Key takeaways

  • A clean, well-made cloth pad used hygienically is a safe menstrual product — FOGSI, WHO and UNICEF all accept it. Infections blamed on cloth are usually caused by lack of clean water, soap, privacy and proper drying, not the cloth itself.
  • You can make DIY pads from soft 100% cotton (old dupattas, saris, towels) with simple hand or machine sewing. Make 8–12 pads so you can rotate while others are being washed.
  • Rinse in cold water right after use, wash with a mild fragrance-free detergent, and dry fully in direct sunlight — sunlight is a natural disinfectant and removes stains.
  • A single good cloth pad lasts 3–5 years and replaces roughly 120–240 disposables, so a starter set usually pays for itself within 1–2 years.
  • If you can't wash and dry properly, a folded-cloth pad is best kept for emergencies only. Ready-made reusable pads from Eco Femme, Saukhyam, Boondh or Uger are a hygienic, low-effort alternative.

Cloth pads in India: an old tradition, reclaimed

Cloth was the near-universal menstrual material across India for generations — folded pieces of old cotton, washed, dried and reused, used by women across caste, region and class. Disposable sanitary pads only reached most Indian women relatively recently, spreading through the 2000s and 2010s as prices fell and government schemes (such as the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme and low-cost Suvidha pads) widened access.

Even so, the shift was never complete. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019–21) found that about 64% of Indian women aged 15–24 use a hygienic method of menstrual protection — a category that includes disposable pads, cloth used hygienically, locally made napkins, menstrual cups and tampons. Cloth remains a major option alongside disposables.

Marketing once painted cloth as backward or unhygienic, and many women absorbed that message even though their mothers and grandmothers had used cloth safely for decades. The reality is more balanced. Cloth that is kept clean — fresh cotton, changed regularly, washed with soap and water, dried fully in sunlight — is a perfectly safe period product. The reproductive and urinary infections sometimes attributed to cloth are driven by lack of clean water, soap, privacy and drying space, and those same gaps affect disposable pads in exactly the same conditions.

The current cloth-pad movement is reclaiming the tradition with modern designs and better access. The narrative is shifting from "cloth is what you use when you can't afford pads" to "cloth is a sustainable, healthy, economical choice anyone can make." For the wider picture, see our comparison of menstrual products in India and feminine hygiene products overview.

How to make basic DIY cloth menstrual pads at home

Making your own cloth pads needs only basic sewing skills and materials most Indian homes already have. They range from a simple folded cloth (no sewing) to a sewn pad with absorbent layers and snap fastenings.

Materials for a sewn reusable pad

  • Top layer (touches your body) — soft, well-washed 100% cotton. Old dupattas, saris or shirts work well; new cotton can be stiff. About 30 cm × 30 cm per pad.
  • Absorbent core (inner layers) — 4–6 layers of cotton flannel, terry cloth (old towels), bamboo cotton or organic cotton. Some patterns add a small piece of microfibre as the most absorbent layer.
  • Waterproof backing (outer, leak-stopping layer) — PUL (polyurethane laminate) fabric is available online and at some fabric stores; fleece is breathable but less waterproof. Many traditional pads skip the backing and rely on extra absorbent layers plus the underwear.
  • Snaps or velcro to secure the pad around the gusset — usually two snaps per pad.
  • Thread and needle (hand sewing is fine) or a sewing machine.

A basic pattern for regular flow

Draw a long oval or peanut shape about 20–25 cm long and 15–18 cm wide at the widest point, with wing tabs sticking out 4–5 cm on each side at the middle. You can trace a disposable pad as a reference.

Sewing steps
  1. Stack the absorbent core layers and quilt them together with simple straight stitches so they stay flat.
  2. Place the core in the centre of the waterproof backing piece.
  3. Lay the top layer on top, right side up.
  4. Sew around the edge, leaving a small gap.
  5. Turn the pad right side out through the gap and push out the edges.
  6. Hand-stitch the gap closed.
  7. Topstitch around the perimeter for durability.
  8. Add snaps to the wing tabs — one half on the upper side of one wing, the other half on the underside of the opposite wing — so they close under the gusset.

Simpler folded-cloth pad (no sewing)

Take a clean, soft rectangle of cotton (about 30 cm × 40 cm) and fold it lengthwise into thirds or quarters to make an absorbent strip roughly 8–10 cm wide and 25 cm long. Place it in your underwear where a pad would sit. This is the most basic traditional approach, but it shifts during movement and isn't secured — so it's best treated as a backup or emergency option and changed often.

Get every DIY pad right
  • Use only 100% cotton or natural fibre for layers that touch skin.
  • Pre-wash all fabric in hot water before cutting — cotton shrinks.
  • Prefer unbleached or natural-coloured cloth; dyes can occasionally irritate skin.
  • Make 8–12 pads so you can rotate while others dry.
  • Make thinner pads for light days and thicker, longer ones for heavy days and overnight.
  • Wash new pads before first use.

