March 10, 2009

new scrubber


I finally found a non-plastic scrub brush that I can use on dishes. I was so glad to find it, since I have been stalling on replacing my plastic scrubber that is looking tired—I've had it for well over a year!

The new scrubber is made of wood, a little bit of metal and natural bristles. I don't know the sources of these materials, but at least they can degrade eventually, unlike the plastic.

Here's the thing: I used the scrubber once and it already looks as tired as my year-old plastic version. I don't know how to quantify or rationalize which is a better choice, but it seems longevity should be a factor.

What do you use to scrub a crusty pan? Tell me by voting in the poll I've set up in the right sidebar. I don't know how to embed the poll into this post, so for now, it is over there. . . .

5 comments:

MonsterAteMy said...

I'm guessing that the problem is that the new scrubber you're using was designed for vegetables, not crusty pots and pans. The natural bristles are softer (good for delicate veggies or fruits) and less durable.
Unfortunately, I have no way around this. My favorite scrubbers are those super cheap plastic, er, nets? Pads? I'm not sure what they're called. I can only find them at places like Dollar General (that's how cheap they are, LOL!), but they do the job and last forever. They also make great cat toys!

mom go green said...

hi heather,
i think you are right - that the bristles are too soft. my photo wasn't very sharp on the words. it actually says it is for vegetables and dishwashing, so i had expected it could do that task. i would love to avoid plastic if i can.

Anonymous said...

I use the old mesh bags that my organic oranges come in. Unfortunately this is how they come, so I reuse them for another purpose. Yes it is plastic, but they last forever! And we tend to let everything soak, so it gets softer and easier to remove. Have not had much luck finding natural materials for this job!!

mom go green said...

interesting idea, anonymous! i'll have to try that.

Jen said...

I soak my crusted pans, sometimes over night so it is easier to clean. If a stubborn crust remained, I'd gently (very gently flying over the surface repeatedly) scrubbing it with the metal mesh with some baking soda and the crust would just fall off. It works every time.