Choosing fabrics and materials for reusable cloth menstrual pads
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- Опубліковано 12 січ 2022
- A full soap-box overview of the materials that I currently use, materials I don't use, and materials I'm hoping to soon begin using.
Materials I currently use:
-100% cotton print topper fabric
-HOBF 400gsm 70% Bamboo Viscose and 3% Organic Cotton (spandex & polyester free)
-Zorb original with antimicrobial silvadur
-Lightweight PUL (polyester knit backing)
-100% cotton brushed cotton flannel
-100% cotton threads
-100% cotton muslin as a stabilizer
Materials I don't use:
-OBV (Organic Bamboo Velour) which contains spandex and/or polyester
-HOBF that contains spandex or polyester
-Athletic jersey (100% polyester)
-Minky (100% polyester)
-Windpro (100% polyester)
-Soft Shell (100% polyester)
Vendors that I buy from:
wazoodle.com/
naturesfabrics.com/
www.theagavemarket.com/
www.connectingthreads.com/
www.simplififabric.ca/
kamsnaps.com/
Articles related to microplastics and the release of microplastics from polyester fleece materials
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...
www.sciencedirect.com/science... - Навчання та стиль
I was very interested to see what a male sewist had to say about a reusable feminine
product. WOW! Five Star review from me. That was very informative! I have been making my own pads for over ten years. It was the best thing I ever did for my female health. THANK YOU for your research and guidance in the area of proper construction, and your sensitivity and great pride in the products you provide for your customer. 🥰🥰
Thank you!
I was reluctant to learn about “woman stuff” from a man. I am so happy I ignored that closed minded person in my head! THANK YOU! So thorough! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
No other video that I have watched had information on the thread, the zorb drying issue or the various fabric properties. Bravo!
I have subscribed.
I’m ordering now on your Etsy site. Thank you so much for demanding high quality but SAFE pads for women.
Wow! I have been watching videos over the past few days and ran across yours. You have the most thorough and comprehensive info on why to use what for pads. Thank you so much! Have an awesome day!
This is the most explanatory video on cloth pad fabric. Thank you so very much!
I don't think I've ever known a man know so much about menstrual pads or even fabrics.
I’m so happy u popped up on my feed. Such great information.
Great information! Thanks for the video!
Do you make any incontinence pads? If yes, I'd love to see a video of it!
Wow, the best video on UA-cam about this subject. I wish I’d found you BEFORE I’d ordered some fabrics for pads but at least I know for next time! Thanks for such a comprehensive run through of the options, it sure didn’t seem like 37 minutes as you made it interesting too. Well done 🥳
P.s. keep making the videos!
And linen is also good because, its releases minerals that are good for the skin when contact to skin...love the idea!!
You did such a great job of explaining the fabrics. Thank you so much for taking the time out to explain this to us.
What a wealth of great information!! This is GOLD!! Thank you so much for being so thorough.
Wow! This was highly educational! Thank you for doing this video and teaching us. Great info!
I'm grateful for your detailed evaluation of fabrics.
I love this video. Thanks so much. Now I can go with a good answers to all this ladies asking to make pads on polyester topper. Answers about the dying cotton fabrics and so on.
Love it😍!!!! It’s the best explaining video to get a natural pad.
I will be following you 🌟
Wow! I just came across your channel. Very comprehensive & informative video on the subject. High five from SL.
All the best for all your future work..
Just setting out on my cloth pad making journey, and this video has been immensely helpful!
WOW, how amazing is this. Thank you for this informative video. You are amazing 👏
I've been watching all the youtibe videos for cloth pads over the last like 7 years and I feel like I've seen it all but you've actually taught me something today. Thanks
Very informative, thank you! Saving this as a reference point, I love all the details you provide as the why and how, the benefits and the things to think about
So much great information. Thank you for sharing.