Eco Femme offers free downloadable patterns, Goonj distributes cloth kits with instructions, and there are step-by-step tutorials in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali and other languages. Many self-help groups (SHGs) across India also stitch and sell cloth pads as a livelihood. If you'd rather not sew, feminine hygiene products covers the ready-made reusable brands.

Washing, drying and caring for cloth pads

Good care keeps cloth pads hygienic, comfortable and long-lasting. The basics are the same as for any cotton garment, with a few menstrual-specific points.

Right after use

Rinse the pad in cold water as soon as you remove it — hot water sets blood stains. Hold it under a running tap or soak it in a bucket of cold water for a few minutes, then squeeze gently until the water runs mostly clear. If you can't wash immediately (away from home), keep the used pad in a sealable waterproof bag until you can. Don't leave wet used pads sitting for hours — that encourages bacteria and staining.

For stubborn stains, soak in cold salt water (about 1 tablespoon salt per litre) for 30–60 minutes before the main wash. Some women use diluted lemon juice. Avoid bleach — it damages cloth and can irritate skin.

Main wash

Wash with a mild detergent and warm water (keep the first wash cooler so any residual stain doesn't set). Use a fragrance-free detergent and skip fabric softener — fragrances can irritate sensitive vulval skin, and softeners coat the cotton fibres and reduce absorbency over time. Machine washing is fine for well-made sewn pads (a mesh laundry bag protects the snaps); hand washing gives more control and suits homes without a machine.

Drying

Dry pads in direct sunlight whenever you can. Sunlight disinfects naturally (UV light), fades stains, dries the pad completely and costs nothing. In most Indian climates this is easy; during the monsoon or without outdoor space, use a well-ventilated rack near a window or a dryer on low heat.

A cultural note: some households discourage drying menstrual cloth in open view, so pads get dried in shade or hidden spots — where they often don't dry fully, raising the risk of microbial growth. ASHA workers and health programmes encourage hygienic sunlight drying while respecting privacy. If open drying isn't acceptable in your home, options include drying on a private terrace or rooftop that still gets sun, covering pads with a thin scarf (sun still passes through), an indoor spot with good airflow, or finishing with a dryer or iron. The non-negotiable rule: the pad must be completely dry before storing or reusing.

Storage

Store clean, dry pads in a breathable container — a cloth bag, basket or drawer. Avoid sealed plastic, which traps any leftover moisture.

Lifespan

Well-cared-for cloth pads last 3–5 years. Replace a pad when you notice persistent staining, thinning fabric or holes, loss of absorbency, lingering odour even after a thorough wash, broken snaps, or fraying edges. At end of life, the cotton can become cleaning rags or compost; synthetic parts (PUL, snaps) go with general waste.

FOGSI and WHO both advise that cloth pads be made of clean material, washed thoroughly with soap and water, dried in direct sunlight and stored clean and dry. Follow that and cloth pads are entirely hygienic.

Indian organisations making and distributing cloth pads

Several Indian organisations produce, distribute and advocate for cloth pads — useful whether you want to buy reusable pads or support menstrual-health access for others.

Goonj — founded by Anshu Gupta (Delhi), Goonj's "Not Just A Piece Of Cloth" (NJPC) initiative is one of India's largest menstrual-hygiene programmes. It provides clean cotton cloth, soap, washing instructions and education through community workers, distributing "MY Pad" kits across rural India, urban bastis and disaster-hit areas, and recycling donated clothing into menstrual products. More at goonj.org.

Eco Femme — a social enterprise in Auroville, Tamil Nadu, making organic-cotton reusable pads with PUL backing and snap closures, in sizes from panty liners to night pads, stitched by rural women's collectives. Its "Pad for Pad" model donates a pad to an Indian girl who can't afford one for every pad sold at full price internationally. Pads roughly ₹200–₹400 each; starter kits about ₹1,500–₹3,000. Available at ecofemme.org, Amazon and Flipkart.

Saukhyam — founded by Anju Bist (associated with the Mata Amritanandamayi Math), Saukhyam makes reusable pads from highly absorbent, biodegradable banana fibre blended with cotton, produced by self-help groups. Starter kits around ₹600–₹1,500. Available at saukhyam.com.

Aakar Innovations — founded by Jaydeep Mandal, known for decentralised units that make low-cost biodegradable disposable pads (Anandi brand) from agricultural waste, with the local-production model extending to cloth in some places.

Boondh, Uger, Safe Pad — reusable cloth-pad brands focused on quality, design and accessibility, sold through their websites and select retailers.

