The short answer: it depends. How long is your cycle? How heavy is your flow? How often do you plan to wash your pads? These are all questions you can consider when thinking about how many cloth pads you’ll need. In general, six to seven pads of small , medium and large size are sufficient for most women. You can always start with just a few and add to your collection as you learn more about what works best for you!

While there are endless styles of cloth pads on the market, they can be broken down into three main groups: small size, medium size and large size. Remember, you’ll probably want a variety of styles for different days of your cycle! Choose small size if…

• you want back-up for a menstrual
• you have very light flow, including at the very beginning or end of your cycle
• you want to wear everyday protection

• you typically use standard disposable day pads
• you sometimes leak urine when you sneeze or laugh (happens to the best of us!)
• you have moderate flow

• you have just given birth and need postpartum protection
• you tend to leak over the front of back of your pads
• you have heavy flow

When you remove your pad, you can put it in a waterproof bag in your purse or backpack until it’s time to wash. Then follow the washing instructions below.

There are two main washing techniques: the dry method or the soaking method.

You may choose to keep a small zippered wet bag next to the toilet for used pads. At the end of your cycle, fill a tub or container with cold water and let the pads soak for about 30 minutes. Adding salt or regular detergent cleaner helps reduce staining. Drain the water and toss the now wet pads into the washing machine with the rest of the load. You can also just put your used pads directly in the washing machine if you want to skip the tub soak.

Some women prefer to use the soaking method, and keep a small container in the bathroom in which to soak their pads before washing. If you do this, adding a salt or regular detergent and changing the water for every pad.

Whatever you choose, make sure to use a mild detergent free from harsh chemicals, fabric softener, or bleach, as these will reduce the lifespan of your pads. Click here to find more washing instructions.

Youʼll want to store your cloth pad collection somewhere free of moisture, and only put them away when they are fully dry. Dry in sunlight if possible. You might find, as many women do, that the monthly ritual of caring for your pads gives you feelings of satisfaction — because taking good care of your body feels good!

Take your pick: there are environmental, health, and financial reasons to choose reusable pads or menstrual cups. An average woman throws away 250-300 kgs of used menstrual products in her lifetime. Unless you buy organic cotton pads and tampons, they can contain pesticides, petrochemical products, and/or irritating synthetic chemicals. Tampons can cause toxic shock syndrome. And finally, there’s the cost factor

They can, but it takes some doing. Some EcoRia cloth pads lined with waterproof fabric. Keep check on your pad.

Yep. A little. Most cloth pads have terry cloth or flannel cores for absorbency, and they can be a little thicker than ultra thin disposables. But they don’t crinkle when you move and they don’t feel as hot or sticky as disposables.

Most cloth pads have snaps, so you can fold them up into tidy little rectangles (back side facing out!) and stick them in your purse until you get home. They might stain a little if you can’t get them in water for hours, but soap and hydrogen peroxide really do work wonders.

Years!! Every cloth pad can last for about a year, and they’ve held up beautifully through multiple washings, wringings, and even a dryer cycle.

EcoRia cloth pads are made with soft 100% cotton flannel on the outside and absorbent cotton terrycloth on the inside. Our color pads are made with conventional cotton fabrics.

In the long run, reusable menstrual products actually cost much less! When compared to the amount of money spent on disposables, it only takes a few years to make up the cost of your EcoRia pads. Think of this: it would be tremendously expensive (not to mention wasteful!) to continuously re-stock our kitchens with disposable paper plates, so we buy plates that we can use indefinitely. We make an initial investment into something reusable that will last a long time. It's the same idea with EcoRia!

If you're on a limited budget, it's great to start by supplementing your current products with EcoRia and increasing your collection of reusable’s over time as your budget allows.