Feminine Hygiene Moneysaving Alternatives

Gingham_Ribbon

My mum was horrified!

It's not like washable pads are a new invention. Disposable pads have hardly been around any length of time and women didn't have the advantage of washing machines yet they managed okay!

I'll be on my period at some point while I'm on holiday and I'm a bit gutted that I'll be using disposables (and my son will be in disposable nappies.)

Still, I can hardly complain about being on hol now can I! Look out Wales, here I come!

jellyhead

i'm taking disposable nappies to wales too, i'll look at re-usable pads for myself at some point. the re-usable breast pads are as much as i can cope with at the moment lol! i was thinking today as i put bibs into the wash are there people who use disposable bibs every day? i don't know anyone who does, we all put bibs into the wash even if they've got sick on them, baby clothes/sheets that sometimes get leaks of wee from the nappies, our own clothes if they've been sicked on from babies or bled on from a heavy period, kids clothes if they wet themselves, etc. etc. i don't see washable sanitary towels as being any different to putting bibs in the wash to be honest, or my own clothes when i bleed heavily. i think i'd draw the line at using a hankie though, i wouldn't want snot in the wash :-)

Gingham_Ribbon

:rotfl: I shove towels, nappies, baby wipes, sanitary towels and bedding in the same wash. For the reasons you point out, it's no different to the general body fluids that end up on the various bedding! When I was breast feeding I would often wake up in a big puddle of milk, especially at any point when he was cutting down on feeds.

As for hankies, I'm all for it! I haven't seen any pretty, cheap ones though. I had some when I was little from the Tufty club and thought they were great. If you can actually buy these still I'd love to find them!

I only have one hanky. An idiot driver pulled over to my side of the road to park, no indicator, right in front of me when my son was only wee. I was shaking as he nearly hit us and I pulled over further up to calm down and have a bit of a cry. An older gent saw me and tapped the window. He asked if I was okay and gave my his hankie. He wouldn't take it back and told me to keep it. It reminds me of a lovely kindness when I was feeling pretty vulnerable. And it's great for snotty toddler noses!

sabbykins

I just wanted to say a HUGE thanks to all the contributors that have made me aware of these wonderful alternatives to ruining the environment and costing us a fortune!
:grouphug:
This thread has also obliterated the taboos about:*whispers* 'the time of the month':silenced:

Good on you all for your openness and honesty!!

:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T

Gingham_Ribbon

I think this kind of discussion is quite liberating. I hate sanitary towel and tampon adverts that 'suggest' and 'imply' and those stupid bits where they pour blue water onto towels. Menstruation is as normal as sneezing and you don't see hay fever remedies pretending they're not talking about hay fever!

If it happened to girls AND boys I'm sure there wouldn't be such a taboo around it. And if people were less embarrassed by it young girls wouldn't feel ashamed or frightened when it happened to them.

When I was teaching, I had several 11 and 12 year old girls come to me to tell me they'd started their periods. I always had a stash of towels for this eventuality. (Some of the older girls got caught unprepared and as I was in charge of the sex ed stuff, word got around that I'd be a good person to talk to.) I really hope if I ever have a girl, she'll have some lovely patterned, washable towels in her drawer for her big special day! (I can't envisage a time when a teenager would be happy to use washable ones at school though. I hope times'll change!)

Edit: and I laugh inwardly at the people who think that because I'm a housewife I'm not a feminist any more!!!

Savvy_Sue

I am sure you can still buy hankies. Certainly men's hankies (and that is a lovely story, Gingham Ribbon). I'd try the dept stores like John Lewis etc. Especially nearer Christmas!

I know pretty ones are nice, but TBH I'd go for a man's hanky with a monogrammed initial every time! Ladies hankies just aren't big enough!

I prefer tissues for blowing my nose when I have a cold, but normally they're just there to dab my clothes when I spill my dinner, mucky pup that I am!

Gingham_Ribbon

I think you're right, actually. A simple man's hankie is probably the way to go. I'm not a frills and flowers kind of girl (although I like my pink!) I'll keep my eye out when we're on holiday. We like to look in charity shops. Maybe there'll be some unwanted gifts there. And if they have the wrong initial on them, I can just be all enigmatic!

Zziggi

Savvy_Sue wrote:

I am sure you can still buy hankies. Certainly men's hankies (and that is a lovely story, Gingham Ribbon). I'd try the dept stores like John Lewis etc. Especially nearer Christmas!

You can get large men's white hankies from ASDA, they are in the George clothing section on a display in the mens section where they have belts and other small men-type nick-nacks. You can buy them all year round. i bought some for a prezzie recently. I pack of 10 for something ridiculous like £3.

Rebob

My dad always carries two large white hankies. 1 for his nose and 1 for wiping hands etc. They can also be found in Littlewoods, bhs, m&s too.

Gingham_Ribbon

I wonder why it's just men's hankies that are all over then. Or maybe I've just not been looking hard enough or in the right places for the women's ones!