Figuring out Fabrics

This can be another confusing aspect of cloth pads.... some talk about hemp, terry, BKT, fleece, velour, bamboo, flannel.....
what are these and what is best?  Here is a little rundown...

Think about:

• Softness (feeling nice against your skin)
• Absorbency (how absorbent is it - some fabrics add extra absorbency)
• Colour (dark colours to hide stains, light colours so you can see how much you flow)
• Pattern (Do you want patterns for hiding stains and being fun)
• Durability (How easily will it wear, some fabrics wear more than others)
• Stainability (Will it stain, or can it hide stains)
• Dryness (Some fabrics wick moisture away, and some can feel more dry when worn than others)

Natural fibres
Made from plant or animal fibres they are more eco friendly.  These are absorbent and are generally more breathable and can feel cooler/less sweaty than synthetics.  They can be more likely to stain, and when used as tops on pads, can feel wetter than synthetics.  Fabrics such as Cotton, Hemp, Bamboo, Linen, Wool.

Synthetics
These generally don't hold moisture, so they tend to allow the blood to wick through into the core, and stay relatively dry on top. Synthetics can feel
hot and sweaty if you are prone to getting sweaty in that region. Usually less likely to stain than natural fibres.  Can feel very soft.  Fabrics such as Polarfleece, Microfleece, Suedecloth, Chamois, Minkee.

Some popular fabric choices for pad topping

Jersey - This is a thin T-Shirt type fabric.  Available in several Options, may be 100% or a blend with something like spandex, Polyester or cotton.  It is a common fabric - printed cotton jersey can be purchased through fabric stores fairly inexpensively. Other jerseys are normally purchased online or through specialty stores.  It wears better than a flannelette and may be more absorbent than a plain/flat cotton.

• Hemp Jersey - A little more "coarse" than other jerseys.  Usually 50% hemp, 45% cotton.  Generally available unbleached or plain dyed.
• Cotton Jersey - A little softer and flatter than Hemp jersey, but less absorbent.  Often available commercially dyed or printed.
• Organic Cotton Jersey - Like the cotton jersey, but this is grown organically.  Usually left natural to further its standing as an eco-friendly fabric, but can come in low impact printed and even in colour-grown pastel colours, or knit into patterns using the different colour-grown cottons.
• Bamboo Jersey - A Softer and smoother (almost silky) fabric than the Cotton jersey - fairly new on the market.  Can come in different blends or be 100% bamboo.  Generally natural, white or plain dyed.

• Hemp velour - Not commonly used, but this is normally an undyed fabric, the least soft of the velours I find.
• Cotton velour - A little softer than Hemp velour, often 20% polyester, though 100% velours can be purchased.  These are often dyed plain colours.
• Organic Cotton velour - This would be 100% cotton, perhaps a little less soft than the regular cotton velour (at least in my experience).  Normally in unbleached natural.  Not very common.
• Bamboo velour - Lush! Usually a longer pile than the others (which can leave it looking a bit messy/wavy), but I have also seen a shorter pile bamboo velour that looks almost identical to cotton velour.  This is super soft and slightly shiny.  Usually blended with poly in 20% or down to as little as 5%, to add stability to the base fabric.  Becoming a very popular fabric!
• Synthetic velour - This would be 100% synthetic, so combines the nice feel of the velour with the stay-dry and stain-resistance of a synthetic fabric.

Synthetics - These are 100% synthetics used for stay-dry and stain resistant properties, However being synthetic they can feel hot and sweaty over time.  The stay dry effect is more effective for heavy flow, as spotting can be too light to pass through as well, and can lead to feeling damp from sweatiness.

• Fleece - (Polar or Micro) They are very common fabrics, so easy to find in fabric stores.  Soft and fluffy fabrics.
• Suedecloth - A synthetic suede like fabric.  Short pile, so flatter than fleece (and flatter than velour).  Feels soft.
• Chamois - A similar fabric to the suedecloth.

