Everything you need to know

Welcome To The Wonderful World Of CSP 

If you are thinking of making the switch from plastic, disposable pads (which can cause irritation, be sticky, sweaty and smelly) to super soft, washable and reusable cloth pads, you are in the right place. Especially if bright patterns, organic cotton and rainbow colours are your thing!

Firstly jargon busting

CSP - Cloth Sanitary Products/Pads/Protection.

Traditional - The straight shape pad most like a disposable, modelled on a Bodyform/Always pad. If you are wanting to make a direct swap from this style of disposable - go for the 9.5" or 12" tradtional long for a longer version.

Curvy - Extra protection pad with a flared front and back for extra coverage and a wider core/surface area. These can be made suitable for Postpartum and up to 20" long on request.

Hopefully any questions you might have will be covered here on this page - but if there is something I have missed or a question you need to ask  please don't hesitate to pop me a message and I will respond as soon as I can.

I really do understand how it can feel overwhelming, there is a lot of information, and so many options. But once you have decided on a style - Traditional or Curvy, length, and what absorbencies you'll need per cycle, it really is as simple as wear, wash, repeat. The hardest decision you'll have to make is which fabrics you'd like as your super soft toppers! The best place to start is to measure the pads you currently use, and go from there.

I modelled my adult traditional 9.5" pads on a Bodyform pad, for size and absorbency (moderate core is most like a disposable in terms of how much liquid it holds), and it's the most popular size I sew. I then added the Tween/Pantyliner, Long and Postpartum to the collection, and most recently added the Curvy pads - these are a slimmed down version of my Postpartum pads for everyday wear, giving you the extra reassurance of a wider pad for heavier days, or simply for comfort and fit.

My pads are made up of super soft Jersey Cotton (mostly organic), and backed with grippy Polar Fleece. The core is made up of Zorb®* and Organic Bamboo Terry, one or both depending on the absorbency, and are fastened with a colourful popper, or 2 poppers depending on the shape. 

*Zorb®, is the leading brand of super absorbent fabrics, is thin, cost effective, hypo-allergenic and baby safe. It traps more and holds more liquid and dispenses it quickly, to reduce compression leaks. Perfect for reusable articles that need to be super absorbent: nappies, pet beds, cage liners, nursing pads, and women’s cloth pads (CSP).

Pad measurements throughout the website are in inches, please see this chart if you'd prefer to use sizing in cm.

The Benefits of Reusable Cloth Menstrual Pads 

1. Cloth pads are good for your body 

Conventional disposable products can contain plastics, artificial fragrances, adhesives, and chemical gels – things you don’t want next to one of the most sensitive parts of your body! Cloth menstrual pads are free from irritating materials, so you can avoid unnecessary exposure to the synthetic ingredients in disposable pads and tampons.

 2. Reusable menstrual pads are good for the planet

The average woman will use 12,000 to 16,000 disposable pads, panty-liners, and tampons in her lifetime. That’s a lot of waste!  

 3. Cloth pads are good for your budget 

Once you build your full set of cloth menstrual pads, you’ll have reliable menstrual protection for years to come. Most reusable menstrual pads are made to last for five years, but many women report that their pads have lasted much longer! Washable cloth pads are much more economical when compared to the cost of disposable products over your lifetime. 

4. Reusable pads are comfortable 

This should probably warrant a higher placement on the list. Reusable cloth pads (especially when made with super soft organic cotton!) are extremely soft and comfortable. You know that itchy, plastic-y feeling that comes from sitting in a disposable pad? It’ll be a distant memory once you switch to cloth. (Cloth pads also don't have that awful chemical unpleasant smell) 

5. Cloth pads are quiet

If you don’t love announcing to anyone in your work bathroom that you’re on your period, you’ll love how quiet and discreet cloth pads are. This is especially helpful for young people who have to change menstrual products in a school bathroom.

 Wearing

How are my cloth pads meant to be worn? This is a question I get asked often...

