Still have Doubts? It’s time to get them cleared.
Reusable cloth pads are designed to absorb the menstrual flow during the menstruation period. These pads are a type of reusable feminine hygiene product and are an alternative to single-use disposable sanitary napkins, tampons, and other menstrual products.
Disposable sanitary pads contain perfumes, adhesives, pesticide residues and chemicals (while whitening disposable pads with chlorine dioxide bleaching, it produces a toxic by-product called dioxin) which are harmful to the body and lead to serious health issues. Reusable cloth pads dose not contain chemicals, pesticides, perfumes and adhesives.
Reusable cloth pads are completely safe to use. It is just like any other cloth we use in our day-to-day life. It will reduce urinary tract infections, skin rashes and allergies which are more likely to occur when you use commercial sanitary napkins.
The dyes used in the fabric do not contain Azo (Azo is the Hazardous dye banned by the Indian government). So the Azo free dyes used in fabric of reusable cloth pads are eco-friendly and safe to use.
Reusable Cloth pads are much better than disposable pads because, cloth pads are made from soft, breathable fabrics that allow for air flow. This means there is less sweating, irritation and rashes when you wear reusable cloth pads.
Reusable cloth pads are very comfortable because they are soft and breathable. You will definitely feel the comfort when you choose the right pad for your need.
You may need different type of cloth pads for different stages of your cycle.
Choose Giocare Regular cloth pads or period panty …
- If you typically use standard disposable day pads
- If you have a moderate to heavy flow
Choose Giocare Maxi cloth pads…
- If you tend to leak over the front or back of your pads
- If you tend to have too heavy flow in the day and nights.
Choose Giocare Panty-liners…
- If you have spotting or very light flow, Including at the very beginning or end of your cycle
- If you want to wear everyday protection for white discharge.
You may need different types of cloth pads and that depends upon the flow and number of the days you use. Approximately you will need 4-10 cloth pads per month.
- 2-4 Regular pads or period panties,
- 4-6 Maxi or Ultra Maxipads and,
- 2 or more Panty liners depending on your need.
Reusable cloth pads can last up to 1-2 years (100- 120 washes approx.) or even more depending upon your flow, cycle and how often you use. We recommend to change cloth pads every one year.
No matter how light your flow is, even if there is no flow, bacteria can build up. Changing your pad every 4 or 6 hours is good for health and hygiene and helps to prevent bad odour.
Yes, you can use cloth pads that are designed especially for over bleeding (Giocare Maxi / Ultra Maxi cloth pads).
If you choose the right size and wear it right, cloth pads won’t leak. Cloth pads are more absorbent than the disposable menstrual products. However, if you wear a pad more than six hours, it is possible to leak off the sides.
No, if you wash the used cloth pads in the proper way as mentioned below, cloth pads won’t get stained.
It is recommended to wash the used cloth pads after every use. If there is no time to wash the pads, just keep it inside the leak free pouch and wash it later. You can make it a habit to wash the used pads immediately after changing a new one.
Washing cloth pads is not a big deal. Follow these steps to wash your cloth pads:
Steps:
- Soak the used Cloth Pads in Water With detergent for 30 Minutes,
- Rinse it well until the Water runs clear,
- If necessary, use soap to remove stains.
Caution:
- Do not use hot water (hot water sets in stains),
- Do not bleach,
- Do not use brush.
It is recommended to dry the washed cloth pads in direct sunlight until it becomes completely dry. Sunlight acts as a natural disinfectant and kills the bacteria present in your used and washed cloth pads.
Cloth pads take around 8 to 12 hours (in direct sunlight) to completely dry. It may take around 24 hours to dry in a high humid place.
Drying in direct sunlight is all we recommend because the UV rays present in the sunlight is a natural and best disinfectant. But if you don't have access to sunlight, you can dry in shade for 36- 48 hours. Or use a tumble dryer to dry.
Giocare reusable cloth pads are packed in a pretty, eco-friendly, travel-friendly, leakproof, safe and hygienic cloth bag that can be used to store the cloth pads. Generally, you should store your cloth pads somewhere free from moisture, pests, dust and put them away only when they are completely dry.
After washing the pad, just squeeze it. If the water runs clear, it means the pad is clean. If the water did not run clear, soak and rinse again till the water runs clear.
Yes, it’s recommended to wash your pads before wearing them for the first time. This will improve the fabric’s absorbency.
The leak proof travel pouch that is included in the pack of Giocare cloth pads is specially designed for carrying your used or clean cloth pads. If you are unable to wash your cloth pads while travelling or at work, you can simply fold them and store it in this bag and wash later.
We recommend washing cloth pads by hand. But if you want to use a washing machine, please ensure that you follow these steps,
- Soak and wash the pads by hand initially
- Make sure that the water runs clear at the last rinse
- Now put them in the washing machine separately or with your regular load
Do's
- Use a mild detergent
- Use a mesh laundry bag (optional)
Dont's
- Avoid fabric conditioners/ bleach/ vinegar/ essential oils
- Avoid harsh rinsing setting
- Avoid high temperature (avoid more than 40°)
or you can wash all your cloth pads at the end of your cycle using a washing machine, after ensuring it is hand washed earlier.
We don't recommend to use hot water, as hot water will set in the stains. You can use hot water at the end if you want, but make sure you use cold/ normal water for initial soaking and rinsing process. Rather than washing with hot or cold water, it's important to dry it really well (in direct sunlight).
Sunlight is a natural disinfectant, that is what we recommend and that is strong enough to disinfect. But if you want to use disinfectant, you can use a sufficient quantity.
Cloth pads does not require much water to wash. It just takes the amount of water what the regular clothes requires.
Yes, Reusable cloth pads are eco-friendly and they will decompose easily while the disposable sanitary napkins take around 500-800 years to decompose.
Switching to reusable cloth pads is a significant example of how seemingly small personal choices can have a tremendous positive impact on our environment. Even though only 48% of the rural and 77% off the urban women among the 336 million women who are of menstruating age in India can afford sanitary napkins, they throw away approximately 432 million napkins every month (which is equal to nearly 9000 tonnes of waste). As a result, they create mountains of waste in landfills and since they don’t decompose easily, they will likely remain there for the next 500 years. They might probably end up in landfills, rivers, streams and even oceans where they pose a serious threat to animals if they try to consume it. Disposal by burning of sanitary napkins is carcinogenic and can leak out into the atmosphere. The process of manufacturing these disposables also pollutes our waterways, air and animal habitats. Switching to reusable cloth pads can make a change.
Disposable sanitary napkin sand tampons build up a lot of moisture. And as you all know, moisture supports bacteria growth. It’s easy to develop infection. The chemicals in tampons and disposable sanitary napkins are also linked to ovarian and cervical cancer. With reusable cloth pads, you won’t have to worry about moisture build-up, TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome), or cancer. Thus you are also protecting yourself by using reusable cloth pads.
You can save up to 1000-2000 rupees if you switch to reusable cloth pads, which costs many times lesser than the amount you spend for disposable sanitary napkins.
Try our Period waste calculator for more details