Sherpa - Sherpa is a soft fabric that feels a bit like polarfleece, but has a "bally" type appearance, a little bit like a sheepskin.  It is generally a Cotton or cotton blend (20%poly) fabric.  It has the advantage of being soft and absorbent. It is also somewhat thick, so it adds absorbency.  Generally available in plain colours, and can be hard to find.

"Flat" Cotton/ "Quilting" cotton - The "normal" cottons you can get for dress making or quilting.  It is often used as a top fabric, however the softer fabrics are usually more popular.  These cottons come in a huge variety of prints and have the advantage over flannelette that they don't look worn/faded as quickly as flannelette can.  As a top layer they let you enjoy the prints more while you are wearing the pad.  Some women prefer this over flannelette for the feeling, with some saying they feel more dry as a pantyliner than a fluffier fabric that can feel hotter.  When wearing it, you may not be able to tell much difference between the feeling of the cotton or flannelette, but it does not trap the flow as successfully as the fluffier pad toppings, so may feel "wetter".

Other options include:
(well anything really), silk, cut up old shirts & t-shirts, denim, velvet.....

Sometimes it is better to buy a more absorbent fabric that you will use less of, than to buy a cheaper one you will use more of.  This part will determine how thick the pad is overall, and if you like thick pads, then that's fine, but if you would like to keep your pads as thin as possible, then the absorbency needs some careful thought.  On the surface, thin fabrics like jersey and flannel/flannelette seem like a good choice because they are thin - but the absorbency in a fabric comes from the thickness and density.  Also what the fabric is made of.   For example - one layer of a bamboo fleece is probably about the same thickness of 3 layers of flannel, but the bamboo would probably be up to 3 times more absorbent.  Plus if you are using several layers of something thinner, you're cutting out all those extra layers, and adding up all those extra costs - sometimes it can be quicker and cheaper to buy a more absorbent fabric you need less of.

When looking at the absorbency of different fibres, it is important to realise that while hemp is reportedly 3 times more absorbent than cotton, the "hemp" fabric used is usually a 45% cotton blend, which makes it less absorbent than a 100% hemp fabric would be.  Also different fabrics have different thicknesses, so for example cotton terry is much more absorbent than cotton flannel, as it is much thicker.  You don't have to have the whole winged shape being in a thick absorbent fabric.  Instead you can use a smaller amount just down the centre of the pad, which is more cost effective but also makes the wings less bulky.

While these fabrics can be used as the core of a pad, they can also be used as a top fabric too.  particularly in the case of "overlocked'/"serged" pads, where fabrics such as hemp and bamboo can be dyed and used as both the top and hidden internal layers.

Hemp - This is generally a hemp cotton blend (50% hemp, 45% cotton).  Hemp is reportedly about 2-3 times more absorbent than cotton, yet the hemp fleece/terry most commonly used is quite a compact weave compared to a cotton terry, so this can make for a more absorbent core for less bulk than cotton terry.  It's also apparently antibactierial (though this is apparently in the  oils and looses it over time)

Terry - A thin looped fabric, not like the cotton towelling you find in towels, the hemp terry loops are shorter and its generally only on one side (the other is smooth).
Fleece - A fabric with one smooth side and the other is fluffy - almost like polar fleece, but not as fluffy.  Apparently it is made from hemp terry that has been brushed to make the loops break up and become fluffy.

Terry- This term is usually used to refer to the cotton "towelling' (like you would find towels made from).   Cotton towelling ("terry") is quite absorbent, but less absorbent than hemp, and usually more bulky than hemp.
Burkey knit terry (BKT) - To be honest, I don't know much about this.  It is apparently much like Terry, but with thicker loops and is stretchy (so perhaps more like a lush "Terry towelling").
Sherpa - This is hard to describe but if you cross sheepskin and polar fleece... its sort of like that!  The fluffy fibres clump together more like a sheepskin does.  Not often used as an internal core, more often it is used as a top.
Fleece - A fabric with one smooth side and the other is fluffy - almost like polar fleece, but not as fluffy.  Thinner than Hemp fleece.  Not often used, if it is used, its more likely to be as a top layer.  Lunapads uses this.
"batting" - I assume this is the stuff you would use to fill handmade stuffed toys, or to back padded photoframes/quilts etc. with.   I don't know much about the use of this, but I have seen people using it.  I assume it absorbs like a natural (since it's cotton), but might be a little bulky.

