Tawashi - My Favorite Dish Scrubber

Ravelry Project Page - Acrylic Tawashi

I discovered that kitchen scrubbers have acquired a new name—tawashi. Tawashi is a Japanese word meaning bundle and is used generically for any scrubbing item. Tawashi are made from a variety of materials but I was intrigued after reading this Make article: How-To: Magically Clean Eco Tawashi, that 100% acrylic yarn was preferred. Supposedly the synthetic fibers in acrylic yarn are similar to a microfiber and therefore will not scratch. I just had to try this.

The article provided a tawashi pattern but I like this Double Sided Scrubbie pattern so I made that and substituted acrylic yarn instead of cotton.

WOW, it's true! I love, love, LOVE this acrylic tawashi. It wipes like a cotton cloth and with only a little elbow grease it scrubs like a steel wool pad but without the harshness. There's a claim that acrylic tawashi will clean without soap but I haven't gone that far (although I use much less dish soap than I would with a cotton dishcloth).

I highly recommend working your favorite kitchen scrubby pattern with an acrylic yarn. You won't go back to cotton! Also, don't forget to start calling it a tawashi, it's a much more refined word than scrubby.

Soap Covers - My Favorite Washcloth

Ever since I made the felted heart soaps, I've been fascinated with covering bars of soap. I now use them exclusively in the bath or shower and have completely ditched using wash clothes and loofahs. In addition to replacing bath paraphernalia, there are other benefits as well: They are very quick to make, use scrap amounts of yarn and are great gifts.

Two kinds of soap covers can be made. One type is reusable multiple times and the other felts (or like the felted heart soaps, continues to felt) around the soap as it is used.

Ravelry Project Page - Soap Cover

My personal favorite reusable soap cover is this Soap Sack pattern by Susan Lawrence at I'm Knitting As Fast As I Can. I like this pattern because it expands and contracts to fit most regular size bars of soap and is easily adjustable for different yarn weights. Most importantly, it functions well as a washcloth.

Update 10/16/2021: This pattern is now only available via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine -- Soap Sock by Susan Lawrence

Ravelry Project Page - Soap Sweater

But what's even more fun is a soap "sweater". A soap sweater is not meant to be reused because while it's being used the yarn felts around the soap. All you need to make one is wool yarn (make sure it's not superwash), knit a rectangle (if you prefer, you can work in the round), wrap it around the soap and stitch it closed. Soap sweaters around smaller bars of soap are great for use when traveling.

There are hundreds of patterns for soap covers or sweaters. If you search using the keywords: soap, sack, cozy, saver, sweater, coat, sock, or bag, you will find plenty to choose from. Try it—You'll like it!