Merf. Thinking is Hard.omg seriously pads and tampons should be free to all women because it’s not something we want to buy and they’re so ridiculously expensive we’re down like 20 bucks every month which adds to about $240 a year and we have to spend it and guys don’t and it’s not our fault so they should be free
we should just stop buying them and bleed on everything they love
20 bucks a month?? Either things are way more expensive in America than I remember or maybe someone doesn’t have a grip on their finances…this is what our regular supermarket is offering:
I definitely advocate for sanitary products to be free to people who genuinely are unable to afford them, but for most people spending $3 a month is not going to make much of a difference…
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I’m just going to put this here:
I’ve been using GladRags for about 2 years now, and they are wonderful. They’re soft, absorbent, don’t dry out ladyparts like chemically treated pads, and super-comfy. I have a heavy 7-day flow, so I use the larger night pads almost all the time, and I also bought a Diva Cup which is a reusable, washable internal cup made of silicone. It never leaks, unlike tampons (with which I had a long and frustrating history with until I bought my cup) and after a few minutes you forget it’s there.
Gladrags are made of very soft terrycloth and cotton and are quite absorbent. They have the night pads, day pads, and pantiliners, and fasten around your underwear with a snap fastener. They all have inserts that you can put in (however many you need depending on your flow) and don’t show under clothes. They come with a plastic lined makeup type bag if you need to change and store in public.
Basically, you use them, then take them off, put them in a soaking container (the store sells a cute little pot with lid if you need it- I bought it and it’s lovely), and then change the water/give them a rinse. I usually rinse em in the bathtub, then toss em in the washer. Wash, dry, and wear again! You’re not throwing away plastic applicators, not flushing tampons, not adding crap to the environment. A starter kit costs about $165 (or you can buy them in smaller packs for less) and customers have reported still using GladRags they bought 10 years ago. I’ve been using mine for two years and they’re still in fine shape, and will last me many more.
I haven’t bought a sanitary product in two years- haven’t needed to. Nor will I need to anytime in the foreseeable future. Ladies with vaginal pain have reported a lessening of their symptoms since switching to cloth pads.
They’re also made in my hometown of Portland, Oregon. <3
Anyway, I highly recommend them, for comfort, economical value, and for being an environmentally responsible choice of sanitary products.
Gladrags are supposed to be wonderful (though I haven’t ever seen them in a store). It’s worth noting that if you use an IUD for birth control that you shouldn’t use a diva cup.
You can also use sea sponge instead of tampons. They don’t last quite as long as Gladrags are supposed to, but it works on the same principle. Use, rinse out, wash, reuse.
I don’t use the GladRags brand, but I use similar cloth pads that I bought in Halifax way back, six years ago now!! And I’ve only needed to buy pads for emergencies since. A couple of them are fraying now, so I ought to replace them… planning on shopping for appropriate fabric so I can learn how to make them on my own.
They’re not for everyone, admittedly; a lot of women I know can’t handle the chafing or they menstruate way too much for the pads to be manageable (unless they’re wearing diaper-sized rags) or they don’t like the bulkiness between their legs. Which is totally fine. But for women who don’t mind these issues at all, cloth pads are a really good cheap-in-the-long-run alternative.
There are also tutorials online too, for the home sewist, if you want to try your hand at making your own ^_^ I’ve been on the lookout for cheap cottons, flannels and terry clothes for a while!
(Source: copperbooms)
