REUSABLE PERIOD PRODUCTS

We are pleased to offer a range of reusable period products.

We are kindly supported by a company local to us, Earthwise Girls, who supply great quality products at a generous discounted price so that we can supply reusable period products where appropriate.

We cannot guarantee that they are always in stock, but we aim to offer the following on a regular basis.

REUSABLE PERIOD PADS

This amazing set of period pads comes from EarthWise Girls and contains 8 washable period pads (2 small, 4 medium and 2 large) and a wet bag for storing used pads until you are ready to do a wash.

Reusable period pads are a great product to start with when you want to try reusable period products. There are all shapes and sizes to choose from and you should be able to find the right sized pad for your flow. They are soft and comfortable to wear, and easy to clean and care for.

You can wear a reusable pad for around 5-6 hours, and they are designed to be highly absorbent and contain any odour. They are typically made of cotton or bamboo, with a patterned or colourful waterproof backing.

Once used, you will need to clean your pads before using them again:

Rinse out your pad in cold water. (Hot water will only make the blood congeal and harder to remove from the pad.) You can rinse it under the cold tap or use the cold rinse on your washing machine.
Once you have rinsed out your pad, you can add it to your general wash in the washing machine. Wash on a cool wash (no more than 30 degrees) and do not use fabric conditioner. Fabric conditioner ruins the absorbency of the pad. Alternatively, you can hand wash your pad using unperfumed soap. Make sure the soap is completely rinsed out before drying.
You can dry your pad on the line outside, in the airing cupboard or on a windowsill. Avoid placing it directly on the radiator and do not put it in the tumble dryer as this will damage the waterproof backing of the pad.
Once dry you can use your pad again.

You don’t have to wash a pad immediately after using it. If you want to save them up until the next wash you can store them in a “wet bag” which is a bag designed specifically for reusable period products and is waterproof and contains odours.

MENSTRUAL CUPS

The menstrual cups we supply come with full instructions on how to use and care for your cup, plus a little storage bag to keep it safe between periods.

Menstrual cups can seem very daunting when you first try them but with a bit of practise you soon get used to how to fold them for insertion and how to remove them.

We can offer two sizes of cups. Size A is for those under 25 who have never given birth vaginally and Size B is for those over 25 or who have given birth vaginally.

You need to take care of your menstrual cup during your period:

You should boil your menstrual cup in water for five minutes before using it at the start of your period and again at the end of your period before you store it away.
You should rinse your cup under hot water before reinserting it when you empty it during your period.

We recommend removing your menstrual cup in the shower the first few times whilst you get the hang of removal. It can be a bit messy until you find a technique that works for you and any spillages can be rinsed away by the shower.

PERIOD PANTS

We aim to have period pants available as often as possible, but they are an expensive item which we can't always afford to fund.

Period pants are very comfortable and a popular choice of reusable period product. They come in a variety of absorbencies and can be worn for longer than disposable period products. They can be three times as absorbent as disposable products and the antimicrobial layer wicks blood away from the body and prevents unpleasant odour. If you are wearing the correct absorbency, you can wear a pair of period pants from when you wake up in the morning, until you change them before going to bed. Period pants are typically made of cotton, bamboo, hemp or merino wool.

Once you have worn your period pants, you will need to clean your pants before using them again:

Rinse out your period pants in cold water. (Hot water will only make the blood congeal and harder to remove from the pad.) You can rinse them under the cold tap or use the cold rinse on your washing machine.
Once you have rinsed out your pants, you can add them to your general wash in the washing machine. Wash on a cool wash (no more than 30 degrees) and do not use fabric conditioner. Fabric conditioner ruins the absorbency of the period pants. Alternatively, you can hand wash your pants using unperfumed soap. Make sure the soap is completely rinsed out before drying.
You can dry your pants on the line outside, in the airing cupboard or on a windowsill. Avoid placing them directly on the radiator and do not put them in the tumble dryer as this will damage the elasticity of the period pants and can make them unwearable.
Once dry you can use your period pants again. The higher the absorbency of the period pants, the thicker the pants may be. This means that very absorbent pants can take a little while longer to dry.

You don’t have to wash a pair of period pants immediately after using them. If you want to save them up until the next wash you can store them in a “wet bag” which is a bag designed specifically for reusable period products and is waterproof and contains odours.