I'd like to do my bit and stop using disposable sanitary protection but it is sooo expensive!!
On average my disposables cost about £12 a year.Initial outlay on washables would be about £80, to get a full set (I would need enough for a whole week, don't have a tumble drier to re-use same ones within a week) - so it would be six years before I'd covered the cost. Can't believe they would last six years, and I might not even have periods for another six years!

mooncups are cheaper

Second mooncup - cheaper and nicer to use, and no washing costs.

would using a tumble dryer not counter the not filling landfill bit? Some ladies on here swears by the moon cup.

i use washable san pro but do have a tumble dryer .i like them.

I've got some popolini terry ones which are made from the same sort of material as motherease one size. They have booster pads in them so you can decide how absorbant you want them, but it means they dry really quickly. Mine dried overnight on the radiator.

Anyway they are 5 for £8 which I think is a bargain. The only draw back is they do feel a bit bulky if you are used to slim line pads, but they are comfy and you do get used to them very quickly.

I can manage with 2 packs (so £16 worth). I bought mine from nappymania.

However I have a sensitivity to most sanitary towels e.g. always. The only ones I'm ok with are Natracare so I was spending nearly £30 a year on those so I've actually saved money in the first year. Although I'm pregnant now so they are resting ready for post partum.

You really don't need to use a tumble dryer- what brand were you looking at? I have some Ella's House Hemp pads, and they would dry in a couple of days even in winter. If you have radiators they would definitely dry overnight.

I've thought about mooncup but reminds me of using yucky icky sore horrible cap years ago that gave me cystitis - shudder! I don't think I could bear sticking rubber things up my fanny ever again!! tutu100 - I'll have a look at nappymania, those do sound a lot cheaper. I'd like to get some for dd too, to get her used to the idea of not using disposables for the rest of her years of periods. Thanks

i find that for most of my period I only need to use 1 booster so they aren't that thick. Also I find you don't get that horrible sweaty feeling you can get with disposible towels.

tissy, thanks for that, but eeuw, pads on radiators......!

you don't need a tumbler

you can stick them on the line

and why not on a radiator? or you can get one of those things with the hanging pegs

and £80 really? I don't have nearly that many

cappuccino, where did you get yours from?

clothmadmummy, but she is not open anymore

she even let me choose the colours, which was nice but bizarre

doesn't flame sell them?

Try moonrabbits - I nearly fell over backwards in shock looking at prices when I needed a new set of towels (after well over 10 years mind you), but the ones from lucy at Moonrabbits are lovely and not at all expensive. I've got two of her 'regular bargain packs' which were £22.75 each here
I reckon I could get by with one pack of 8 & dry them on the airer except that I can't reliably use the washing machine (off grid, only poss when windy) so thats why I have two.
I've also got a mooncup which I am trying hard to learn to love

Another recommendation for Moonrabbits-just used mine for first time and they are great.

My eight washables cost less than £30 in total. They line-dry very quickly (even quicker on the radiator) so you don't need a tumble-dryer.

You may be surprised at how long lasting washable san-pro is, actually; mine are five years old and still going strong.

your disposables are cheap!
I bought my washables from WEN about 30 years ago. Still in use so certainly were worth it.
Don't tumble dry them but dh is mortified at a row of them pegged on the line

i have also used moonrabbits and highly reccomend them... not that expensive and you can choose your fabrics exactly

also have a few by minki nappies which i prefer for heavier days

and a mooncup

i hate disposable stuff too....

also 6 years, in the scheme of things isnt that long IMO

Come to that, if you can sow (and don't hate it which I do) you can make your own, there are various patterns on the web including one here and another here.

tutu100 thank you. got nappymania budget ones, they're fine and I can't believe how much comfier than disposables they are!

Onestep, i am very prone to cystitis too and have used mooncup for 3 months now with no twinges at all. And it is great.

I didn't get on with diaphgragm (?) but have no problems with a mooncup.

Well I was spending a lot more than £12/year on disposables. But my mooncup is several years old and cost about £23?? ish. So I have certainly made my money back several times over.

I also have some of the popolini ones. For nights I use old nappy boosters in my pants as they are really long if I fold them lenghways.
Can you tell us what type you are looking for that they are conning you into thinking £80 is a necessary spend for san pro?
I just wash them at the end of a period but I do use one or two disposable towells each period - they don't move about and er, tmi, don't niff like the fabric ones do.

Glad you like them. I really like them just wash them in a laundry bag otherwise you end up fishing the booster pads out of the rubber seal in the washing machine!

They are definatly more comfy than disposible ones and theres no danger on getting your pubes stuck to that dratted adhesive.

In case anyone is still looking at this thread, it has got me thinking about buying some washable pads and I would like to know something. I don't mind drying them on the line, lol at Riven's dh, but do you really have to soak them in a bucket overnight? I'm not usually faint hearted but that sounds a bit yucky to me. Also love the idea of using nappy boosters - Ill have to go up to the loft for a root around.

I didn't use to soak mine, but I found that they did tend to stain. I never found that mine smelled unpleasant even if I left them for a few days so they could be washed altogether.

I dry mine on the line as I don't think my neighbours have any idea what they are.

Thanks Tutu100.

I soak mine in a plastic bin with a lid till I do the next wash. ( Have warned dh to not confuse it with the normal bin!). They don't stain, i think they probably would stain if you didn't soak them. Positive result all round: comfier, easy, cheap and the best bit is DH's face whenever he sees them hanging up to dry ! Mind you, I do hide them away when stepson & his mates are around !!

Just as an addition - I only soak mine for about 1 hour in an old ice-cream tub that sits on top of the washing machine. A bit of salt in the water and any stains just disappear. I'm always doing a wash, so mine never soak for very long. They come out looking brand new.

(I do hang mine on the line, but not even dh has ever noticed )

Thanks One and Girl, that info is very useful, can't wait to get some now.

Elf - treat yourself and get some pretty ones! I got mine from here. They are brilliant quality and so well made.

Thanks girlandboy. So many to choose from, lovely aren't they?

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