How Long Do Cloth Pads Last?

In this article I am going to look at two aspects of this question. Firstly, how long you can wear your pads in hours but secondly how many years they are likely to last.

How often do you change a cloth pad?

The general rule is however long you wear a disposable pad for, you would have the same wear time for a reusable cloth pad. When buying your reusable pads ensure your reusable pad is designed for a similar flow to your disposables products e.g., do not wear a regular day pad if you normally use a heavy disposable period products. When choosing your cloth menstrual pads match to the same type of disposable products e.g., if you use heavy flow disposable pads, use heavy cloth pads.

Depending on your flow you may be changing every few hours if very heavy or just a few times a day, it really varies individual to individual. Cloth pads are more breathable and softer next to your skin opposed to disposable pads made with plastic so as you become more experienced with cloth pads you may find you change less frequently as you are more comfortable.

How many years should a cloth pad last?

How long your pads last largely depend on three things.
1. How often you use them (just during your period or everyday wear)

      You might want to consider gettting a larger stash if you wear your pads daily, this would help lesson the wear and tear over all.

2. How many you have. The more pads you have the less wear and tear each pad gets. You can read our article "How Many Menstrual Pads Do I Need?" to find out how many pads we advise.

3. How you care for them. Pads that recieve the proper care will last longer than those not cared for as well!

Some key tips to ensure the longevity of your reusable pads

• Rinse in cold water when you remove them
• Store in a small wet bag
• Avoid washing in hot water
• Avoid harsh chemicals and ffabric softener.
• Air dry whenever possible

As a general rule our suppliers expect their pads to last 5-10 years with average wear. Some of my own pads are approaching 7 years and are still going strong with many years ahead of them. When you first look at the price of a cloth pad it seems high compared to a the disposable alternative. Remember however that your reusable pads will be washed and reused for many years so the upfront investment will be recouped little by little month by month.