Organic Cotton Baby Bath Mitt
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Organic Cotton Menstrual Pads
Tips for Using Organic Cloth Menstrual Pads
“Hankettes pads don’t move around at all. They stay right where I need them. And there's only one snap, so there's way less wrestling to attach them than with other reusable pads I've tried.” (Amanda)
“I love our pads because they don’t have any topstitching. On other brands, the topstitch thread wicks the blood right through the pad – if there’s any leakage, that’s where it starts.” (Lesley)
Our liners are squares of super absorbent organic cotton flannel that can be folded into thirds or quarters and tucked into the pad. Depending on how heavy your period is, you can use more liners, or change liners more often. You control the thickness of your pad. You can also control where the thickness lies. For a heavier flow, you can use 2 liners folded in four, with a third liner on top folded in three for maximum absorbency right in the centre of the pad. If you prefer more side leak protection, you can fold each liner in three, then tease out the sides to form “wings”.
“My period is fairly light, so I use one pad over the course of a day and one liner at a time, folded into four. I change the liner a few times a day. At the end of my period I stop using liners altogether and just use the base as a pantyliner. I have underwear specifically designated for period time - they are a little tighter than my usual underwear, bikini cut, and black. I find that they help hold everything in place better, and it helps not to worry about them getting stained.” (Emily)
How many pads and liners do I need?
This depends entirely on how heavy your flow is, and how often you do laundry. In general we recommend a one to three ratio of bases to liners. This works for a heavier period, where you may find you are using multiple liners at a time. It also works for a lighter period where you will likely use one base over a longer period, just changing liners. Our best suggestion is that someone just starting out should buy two regular pads and six regular liners and go from there. Our base is designed to work with other brands of reusable liners as well; so if you’re switching, there’s no need to start from scratch again. Try our base first, then purchase more liners as you need them.
If you find you need more protection at night or if you have a bigger body type, try the longer version of our pads and liners. They're also great for post-partum body care.
How do I wash them?
We recommend that used pads and liners be kept in a covered bucket or cookie jar of cold water. This will prevent stains from setting in. Add a few drops of tea tree oilto control odour, and change the water daily. From there they are machine washable in cold water and dryer friendly. Please don’t use bleach, as it wears down the cotton. We don’t recommend fabric softeners either, as they will decrease the absorbency of the cotton. The pads and liners may get a bit stained over time, just get comfortable with it!
Alternately, pads and liners can be rinsed in cold water immediately after use and thrown in with the regular laundry. This works best in households where laundry is constant and never ending (sound familiar?).
“I prefer to hand wash mine with my grandmother's Sunlight bar soap, then toss them in with the rest of the laundry. It really helps get the stains out. I prefer Hankettes pads over the other brand I've tried because they're more absorbent (I can wear them longer) and they don't leak through as readily.” (Lisa)
http://www.scarleteen.com/article/pink/eight_myths_about_washable_menstrual_pads_dispelled
for the article “Eight Myths About Washable Menstrual Pads Dispelled” by Emira Mears. WARNING! This link is NOT for folks with delicate sensibilities or a dislike of “dirty” words.