There are many brands of CSP pads out there and they all work differently! (Some are fleece up, some are fleece down, some have an entirely different makeup of fabric altogether.)

This is how mine should be worn.

Pattern/cotton faces the skin - breathable, natural fibers and super soft. Fleece goes against underwear, as a liquid resistant, grippy layer.

The cotton I use is jersey cotton, mostly organic jersey with a stretch, it is a looser knit than woven cotton (the stretch makes it easier for blood to pass through the fibers to the absorbent core)

The fleece is a liquid resistant layer, so once the core is at capacity the fleece will act as a barrier to prevent leaks, but it's always best, and most comfortable to change the pad before its saturated.

Washing & Storing Used Pads

I often get asked 'how do I wash them?' - it's actually a lot easier than most people think - there are no hard or fast rules as such, everyone finds a system that suits them (and their wash schedule). Some people like to use a larger stash of pads, and wash them all together at the end of a period, (using a large wetbag, or small 'bin' to store them in until wash day), others like to wash as they go - this is is an easier option if you have not yet built a large enough stash to wash at the end of a cycle.

I personally throw mine in with the usual laundry and wash as and when we do a load, which is usually daily with 3 small children! The only 2 points that are worth noting are -

1 - Avoid softeners if you can, they can over time add a coating to the fibers of the Zorb®/Terry making them less absorbent, but don't panic if they end up in a wash with softeners every now and then. It really wont hurt them!

2 - Use washing powder instead of liquid wash/liquid pods, for the same reason as above.

They can be dried on radiators, hanging on airers/washing lines or in the tumble dryer. The only point to note about tumbling is that it can over time make the patterns fade slightly - just like organic clothing, but it doesn't affect the performance of the pad.

 

Building Your Stash

'How many pads will I need'? Unfortunately it is one I really cant answer - every single person will require different amounts per cycle - some will change a moderate pad every 3 hours, where another person can continue to wear it for another 2 or more hours, It also depends on how often you want to wash - washing daily will mean you need less than someone who saves them all up for one wash at the very end of the cycle. - it really is an impossible one to answer! But the fabrics I use for the cores are super absorbent - which makes them as affective as a disposable in terms of how much liquid they hold, if not better. 

It doesn't need to be an all or nothing swap, most people try out a few pads, and use them alongside their usual disposables... until they find the comfort and benefits of cloth far outweigh disposable and gradually add to the cloth stash, until fully switched over.

The most important thing to bear in mind is as long as you are wearing the correct core for the flow (a moderate core on moderate days, heavy core if your flow is heavy etc) you really can't go far wrong! If you do find you need to change too often - go up a core bracket, or maybe try a slightly longer pad, but I am yet to hear of anyone needing anything more than my heavy core. And I have made over 1.5 thousand pads for happy customers to date!

An excellent place to start is with a Starter Kit, a kit will give you 6 pads to trial and decide what works best for you. I currently offer 2 types of kit, in both adult and tween sizes, which I will choose complimenting fabrics, or you can make a custom kit of your own by adding individual pads of your choice to your basket - Use the discount code 'MULTIBUY' at checkout for a 10% discount on 3 or more pads. (Only 1 code can be used per order) 

Good fitting underwear will make the pads sit correctly, loose fitting underwear (too big, lost their bounce, stretched) won't give the pads a secure base to sit and be held close and snug to the body, and the pads are more likely to shift around. Silky/satin underwear should be avoided, for obvious reasons!

How often do I change

My pads are designed to be as absorbent as disposables, and as long as you are wearing the correct flow core, they will need to be changed as often as you would usually change a disposable pad - but the best thing is CSP doesn't get rolled up and thrown away, it goes through the wash to be used again, over and over! How amazing is that for our planet!

I really hope the information I have provided here has been useful in helping you to decide what you need, but if you find you still have questions I am more than happy to answer them.

I'm confident once you have found your perfect pad - you won't look back to disposables ever again.

Jenny xxx