Recycled Dish Scrubby

scrubbie

My dish washing accoutrements consist of cotton dish cloths–which steadily devolve lower and lower down the Rag Hierarchy as they age–and homemade scrubbies. I make my scrubbies out of net produce bags, as you can see above.

I know. I know. It’s stunning, isn’t it? A marvel of artisinal craftsmanship, if I don’t say so myself. I didn’t think anyone could top my scrubby until I ran across this:

scrubby

The folks at Mooberry Farm actually take the time to stack and fold their net bags into a rectangle, then they blanket stitch the sides together, and then crochet around the edges to make it extra cute.

Now that’s a stylish scrubby! Check it out.

I think I’m going to have to make one of these.

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19 Comments

  1. These are so cute and take such a lot of energy! About seven years ago, I started just tying loose knots in produce bags and scrubbing away. I can quickly untie to wash out the food scraps.

    • Nah…all I do to make mine is shove a few bags in another, then tie a knot. Very similar to your method! The Mooberry scrubby, though, it truly cute.

    • I was talking about the Mooberry.

      Yours and mine can be disassembled for cleaning of food from the bag. One day, I took the full bag and wrapped it around a wadded washcloth for a different kind of scrubbing. Produce bags are so versatile.

    • Ah! I see. They are useful, aren’t they? (Though they really shouldn’t be put in the world just to hold some vegetables in a bundle!) I also sometimes just use one tied in a knot, like you do.

  2. I was trying to grow loofah this year but the seeds didn’t sprout. I was going to cut rounds off of it to make good sponges. Do you guys ever do that?

    • Oh yeah, we have. I didn’t use rounds, though, I used sections. It feels good because they do return to the earth. Clean hands on that one! On the downside, they don’t have the same scrubbing power as the onion bags.

      I miss loofa. We didn’t really have anywhere to put them this year, but I planted one near the chicken run just for the heck of it, with some vague idea that if it took off, it could grow up the run. Brilliant! I forgot about the pecking of bored hens. Now I have to train it in some awkward, alternate direction on some jerry rigged set up.

  3. Thanks for sharing my scrubby with your readers! The scrubbies I make are machine washable – I wash mine in hot water with our towels and then let them air dry. They wash up clean and can be reused for months.

    Have a great day!

  4. I think this is a MOST creative idea and they’re cute as bug’s ears but I’m going to say it (even tho this may be the worst place on earth to admit it): I’m too lazy to crochet around a dish scrubby. There! Now you know the truth about me!

    I’m going to try securing the edges with my sewing machine and some of the cotton quilting scraps that now go in my compost heap. I’ll make an initial straight stitch thru all the layers of nylon then trim away excess and encase that in a bias tape of recycled cotton. Wish me luck not sewing my fingers into that first stitching row. ;>

    • Hey, I don’t even know how to crochet. I plan to just stitch the edges together with yarn and a big plastic needle, pre-school style. Your variant sounds solid, good luck with it and best wishes to your fingers!

  5. i must be the laziest person on planet rootsimple….i just use the net bag…no knots or sewing or crocheting or knitting….
    and my husband cannot stand them – or my baking soda in the sugar shaker…
    so dishes get left for me….or could just be his excuse 😉

  6. Yes, I saw that one at Mooberry, but yours is very nice too, colorful and squishy!
    Love your blog!!!

  7. A colleague and I were talking with some 5 year olds and she mentioned reusing net bags. She thought you just had to bin them, so I knitted her a pot scrubber by making the bags into lengths, knotting them into ‘yarn’ and knitting squares. I’ve made her one for Christmas ever since 🙂 She loves them, her husband thinks I’m slightly bonkers…

  8. Pingback: Plastic Scrubbers: Easily Make Your Own Dish Scrubby — Homestead and Survival

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