Bamboo - This is a fairly new fabric on the market.  It comes as terry or fleece, generally with a small component of cotton (Anywhere from 15% to 25%).  The terry can come as a single or double sided loop.  Bamboo as a fabric is more absorbent than cotton or hemp and much softer... it also has a slightly shiny look.

Flannel/Flannelette - This is a really thin fabric - what you find fluffy sheets or PJs made of.  Not very absorbent on its own, but when you use several layers together you increase the absorbency.  Generally used in pantyliners where much absorbency isn't needed.  Some people make pads from several layers of this instead of other fabrics, as it easy to get and can be thinner than cotton terry - however 2-3 layers might not be as absorbent as one layer of something else, so adding more layers of flannel instead of fewer layers of something more absorbent might not end up being good economy.  "Flannel" in the US is the same as "Flannelette" in Aus and UK. (In Aus and UK "Flannel" refers to a wool product, not a cotton one).

Microfibre/Microterry - This is a synthetic fabric, commonly used in household cleaning cloths.  It reportedly holds around 7 times its weight in liquid, making it a very absorbent fabric while being quite thin.  It can however take a long time to fully dry, and it can also have trouble with compression leaking - where it gets filled like a sponge, and any pressure lets the liquid pool.....  natural fibres tend not to do this.  Sometimes this is used with a natural fibre to increase the absorbency.

Waterproofing Fabrics
The inside of the pad can have a leakproof liner that works like a disposable pad does - in helping prevent the blood from soaking through the layers of the pad and onto your underpants.  Some women do not need this, and some do.  It depends on how heavily you bleed and how your flow is naturally distributed over the surface of the pad.  If you tend to bleed in one small area, or "gush" then you may find that you soak through a pad too quickly if it's not waterproofed. A Water resistant fabric isn't completely waterproof, but will form a layer that is more resistant to leaking than the other fabrics in the pad.

Most women are concerned about the "breathability" issue of waterproofing.  Comparing a waterproofed cloth pad to a disposable isn't the same.  A waterproofed cloth pad isn't going to be as sweaty as a disposable.  The issue of letting the skin breathe is a debated one.  If you suffer from thrush or excessive sweating then you might want to avoid synthetic waterproofing, and opt for something more "breathable".... but even with "PUL" its not like having a piece plastic underpants on.

The other natural fibre layers in the pad will allow for some airflow through the pad.  In a "turned and topstitched" pad, the waterproofing only comes partly up the side giving plenty of surface for airflow, and an overlocked/serged type pad has the sides (cross section) open too.  Airflow doesn't have to be just from between the legs up.  Some women feel a difference in a waterproofed pad over a completely natural one - others don't.  The more open weave a fabric is, the more "breathable" it will be... but that also means less waterproof.  So it is a trade off between airflow/natural fibres and leak protection.

Which points do you consider most important

• Thickness (do you want the pad to be as thin as possible)
• Waterproof or water resistant (if you have a lighter flow you may like to use something water resistant)
• "Breathability" (do you have problems with thrush or want a lot of airflow)
• Natural Vs synthetic
• Comfort/worry (Do you want to stress about leaking through a pad)