Great information I didn’t know most of it .just making a few pads for family and self and I found this very informative .. since I’m only making a few then I will go with the more expensive and better options . Thank you 🙏 great info for what I need
I recently bought zorb 3D with silvadure. I used the original zorb and found it great too. Haven't tried the zorb 3D properly as only have two pads. Didn't had the pul, but will have in my next batch.
Cotton topper is my favourite topper and flannel for back is my first choice. I found some with sharks printed and it's just awesome for shark weeks
Thank you, the information you provided will be quite helpful
This was so very helpful! I’ve recently started using reusable pads and have been researching ways to make my own.
This was a masterclass. Thank you.
Thank you
I don't know how to sew, but I did watch the video to learn more as a consumer. I'm trying to stop using disposable period products. I have a cup, but also want to use pads still. Thanks for making this video!
The PUL bonded organic cotton fleece might be dye-able. It would be cool to do a tie dye for the bottom and a solid cotton topper.
I was thinking that too lol I like tye dying!!
Stay-dry is the word I was looking for!!!! That's the thing that I've noticed the most now that I've switched to cloth pads ...why does it...? Oooooh. 🤣
THANK YOU FOR BEING SO THOROUGH!!! I really appreciate you mentioning microplastics because I'm doing this to be eco-friendly so that was really important for me to know ❤️
Thank you for this informative video. I was wondering where you buy the really thin layer of PUL? I haven’t had much luck finding something so thin.
Very informative! Im confused about you not wanting to use synthetic fibers that release microplastics. But, you do use poly urethane which does the same?
Just found your site. I really enjoyed it. New subscriber. Hope you make new videos this year 😢
I love your tattoo!
Such Great infomation, Thank you. What about the charcoal inserts? are they ok?
Very informative and helpful, thank you. I'm about to make a few light incontinence pads for my mum, but without any waterproof layers as they irritate her skin. I'm using flannel x3 for the core plus 2 cotton players of baby wrap for outer layer. Do you think this will work as light protection? Any advice would be appreciated. Mum cannot use any shop-bought pads as they all irritate her skin. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. Appreciated!!
For light incontinence, especially small cough/sneeze leaks, that should be good enough! A true 100% linen (or even cotton/linen blend) could be upcycled as well and be a good option to prevent rashes or other issues if she can't change it quickly enough. Upgrading to something like HOBF will help improve holding capacity for bigger leaks, and adding something like Zorb as a deeper core layer will also help it pull the leak to the core. You might look for a cotton-knit with the PUL backing to use as a waterproof layer so the synthetic part (the PUL) is on the inside and the cotton-knit is on the outside.
Thank you this is my issue too. I can’t believe how much I learned with your video and then how much more I learned with this reply! ❤
Help, I have thoroughly confused myself-is this the order of building a pad?-Premium cotton for top, HOBF same size as top, Zorb for core (smaller size), Pul and then flannel for back layer?
I am imediately obsessed with how serious he takes this yaaass male feminists 🤣 I love it I love all of it Thank you for being an ally you're awesome ❤️
What fabric do you use to layer the pads from top to bottom layer? This video went over my head with too much info in a long span of time. I do apologize.
Hello!! If I'm understanding correctly the layers would be, 100% Cotton, HOBF, Zorb, then light weight PUL? Thank you for your video!
Yes, but add cotton flannel to the end of the list for the backing layer, so it's grippy against undies.
Can a mattress cover with pul be used if you can't find any pul fabric?
This video was super helpful - thank you! I'm just starting my cloth pad journey and I am concerned about fabrics treated with formaldehyde resins. I have an irritant contact dermatitis reaction to formaldehyde and formaldehyde resin finishes. Do you know if the fabrics you use or suggest contain these resins?
I haven't come across these chemicals for textile manufacturing, that could mean they aren't used in the fibers I buy, but no, I don't know confidently whether they get used :(
Hello! I made the leap and made myself some of these. Thank you for clarifying the materials! Have you made any decisions regarding the PUL with fabric backing? It would knock a step out of making them. 🙂
I did! Finally made the leap and spent $$$$ on a roll of PUL-backed cotton knit in grey. I got single yards of a number of options but it was a clear winner and I started using it on the solid color pads.
