So many folk ask…how exactly does a Jam Sponge work?
You simply squash it into your vagina and it soaks up the blood!! Like a conventional tampon, a Jam Sponge is not sterile so it is important that you keep it and your hands clean before you use it.
Clean your hands you minger! Using a sponge that has been rinsed in water and squeezed out, squash it between two fingers and slide it up into your vagina. If you feel pressure take it out and trim it very carefully to a smaller size. Don’t cut it in half though as that will ruin its shape and it won’t work.
If you have very long fingernails you might have to vary the technique and some people find it easier to squat or to lift one leg up onto the toilet seat.
Do give your Jam Sponge a good soak before use as we cannot guarantee it is completely free of traces of sand, shells or seaweed.
How to clean a Jam Sponge
Don’t use harsh or over perfumed soaps on your sponge as they will leave a film that will upset the natural PH balance of your vagina.
Boil it if you like but this will shrink and toughen the sponge and shorten its lifetime!
Soak in any of these for an hour or two then air dry your Jam Sponge:
A solution of 1 or 2 drops of tea tree oil and 1 cup warm water
A solution of 1 tbsp. cider vinegar in 1 cup of water A solution of 1 tbsp. baking soda in 1 cup of warm water.
Remember Jam Sponges love drying in the sun!
This experiment shows the absorbency of a Jam Sponge selected at random. As they are all natural and not mass produced there is no way to make them perform the same so yours may suck up a little less or more. An average period produces about 60ml or more of blood.
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| Method: 250ml of realistic blood coloured water is measured into each pint glasses. | The glass on the left holds the Jam Sponge, the glass on the right holds an eco friendly regular absorbency tampon. |
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| When the Jam Sponge and the tampon are taken out the glass on the left has 150ml of water left and the glass on the right has 210ml left | In conclusion, the Jam Sponge soaked up a massive 100ml and the tampon a mere 40ml. |
The Jam Sponge looks big compared to the tampon but remember it is very squashy and this is an untrimmed sponge! Also, before it reaches its full 100ml potential it will start to slip a little inside you, so you will remember to change it more often, which is much healthier for you than wearing a synthetic tampon for hours.
Disclaimer This absorbency test is a bit misleading, I am trying to prove that they will do as good a job as a tampon but the big difference is that a tampon will sit and lurk in you until you remember to take it out but a sponge will start to come out all by itself, so it will not block blood behind it like a tampon can.
