Museum of Menstruation

“Sanitary Comforts of Old Blankets,” Pictorial Review, February 1907.

Prior to the creation of disposable pads, most women used homemade cloth sanitary napkins held in place with a “sanitary belt” and pins. These could be sturdy and washable or as simple and disposable as folded cheesecloth. In this 1907 excerpt from the magazine Pictorial Review, a reader suggests reworking old blankets to create reusable “sanitary comforts.”