What are your thoughts on cotton french terry?
How do you sandwich the bamboo with the zorb?
I make the cores in advance: one layer HOBF and one layer Zorb (for my standard hybrid core), and serge these the two layers together with 100% cotton thread.
When assembling a pad, the HOBF layer is against the top fabric, and the Zorb is hidden with the backing material enclosing it inside the pad, with quilting stitches through the core abs topper in the center. This leaves the Zorb room to expand and fluff with wash/dry cycles, while the serged edge and quilting stitches keep it stable.
I have a bunch of microfiber. Could I use it for pad making? And which part would I use it for?
Microfiber cloths are very commonly used for core material, especially in cloth diapering as an absorbent layer. Because they release microplastics, don't use them against the skin.
Although I don't recommend using these synthetics, upcycling is great. Again just use only as a hidden core layer.
Hi, I have another question. Is there a material that can be used to make the pad firmer, not so floppy? Thanks
I haven't heard a request for more rigidity yet, but too prevent longer pads from folding or bunching up, a little more for and a little less flop might be good.
HOBF (heavy organic bamboo fleece) is among the best core materials, but it's very floppy.
Zorb original is a felted material, so a couple layers will be more firm, a layer of cotton muslin can also provide a little more stability without adding bulk.
Finally, quilting stitches! Similar to the brim on a bucket hat, extra lines of stitches can be added to create more structure. The more quilting stitches used to attache the core to the topper, the more stability you'll get among all the layers being stitched.
Thank you so much for answering.
Would a little bit of woven interfacing on top of the bottom layer and under the middle fabrics work?
I also try to avoid synthetic fabrics as much as possible. But most of my fabric comes unlabeled Is there a way to check whether its synthetic fabric?
there's no reliable method for identifying the fiber content, except for laboratory analysis, which is WAY beyond what most of us will ever do.
The next best thing is the lighter-test. www.swansonsfabrics.com/ has shown how to do this test on tiktok. Basically burn a thread of the fabric and see how it reacts. The crude simplification: organics burn, synthetics melt
Do you have patterns for your products?
Do you have an online store to purchase?
I do! On Etsy because they make it easier to have a very small business (I'm still doing small volume production).
It's butterdragoncreative.etsy.com
Do you use soap for each wash of the HOBF?
For the very first wash cycle, I use Dharma textile detergent to get rid of any potential residue from manufacturing. The second wash gets TruEarth or Nellie's and distilled vinegar rinse, then no soap in any of the subsequent cycles
What is the name of your etsy shop?
It's ButterDragonCreative ... butterdragoncreative.etsy.com
What would you recommend as a backer?
100% cotton flannel is the simplest option and it's very easy to find, either buying new from a fabric store, or upcycled flannel sheets or pj's. It's not waterproof, though, so you may want to use a hidden PUL layer.
I just purchased a roll of PUL-backed cotton jersey. It combines the natural fiber backing with the waterproofing in a very thin layer. But it's very expensive and I've only found it from wazoodle.com
Can I use this video in my Facebook page?
Absolutely! All about sharing what we've found.
there´s not much interest in funding studies against the use of polyesther in late stage capitalism, that runs basically everythign on some sort of fossil fuel product. :/ i love that you pay so much attention to that and it pains me that there is so much plastic being used in menstrual pads.
I really appreciate your thorough explanation, but PLEASE mind the lip smacking. It was SO hard to get through your video listening to that.
Oh your making woman’s pads ? What git you into that 👀❤️
Haha is that what keeps
You fry during your period ? Sorry a man telling us what to use I don’t think so.
Only if you calmed down to listen to him. It was actually very enlightening. I have to 'work on my mind' to calm down and humbly listen and my! It's worth it.