Luffa
Watch the video of how we grew sponges At Muzika we wash the dishes with sponges that have grown in the garden! I know it sounds unbelievable, so we’re attaching video proof. In fact we sowed loofah, as the plant is called, in the spring. We diligently watered it, and plucked the fruit in the […]
Watch the video of how we grew sponges
At Muzika we wash the dishes with sponges that have grown in the garden! I know it sounds unbelievable, so we’re attaching video proof. In fact we sowed loofah, as the plant is called, in the spring. We diligently watered it, and plucked the fruit in the fall, which only needs to be cleaned and sliced to get dishwashing sponges. That’s it! We produced so many sponges from a couple of seedlings that we haven’t bought any classic sponges since.
That’s a good feeling. The usual household sponge is made of different materials and goes into mixed waste. It’s difficult to find biodegradable, as even those made of coconut fiber are combined with artificial materials. We know that sponges are the dirtiest thing in the kitchen – to avoid the development of bacteria, you should change it every week. That’s about 50 sponges a year, a lot.
Our luffa is biodegradable. When it wears out, we simply compost it. But it doesn’t happen that fast, loofah is incredibly durable. With one loofah sponge you can wash the dishes for at least a month. It has an antimicrobial effect, so unpleasant smells cannot develop in it. After use, it only needs to be dried, so we have a hook especially for it above the sink.
Finally a really good alternative to artificial dishwashing sponges! In addition to loofah, we just use a wooden brush on a long handle. Due to the mesh structure, it is slightly abrasive, so we also clean the stove with it, the sink… a few drops of ecological cleaner on the loofah sponge foams perfectly. You could also have it in the bathroom for washing and exfoliating the body. Luffa is an annual in our area, otherwise a tropical creeper from the squash family. It is called Luffa cylindrica, sponge gourd or Egyptian cucumber, and its versatile use was known as early as the 16th Century. The elongated, cucumber-like fruit is edible, but when ripe, its core is coarse and fibrous. From this we cut the sponges. Check out the video to be impressed!
