Monday, March 9, 2009

Can You Wash a Plastic Bath Poof?

Not to be too TMI about it but normally I like to use a loofah in the shower/bath for all of my exfoliating needs.
Side note: Did you know that loofah is a type of squash that grows on a vine and not a sea sponge? Really! Well, you smart people out there probably already knew that but I didn’t until a few years ago when one of Husband’s uncles grew loofah and gave them out as parting gifts at a family reunion.

I now return you back to our regularly scheduled blog post.

I got a plastic bath poof with an unsolicited free sample in the mail. Not being one to waste things, I figured I’d use the plastic poof until it got yucky and then I’d switch back to my loofah stash.

Eventually the bath poof got yucky. I wondered if I could extend its life by washing it in a lingerie bag in the washing machine.

Photobucket

Nope.

Landfill = 1, Creative Reuse = 0

11 comments:

Erika Jean said...

I would have boiled it in hot water to disinfect.... We used to do this at a park we worked at with or sponges in the kitchen!

Lisa said...

haha Just ask my mom what happens when your dog fines one that someone littered and tears it up. There is a LOT of plastic fabric in those things.

I had no idea about the loofah either.

Cathy said...

i recently read that about loofahs--I'd like to grow some! I'm not sure what else you can do with it either, unfortunately

Anonymous said...

Sigh. The worst is those Olay sets ... plastic squishies to use to scrub your body with scrub filled with plastic beads. It looks so innocuous, and yet!

Coincidentally, Down to Earth has instructions on processing loofahs/luffas today: http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/2009/03/processing-luffas-loofahs.html

Anonymous said...

Excellent blog! About the bath poofs.. after you rinse it out with some hot water and let dry, consider using it to clean out a bird bath. I found they are highly effective. Another use I found was for removing grout haze (it won't scratch the tile and yet is coarse enough to do the job).

Lisa Nelsen-Woods said...

Cathy & Cheap Like Me - I'd like to try growing loofah too. Unfortunately I don't have the room. Becuause loofah is so heavy, they have to grow on a sturdy trellis - most people suggest that you plant your loofah near a fence and use that as your trellis.

Erika Jean & Michelle - thanks for the tip.

Lisa - No offense, but I don't think I'll let Blitzkrieg follow your dog's example :)

ilex said...

I'd love to grow loofah, too, but space considerations being as they are, it's a non-starter. Never mind the plant needs a very long, hot growing season- not gonna happen in Detroit. You can eat the fruit when it's immature, though- tastes like squash. Make loofah soup and amaze your friends...

Anonymous said...

I would have used that thing once and it would have looked worse than that... TMI? You're funny! Wait, what's a loofa?

ice pink stars said...

I was wondering if there were other ways to re-use a loofah! Thanks for the tips :]

Lisa Nelsen-Woods said...

Out-Numbered - Check with the chicks in your life. I thought girly loofah sponges would out-number the guy stuff in your bathroom by now. :)

ice pink stars - If you have a composter you can compost it and it will break down. Some people use them in as pot scrubber in the kitchen instead of a plastic cellouse sponge.

Anonymous said...

I think you can. I've been washing my bath poof in my washing machine for ages now at 60 degrees Celsius and never had a problem with it. Bear in mind, though, that I have a European washing machine.

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