Last week, it was time to replace the dish scrubber that scours out my stuck-on cooking. Heading for the usual aisle full of kitchen cleaning aids, I discovered a new product and decided to give it a try.
Scotch-Brite, a division of the mega-company 3M, is one of the leading manufacturers of kitchen sponges and scrubbers. Scotch-Brite has been around since 1958, when the original scour pad was first marketed. The company offers a range of scrub sponges – the ones with a spongy bottom topped with a layer of wiry mesh. Typically, these are made from a combination of ground wood pulp (cellulose) and nylon fibre. Depending on your needs, they come in different scouring strengths, from light to heavy duty.
The new version has the same cellulose sponge layer with a scrubbing section made from walnut shells. This results in a more sustainable option than the conventional nylon fibres. Like other petrochemicals, nylon is a synthetic fibre that is resilient but not easily broken down once discarded. At least walnut shells are biodegradable.
There is a proviso of course. A warning on the package states that small pieces of walnut shell may remain on surfaces – just as those tiny fragments break off from nylon fibres. As a result, the walnut shell version is not suitable for households with nut allergy sufferers.
Oddly, there is no information about the new product on either the US or Canadian website. The packaging lists an Ontario address but says that the product was made in the US. The copyright date is 2007, but I have never encountered the product before. It’s clearly a timely idea, since a separate company, Spongezz, also makes a walnut shell sponge variation.
What other biodegradable scrubber options are out there? Twist makes a range of products designed to make you feel good when you wash those dishes. There’s the small Dish Dumpling scrubber, along with sponges combined with loofahs, hemp cloth, bamboo, and more. if you are worried about the loofah component, rest easy in the knowledge that these fibrous “sponges” are seed pods from a plentiful tropical gourd plant.
Another new product, the Sandclean scrubber, is suitable for more robust jobs. Instead of using steel wool, these durable nests of shredded sandpaper work without detergent for jobs ranging from housecleaning to veggie scrubbing.
And if you are handy with a crochet hook or knitting needles, try natural fibres to create your own biodegradable scrubber.
Photo credit: outoffocus53@Flickr.com
I didn’t realize that they have this more ecologically friendly version of their scrubbers. Now that I do, I will definitely start buying them. Thanks for the article.
Nasty how scot-brite mysteriosly has a walnut sponge too. How long do the sponges last?