visit Pink Lemonade Shop and View Their Wet Bags

Pink Lemonade Shop Review

I can’t tell you how excited I was to learn that Pink Lemonade Shop was looking for reviewers. At the time I found out, I was actually doing my research on cloth pads and wasn’t sure what I was looking for.

I had already been using a menstrual cup for a while, but I wanted to make the switch to reusable menstrual pads.

They sent me four pads for this review: two 10 inch heavy flow pads, and two 11 inch heavy flow pads.

Both of the 10 inch pads have cotton fronts with fleece backs while the 11 inch pads are minky fleece with fleece backs. All have an absorbent bamboo fleece core. The cotton pads are a tad thinner than the minky pads.

I have to admit, that when it came time for my period to start, I wasn’t sure how to use the pads, so I put the pretty patterns facing my underwear and the fleece part facing up. The first day, it seemed fine, but after doing more research on the second day, I realized I was wrong!

According to Pink Lemonade Shop, the pretty print is meant to face you. It helps to absorb moisture into the core, and then the moisture is stopped by the water-resistant WindPro fleece.

I’m so glad I realized that on my second heavier day!

The 10 inch pads were perfect for me for daytime use, and the 11 inch pads were used at night. Unfortunately, the 11 inch did not quite cover enough as I slept, so I did order a 12 inch and 13 inch for my next cycle for better coverage. Trial and error!

I have pretty heavy periods, yet I didn’t experience any leakage during my cycle.

Since I only had four pads at the time, I did have to wash them at the end of the day to be ready for the next day. For me, it wasn’t a big deal since I usually have a load of towels to do every other day or so and I just washed them with the towels.

I found that even though I rinsed them in cold water after each use, the cotton pads did have slight stains on them. Using a stain stick prior to washing fixed that.

After using them for a whole cycle, I decided to order 3 more of the minky pads as they were the most comfortable, along with a poly jersey topped one (Rainbow Hearts was just so pretty!).

I would definitely recommend Pink Lemonade Shop to anyone who wants to make the switch to reusable cloth pads! 

Many thanks to Pink Lemonade Shop for sending me these awesome cloth pads to review!

Have any questions? Leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to answer!

Pink Lemonade Shop Coupon

New customer? You can use the code NEWTOCLOTH* to save 15% off one order of $15 or more!

Keep in mind that as Pink Lemonade Shop is a small business and the owner has four kids, shipping may take a tad longer than expected, but most orders ship within 3-5 business days. Trust me, though; it’s worth the wait!

*Applies to regular priced pads, liners or nursing pads. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Limited to 1 use per customer account.

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