Tree Hugger Mama Pads

I have been putting off this review for a little while because I do have many male readers.  Today I have decided to do it!!!  To heck with the squeamish...we are talking about pads today.  ;D

A couple friends have come to me about natural cloth pads made locally.  I know oodles of people who use cloth diapers on their babes but very few use cloth pads.  Whats the deal with that?  They wash up easier then the diapers.  If this is something you may be interested in Tree Hugger Personal Luxury Products is the place to look into.  Crystal makes luxurious pads out of minky, organic bamboo, & velour.  They are beautiful and soft and they work wonderfully!!!  Crystal has started doing home parties too so if you have a group of open minded women you can have a party and celebrate your menstrual cycle.  :D

Crystal and her Tree Hugger Mama Pads will be at the Dakota Christmas Craft show on November 6th and at the Charleswood Y Neighbours craft sale on November 13th or check out her website 
http://hyenacart.com/TreeHugger.

This is Crystal's Who, What, When, Where and How about her Mama Pads:

"What is "Mama Cloth"?

The term "mama cloth" is frequently used online to refer to cloth menstrual pads/washable sanitary pads/reusable cloth feminine pads.  They are not the same as the ones used by previous generations.  Now we have better fabrics and better designs.  With fabrics such as zorb you can get a super absorbant pad that is trimmer then regular cotton.  Using a professional snap press you can get wings that hold the pad in place which leave you nothing to worry about.

Why should I use cloth menstrual pads?

They are better than disposable in many ways!  My favourite reasons are that they:

• Save you money!  Keep thousands of dollars in your pocket over the long run.
• Are comfortable! Much more comfortable, in fact.
• More attractive!  So many stylish fabrics and patterns.
• Save you from the odour caused by the chemicals in disposables.
• May reduce the duration and symptoms of your period!
• Are better for the environment.  Throw away less garbage!
• Are more skin friendly with less skin irritations and no sticky glue!

 How many do I need?

The best way to determine how many you need is to keep track of how many disposable pads you use in a day.  You will change them as often as you do disposables so you then need to decide how often you want to wash them.  Some people can get away with 6 and wash them every evening before bed.  Some people like to have enough for 2 days and wash every other day or enough for their whole period and only wash once a month.  Some people choose to have only day pads for ease of buying and others prefer liners for the start and end, night pads for night and day pads for the day.  How many you have depends on how often you want to wash as well as your most comfortable size and your budget.  Keep in mind that the more you have in rotation the less wear each one will receive so they will last you longer.

How do I wash them?

Washing mama cloth can be as simple as tossing in the washing machine!   If you are worried about staining then you may choose to keep a pail of water (or empty ice cream container) and toss the used pads in and wash when needed or you can give them a quick rinse before tossing in a wetbag or dry pail.  Natural fabrics such as cotton and bamboo stain easier than minkee which almost never stains.  If stains set in then just place clean wet pads in the sun or you may use a stain remover product on them such as peroxide before washing.

Do they leak?

My mama cloth are all made with soft fleece backing.  The fleece not only helps hold the pad in place but it also acts as a barrier to stop leaks.  Fleece is breathable but also doesn’t wick the moisture out to your underwear as flannel backed would do. 

What is Zorb?

Zorb contains only common diaper making fibers, nothing mysterious.  All are virgin, made in the USA or Canada, non-allergenic, easy to sanitize, and free of anything mysterious or unknown.  Zorb is made in the USA and Canada in modern facilities that are safe & friendly for workers and the environment.

Zorb contains only tangled cellulose fibers from bamboo/cotton/viscose and poly micro fiber.  Nothing else.  Zorb is hemp free!

For a head to head comparison on thickness, stacking Zorb on a desk against the common fabrics will show you something like this.  1 layer of Zorb is the same as:
* 3 layers of flannel
* 2.25 layers of French terry
* 1.3 layers of cotton fleece
* 1 layer of sherpa.

Now, to get the same absorbency, as 2 layer of Zorb, you will need:

* 8 layers of flannel
* 6 layers of French terry
* 5 layers of cotton fleece
* 4 layers of sherpa."