Many SHG networks — such as Kudumbashree in Kerala and SEWA in Gujarat — have run cloth-pad production as a livelihood activity, and international partners (UNICEF, WaterAid, Plan International) support menstrual-hygiene programmes across India.

Government schemes that touch this area include the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme (subsidised napkins via ASHA workers), the Suvidha napkin scheme (biodegradable pads at ₹1 through Jan Aushadhi stores), state-level free-pad schemes for schoolgirls, and the menstrual-hygiene-management focus within the Swachh Bharat Mission. Menstrual Hygiene Day (28 May each year) is a growing awareness platform in India. For more on access in schools, see menstrual hygiene for Indian schoolgirls.

In short, your routes to cloth pads are: make them at home, buy from a commercial brand, receive them through a community programme if eligible, or support an SHG that produces them.

Environmental and economic benefits of cloth pads

The case for cloth pads grows stronger over time, because the benefits compound across years of use.

Environmental impact

A single disposable pad can take 500–800 years to break down because of its plastic content, and the average woman who relies entirely on disposables uses thousands of pads over a lifetime. With roughly 350 million menstruating women in India, menstrual waste is enormous, and much of it ends up in landfill, burned (releasing toxic fumes) or improperly dumped. A reusable cloth pad used over its 3–5 year life replaces roughly 120–240 disposables, and a starter set replaces several thousand. Life-cycle studies consistently show reusable pads carry a much lower environmental footprint than disposables, even after counting the water and detergent used to wash them.

Economic impact

Disposable pad prices in India vary widely — about ₹1 for government Suvidha pads, ₹3–₹6 for mainstream brands, ₹8–₹15 for premium, and ₹15–₹35 for organic/biodegradable options. At typical use, monthly cost runs from a few rupees to ₹500 or more, and annual cost from a few hundred to several thousand rupees.

Reusable pads cost roughly nothing if made from household textiles, or ₹50–₹200 per pad in materials. Commercial pads run ₹200–₹400 each, with starter kits ₹600–₹3,000. Against mid-range disposables, a cloth set usually breaks even within 1–2 years, and over a 3–5 year life can save several thousand rupees.

For women on tight budgets, those savings free up money for food, school or healthcare. For SHGs and rural women, producing cloth pads is also a source of income.

Other benefits

  • Comfort — many women find soft, breathable cotton more comfortable than the plastic feel of disposables, with less chafing.
  • Fewer skin irritants — cloth avoids the fragrances, dyes and plastics in some disposables that can trigger irritation or contact dermatitis.
  • Always available — no dependence on shops or supply chains.
  • Less disposal stress — no need to wrap and discreetly throw away pads.

Cloth pads aren't for everyone, and choosing disposables is equally valid. But for women who can choose cloth — for the environment, the budget, the comfort or their values — it's a legitimate, safe and increasingly recognised option.

Health and hygiene: are DIY cloth pads safe?

Cloth pads are safe and hygienic when made and used properly. The considerations are much the same as for any menstrual product.

Material safety

  • Wash all fabric thoroughly before first use.
  • Use 100% cotton or natural fibre against the skin; synthetics trap moisture and can irritate.
  • Avoid heavily dyed fabric, fabric softeners and strongly fragranced detergents.

Change frequency

Change cloth pads as often as you would disposables — roughly every 4–6 hours on a regular day, more often on heavy days, and immediately when saturated. Frequent changing protects against prolonged skin contact, discomfort and odour.

A note on the folded-cloth method

A simple folded cloth, used in an emergency or where clean water and drying space are unavailable, carries more risk than a properly washed, sun-dried, well-made pad — not because cloth is unsafe, but because it may not be cleaned or dried adequately. Treat unsewn folded cloth as a backup, keep it for short periods, change it often, and move to a properly laundered pad (or a disposable) as soon as you can.

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS)

TSS is a rare but serious complication mainly linked to high-absorbency tampons left in too long. Pads — cloth or disposable — sit externally and are not associated with TSS, which is one safety advantage of pads over internal products. You can read more in our guide to toxic shock syndrome and period products.

Sensitive skin

Women with sensitive skin, eczema or vulval conditions often find cloth gentler than disposables. For diagnosed conditions such as Vulvodynia: Chronic Vulval Pain in Indian Women, Explained or lichen sclerosus, gynaecologists and dermatologists frequently recommend soft, fragrance-free cotton products as part of vulval care.

Reproductive and urinary infections

Hygienically used cloth pads are not linked to any increased risk of reproductive tract infections compared with disposables. Infections such as candida, bacterial vaginosis and UTIs can happen with any product (or none) and are driven mostly by water, sanitation and hygiene access. If you're trying to work out symptoms, see yeast infection vs UTI vs BV and normal vs abnormal vaginal discharge.

