Frequently Asked Questions

*********************** MATERNITY LEAVE SHUT DOWN ANNOUNCEMENT***********************

We're excited to announce the anticipated arrival of a new member to our Cozy family August 2024!

In Canada we are extremely lucky to qualify for 1 WHOLE year of Maternity Leave. That means:

- Ordering capabilities will shut off at Midnight MT on July 31st 2024.

- Our owner/maker Kaity will still be active on the website, social medias and emails, for any customer support during the year break.

- The website will also stay live so that you can refer to any of our informational pages and contact info - you just won't see any items listed for sale.

As always, we appreciate you all so much for the love and support over the last 3 years! We're sure that the 1 year Mat. leave will FLY by, and we'll be back to business as usual before you know it <3

Cloth Pads have a similar wing concept as Disposables, but instead of a sticky surface, each wing has a snap. After folding the wings around the narrow centre of your underwear, snap the wings together to secure your Pad in place.

Cozy Reusables pads also feature a backing material called "Softshell Fleece" that faces down and grips well to your underwear.

Our Cloth Pads may fit in a shorter style of tighter fitting "Briefs" yes! They may not work well in the looser fitting Boxer style shorts.

We recommend comparing to the number of disposable products you would usually use in a day. If you usually use 4 disposable pads per day, then you will most likely need the same amount in Cloth Pads; possibly less, once you learn how dependable and more efficient they truly are.

You DO NOT need to start out with purchasing enough Cloth Pads to last your whole entire cycle. Start with purchasing just a couple Cloth Pads in different sizes, shapes, and fabrics to see what is going to work best for you!

We recommend measuring your favorite disposable pad and comparing the length in inches to our sizes. You can also measure your underwear, or your body for how much coverage length or width you would desire. Match your flow type to our 5 absorbencies (Liner, Moderate, Heavy, Super Heavy, & Ultra Heavy Wide)

We recommend storing your soiled Cloth Pads somewhere that they will be able to get a bit of air, for the purpose of drying out. Once your soiled Pads have dried out, there is no moisture for bacteria to grow in. If your soiled Pads do not get enough air, then they may remain moist which can attract bacteria and odors.

We offer reusable "Wetbags" that are made from a material called P.U.L. (Polyurethane Laminate) - which is a waterproof, but breathable material that stores your Cloth Pads with that essential air flow. A breathable laundry bag or open hamper will also work!

You may choose to rinse your Pads immediately after use, but for most that isn't necessary. If rinsing after use, hang dry in a well ventilated area!

We can confidently say: No! The smell we associate with menstruation tends to be a byproduct of disposable period products accompanied by low breathability. Disposable pads are 90% plastic - and plastic doesn't breath well, making them a breeding ground for odor causing bacteria.

Good hygiene and a good Cloth Pad wash routine is also extremely important. Cloth Pads that are not getting cleaned properly, may give off odors over time.

It is just as easy as carrying disposables around with you. Except instead of throwing them away after use, you store them in a small Cloth Pad Wrapper, or "Wetbag". No they aren't going to smell, and nobody is going to know they're there unless you show them.

The most basic wash recommendation can be broken down into just these 3 steps:

1. Rinse 2. Main wash 3. Dry

Your rinse can be done in a sink, bucket, or in your washing machine on a quick pre-wash/rinse cycle. We recommend using a very very small amount if any (Less than 1 Tablespoon) of detergent and/or stain treatment with this step. (If you rinse your pads immediately after each use, then you may skip this step)

For your Main wash: add in other items from your everyday laundry with your Cloth Pads for another full/heavy soil cycle in your washing machine. We always recommend "bulking" your Cloth Pads with other laundry items for this cycle - so that your Cloth Pads have more items to scrub up against, and get a proper clean. Use no more laundry detergent than the amount recommend by your detergent brand for the size of load that you're washing. If you have very soft water or an HE Front Load Washing Machine, you may need to adjust your detergent even lower than the recommended amount. Using more detergent doesn't mean that your items are going to get MORE clean. If detergent consistently doesn't get completely rinsed out of an item, it can lead to build up and odors over time.

