You can make a functional period pad at home in minutes using toilet paper, or you can sew a reusable cloth pad that works as well as store-bought options. The approach depends on whether you need something right now or want a long-term solution. Both work, but they require different materials, techniques, and hygiene practices.
Quick Toilet Paper Pad for Emergencies
If you’re caught without a pad, toilet paper or paper towels can get you through. Tear off about 20 sheets of toilet paper in one long strip. Fold the strip over itself repeatedly until you have a thick, rectangular shape roughly the size of a commercial pad. Place it in the crotch of your underwear, then wrap a few more sheets of toilet paper around both the pad and the underwear gusset to hold everything in place.
This is a stopgap, not a real solution. Toilet paper breaks down when wet, so it won’t last more than an hour or two before it starts to disintegrate. Paper towels hold up slightly better. Either way, plan to replace it frequently and switch to a proper pad or cloth alternative as soon as you can.
How a Cloth Pad Is Structured
A well-made reusable pad has three distinct layers, each with a specific job. Understanding what each layer does will help you pick the right materials and build something that actually works rather than leaks through in 30 minutes.
The top layer sits against your skin. Its job is to wick moisture away from your body and let it pass through to the layer below. This keeps you feeling dry and reduces irritation. The middle layer is the absorbent core. It soaks up liquid and disperses it across the fabric so it doesn’t pool in one spot. The bottom layer is a waterproof barrier that prevents anything from reaching your underwear. Think of it as a shield between the absorbent core and your clothes.
Choosing the Right Fabrics
For the top layer, 100% cotton works well. It’s soft, breathable, and wicks moisture effectively. Old cotton t-shirts, pillowcases, or bed sheets are all good candidates if you want to upcycle materials you already have. Cotton flannel is another popular choice because it’s slightly thicker and feels comfortable against skin.
For the absorbent core, you have several options that absorb at different speeds and capacities. Microfiber absorbs the fastest, followed by cotton, then bamboo, then hemp. But speed isn’t the whole picture. Hemp and cotton hold significantly more liquid overall, making them better for the core where total capacity matters most. A good strategy is to layer a faster-absorbing fabric like microfiber on top of a high-capacity fabric like hemp or cotton terry. Two to four layers of absorbent material in the core will handle a moderate flow. For heavy days, add more layers or use thicker terry cloth.
For the waterproof bottom layer, PUL (polyurethane laminate) fabric is the standard. It’s a layer of waterproof film bonded to soft fabric, making it flexible and quiet. You can buy PUL online from fabric suppliers. If you don’t have PUL, a layer of nylon from an old windbreaker or a piece of plastic-backed tablecloth can serve as a temporary alternative, though these won’t breathe as well.
Sewing a Basic Reusable Pad
Start by finding or printing a pad-shaped template. A standard daytime pad is roughly 25 cm (10 inches) long and 7 to 8 cm (about 3 inches) wide in the center, with wider flared ends. Wings that fold around your underwear are optional but help keep the pad in place. You can secure wings with a snap button.
Cut one piece of cotton for the top, two to four pieces of absorbent fabric for the core, and one piece of PUL for the bottom. Stack them in order: PUL on the bottom (waterproof side facing down), absorbent layers in the middle, and cotton on top (skin side facing up). Pin the layers together and sew around the edges with a quarter-inch seam allowance, leaving a small opening to turn the pad right-side out. Flip it through the opening, press it flat, and sew the opening closed. A line of topstitching around the edges helps keep everything from shifting during use and washing.
If you don’t have a sewing machine, you can hand-stitch using a simple running stitch or blanket stitch. It takes longer, but works perfectly fine. Some people skip sewing entirely and simply fold layers of fabric into a pad shape, placing it inside snug underwear to hold it in position. This “fold and place” method is less secure but requires no sewing skills at all.
How Often to Change a Homemade Pad
Change your pad every few hours regardless of how light your flow seems. On heavy days, you may need to change it more often. Wearing any pad too long, whether store-bought or homemade, can cause skin rashes and creates conditions that encourage infection. A good rule of thumb is to treat homemade pads the same way you’d treat a commercial one: if it feels damp, it’s time to swap it.
Carry a small waterproof bag (a zip-lock bag works) to store used cloth pads when you’re out. Rinsing them in cold water before storing prevents stains from setting.
Washing and Sanitizing Cloth Pads
Proper cleaning is the single most important factor in making reusable pads safe. Research on reusable menstrual materials found that women using improperly sanitized cloth pads were roughly 2.8 times more likely to develop a urogenital infection, including bacterial vaginosis and urinary tract infections, compared to women using disposable pads. The risk wasn’t from the cloth itself but from inadequate washing: cleaning without soap, using unclean water, or drying pads indoors away from sunlight and air circulation.
After use, rinse the pad in cold water to flush out blood (hot water sets protein stains). Then wash in hot water, at least 160°F (71°C), for a minimum of 25 minutes with detergent. If your washing machine doesn’t reach that temperature, you can compensate by adding oxygen-based bleach or a small amount of chlorine bleach to the cycle. Lower water temperatures in the range of 71°F to 77°F can still reduce bacterial contamination effectively when paired with bleach and a full wash cycle.
Dry pads in direct sunlight when possible. UV light provides additional disinfection, and open air circulation prevents the damp, enclosed conditions where bacteria thrive. If outdoor drying isn’t an option, a hot dryer cycle works. Make sure pads are completely dry before storing them. Damp fabric stored in a closed space is a recipe for mold and bacterial growth.
Materials to Avoid
Skip synthetic fabrics like polyester or nylon for the skin-contact layer. They trap heat and moisture against your body, which can promote yeast overgrowth and contact dermatitis. Avoid any fabric treated with chemical finishes or dyes that haven’t been pre-washed, as these can irritate sensitive skin. If you’re upcycling old clothing, make sure the fabric hasn’t been treated with fabric softener residue, which can reduce absorbency significantly.
Don’t use sponges, paper napkins, or tissues as a core material. They break apart when saturated and can leave fibers behind. Cotton balls and cotton wool also compress into a hard lump when wet and don’t disperse liquid, leading to leaks around the edges.