Heavy flow and anemia

Whichever product you use, if you're soaking through protection very quickly, passing large clots, or feeling tired and breathless, that may point to heavy menstrual bleeding and possible iron deficiency — worth getting checked rather than just adding more pads.

Water and sanitation

The single biggest factor in hygienic cloth-pad use is access to clean water, soap, privacy for changing, and space for proper drying. Where these are lacking, all menstrual products struggle — which is why WASH infrastructure matters as much as product choice. FOGSI, WHO and UNICEF all recognise that supporting women's choice of product, alongside basic WASH, is the foundation of menstrual health.

Combining cloth pads with other period products

Many women mix products across a cycle, using the right one for each situation — and cloth pads fit neatly into a flexible routine.

Popular combinations

  • Cloth pads at home + disposables out — cloth where washing is easy, disposables for work, travel or events.
  • Menstrual cup + cloth pad backup — the cup catches most of the flow (worn 8–12 hours) while a thin cloth pad backs up any leak. One of the lowest-waste, most comfortable combinations.
  • Period underwear + cloth pads — absorbent reusable underwear alone for light days, or with a cloth pad on heavier days.

By flow level
  • Light days / end of period: thin cloth panty liners
  • Regular flow: standard cloth pads
  • Heavy days: thicker pads, or change more often
  • Overnight: extra-long, extra-absorbent night pads

Reusable cloth panty liners also work well for everyday discharge or light spotting, avoiding the steady waste of disposable liners.

Travel — pack enough clean pads, bring a waterproof bag for used ones, and carry a few disposables as backup if washing access is uncertain; some women switch to a cup for trips.

Work and school — use what the facilities allow. There's no shame in using disposables on days when washing and storing cloth is impractical.

Postpartum — in the first 4–6 weeks, lochia is heavy and disposable maternity pads are usually easier; reintroduce cloth as the flow lightens.

Perimenopause — with irregular, unpredictable periods, keeping both cloth and disposable options on hand gives useful flexibility.

Family considerations — cloth-pad use sometimes needs a quiet conversation at home about a washing bucket, drying spot and storage. Most households settle into it easily, and the broader move toward open talk about periods makes it simpler.

The principle: there's no single "best" product — only the right mix for your body, lifestyle, values and circumstances.

When to see a doctor

Cloth pads themselves don't cause illness, but the symptoms below need medical attention whatever product you use. See a gynaecologist if you have:

  • A vaginal odour that's clearly different from your normal menstrual smell
  • Unusual discharge — grey, green, frothy, or cottage-cheese-like
  • Itching, burning, soreness or a rash where the pad sits
  • Pain on passing urine, or pelvic pain
  • Fever, body aches or feeling very unwell during your period (seek same-day care — rare but possible signs of serious infection)
  • Bleeding so heavy you soak a pad every hour or two, or pass large clots
  • Tiredness, breathlessness or dizziness that may signal anemia

These are not specific to cloth — they can occur with any menstrual product — but they always deserve evaluation.

Myths vs facts

Frequently asked questions

Are homemade cloth pads actually safe to use?

Yes — a cloth pad made from clean 100% cotton, changed every 4–6 hours, washed with soap and water, and dried fully in direct sunlight is a safe, FOGSI- and WHO-recognised menstrual product. The main caution is the unsewn folded-cloth version: use it only as a short-term backup if you can't clean and dry it properly, and switch to a laundered pad or disposable as soon as you can.

What fabric should I use to make a DIY menstrual pad?

Use soft, well-washed 100% cotton for the top layer (old dupattas, saris or shirts work well) and 4–6 layers of cotton flannel, terry towel or bamboo cotton for the absorbent core. PUL fabric or fleece can act as a waterproof back layer. Avoid synthetics against the skin, and pre-wash all fabric before cutting.

How do I get period blood stains out of a cloth pad?

Rinse in cold water immediately after use — never hot, which sets the stain. For stubborn marks, soak in cold salt water (about a tablespoon of salt per litre) for 30–60 minutes before washing, then dry in direct sunlight, which naturally fades stains. Avoid bleach, fabric softener and strongly fragranced detergents.

How many cloth pads do I need for one period?

A starter set of 8–12 pads lets you rotate while others are being washed and dried. Make or buy a mix of thinner pads for light days and thicker, longer ones for heavy days and overnight. With good care, each pad lasts 3–5 years.

Where can I buy ready-made reusable cloth pads in India?

Brands like Eco Femme (Auroville), Saukhyam (banana-fibre pads), Boondh and Uger sell reusable pads online and through Amazon and Flipkart, typically ₹200–₹400 per pad or ₹600–₹3,000 for a starter kit. Goonj distributes cloth kits through community programmes for women who qualify.

Sources