Tumble dry, or air dry in a well ventilated area.

Avoid use of Fabric Softeners, or Dryer Sheets, as they can build up on materials and reduce liquid absorption.

Cloth Pads are no less sanitary than the underwear you wash and reuse every day. If you are concerned about bacteria or yeast; Hydrogen Peroxide, or 70%+ Isopropyl Alcohol are great disinfectants that are a bit greener and easier on fibres than Bleach.

Yes, they will work for light incontinence - such as dribbles when you sneeze, cough, or jump. They will not suit a more full bladder emptying.

All items are handmade with care in our clean, smoke free, pet friendly family home. Our dog/cats unfortunately aren't able to help us sew, and are very limited to only the floor area of our Sewing Shop while we are crafting - and locked out of our sewing shop anytime we step away.

All natural fibre fabrics (Cottons, Bamboos & Hemps) are prewashed in Ecomax Hypoallergenic, a plant based & fragrance free detergent. With no use of softeners or dryer sheets.

We wash all natural fibre fabrics (Hemp, Bamboo, Cotton and Cotton Spandex) for the main purpose of pre-shrinking them. Shrinking natural fibre materials before sewing helps make a better finished product. It helps prevent warping, shrinking, and lint build up, even after you take your Cloth Pads home and wash/dry them yourselves!

All natural fibre fabrics are pre-washed using a natural fragrance free hypoallergenic laundry detergent (Ecomax Hypoallergenic). However we do use Persil (previously Tide) on our families laundry in the same washer system.

Washing your Cloth Pads before wearing them is important to help "break in" the fibres and increase absorption (especially natural fibres like Cotton/Bamboo/Hemp) . Natural fibres may even take 3-4 washes before reaching their full potential.

Pre-washing or "Prepping" your Cloth Pads also insures removal of any washable felt/chaulk markers, or temporary adhesives we may have used in production.

We take pride in using top quality materials, such as:

• Organic "Oeko Tex Standard 100" Hemp, Bamboo, and Cotton fibre "Core" fabrics.

• Zorb Core Fabric - Hypoallergenic and free from harmful substances such as PFOS, PFOA, lead, dioxins, heavy metals, BPA, and all kinds of phthalates, including DEHP, DBP, BBP, DINP, DIDP, and DnOP

• *** From October. 2022 forward production*** All *BLACK* liquid proof Softshell Fleece "Backer" fabric is now "Oeko Tex Standard 100" "Dintex Fleece"

• Custom Printed "Topper" fabrics in Natural Fibres and Polyesters - from other Small Family Owned Businesses or companies that support independent artists.

• All threads used are strong Polyester, from brands such as Guterman, and Maxi Lock.

• Cloth Pad Snaps are genuine Kam Snap poly resin snap closures - XRay & MRI Safe!

Production of Cloth Pads may include the use of non-toxic felt and/or chalk markers. As well as the non-toxic temporary (washable) Basting Spray called "Odif 505", and/or Elmers Non Toxic Washable School Glues. Read more below!

Temporary Basting Spray helps us hold all our layers of the Cloth Pad together while sewing. This eliminates us having to use pins and poke holes through our liquid proof layer.

These temporary adhesives are non-toxic and washable - simply wash your Cloth Pads before wearing to ensure the removal of residues.

The Odif 505 Basting Spray Adhesive we use, was developed especially for the embroidery industry, but is commonly used for numerous sewing applications. 505 is colourless, odorless, non-toxic and non-corrosive. Its aerosol spray can also meets or exceeds all state and federal clean air regulations and contains no CFCs to affect ozone.

We list all materials and substances our products may come into contact with, because we would rather be candid about our products. We would like you to make a fully informed decision, rather than hide anything from our customers.

Not all makers or companies do this, so you may not know exactly what you are receiving. Other companies may use the same substances (or even more harsh substances), but never list them, or explain there uses or verify that they are non-toxic.