PUL - This is a fabric (polyester or cotton) that has been coated on one side with a thin film of waterproof plastic (polyurethene).. so PUL stands for PolyUretheneLaminate.  Its considered to be "breathable" - as the waterproof membrane lets no water through but will allow a little air through.  This doesn't mean you can breathe through it - it means that according to the industry standard, it allows a certain amount of airflow.  Just enough to lessen the sweatiness compared to a PVC or other non-breathable fabric (like what is used in disposables).  It was designed for uses such as raincoats, where the fabric is designed to allow airflow to prevent the wearer getting too sweaty inside the coat. Pads with this should be basically waterproof.  Some people don't like this as they feel the pad becomes as sweaty/non-breathable as a disposable pad and others find no sweatiness and can't tell the difference with a non-waterproofed pad.  A lot of women need it to prevent leaks and make them feel secure - even if only on heavy days.  As it is thin itself, and using it requires less absorbent layers, PUL waterproofed pads can generally be a lot thinner than other pads.  The polyester version is most commonly used as it is thinner/softer than the cotton version.  It can break down over time, and should not be washed with vinegar or chemicals that can break down the waterproofing.  They should also not be put in the dryer or ironed.  Examples of brands - 'procare', 'fabrite','gore-tex', 'diaper maker'

Fleece - Polyester fleeces (Microfleece or polarfleece) don't like to hold moisture, so can make a reasonably effective water-resistant layer on the bottom of the pad, as the blood tends to stay in the core rather than seeping through it.  As the fabric is a more open weave there is more "breathability" than PUL, but its waterproofing is not as effective, so may not be suitable for a heavy flow.  Some pad makers use fleece as a bottom layer for its non-slip effect, and some use fleece over the PUL for this reason.

Nylon - "Ripstop" nylon or other forms of nylon fabric can be used, though these are less water-resistant than fleece is.  They are thin fabrics and rely on the fact that the fabric itself doesn't hold moisture and is a tight weave, so the blood is less likely to travel through.  I would not recommend this for a heavy flow though, as it is only somewhat water-resistant.

Other - Other options I have seen are:

• Waterproof table cloth type fabrics -  I've found from past experience that waterproofed tablecloths do work well, but can have a more crunchy/crackly type of feel, and in a longer pad you might be able to actually hear that as you move.  Most likely to be PVC, a non-breathable fabric.
• Waterproofed matress protectors - Not really sure how these go, might be thicker than PUL - most likely a PVC or other non-breathable fabric.
• Umbrella fabric - I'm not sure of the composition, but I believe it would be a form of nylon - which would be less water resistant than a PVC tablecloth.  Since as an umbrella works by the raindrops sliding over the fabric, it's not designed to prevent water from seeping through such as you would use it for in a pad.  However, it would presumably work much like a store bought nylon, perhaps a little better.

In my humble opinion if you want waterproofing, its best to stick to some type of PUL (there are several different brands of this), as these are "breathable" and generally thin and quiet in a pad.  If you are after water-resistance (or refuse to use PUL), then Fleece is probably the best bet.

Some women like to have a printed top so they can see the print more often, and some women prefer a softer or more natural top, but like to have a print backing to make the pad more interesting.  You can simply overlock/serge/zigzag several layers of fabric together and have no separate top or bottom.

Commonly pads are backed with:

• PUL - a cotton print or a plain polyester PUL - This has no additional backing.  It doesn't slip around as much as you may think (depending on the particular PUL).  the advantage is that without the extra layer of fabric the pad can be thinner and more flexible, but it can also be a little more plain and may shift around a little more than a pad with a slip resistant backing.  Snug fitting underpants should keep it in place though.
• Corduroy - a ridged fabric that can help stop the pad moving around in your underpants.  A good choice for wingless pads if you want something natural (Corduroy is a cotton fabric) and that doesn't add much extra thickness.
• Fleece - helps water proof/resistance and also helps stop the pad moving, but can feel a little hotter and adds thickness to the pad.
• Cotton - for a pretty look to the pad, using quilting cottons or other pretty prints, about as non-slip as most PUL, but fancier.
• Flannel/flannelette - for a pretty and/or slip resistant backing.  Can be plain or printed.