Everyone knows them and most people have them in their own households: kitchen dishcloths and sponges. Hardly anyone can or wants to clean without these practical kitchen utensils. But did you know that you are harming the environment with every purchase and every use?
Common dishcloths and sponges from the supermarket are made of synthetic fibres such as plastic. Now you don't need to be a crafty fox to know that this is not an environmentally friendly option. Especially when you consider that it is a disposable product! Unfortunately, all that doesn't stop there. Because conventional dishcloths and sponges dissolve over time with use. Everyone has certainly had a kitchen cloth or sponge in their hand that had one or two tears or missing corners. So how does that dissolve?
Of course, this is not to be understood in the sense that they simply disappear into thin air. Unfortunately, the whole procedure is such that small microplastic particles of the rags and sponges detach from them. Since they are usually used in the kitchen sink, these particles end up in the drain and thus in the water. On top of that, the worn-out sponge is best thrown away after a few weeks. Neat!
Maybe it's time to reflect a little and think about whether a sustainable option would be a better option for you and your environment. I hope to give you some food for thought in this blog post from my new series #SustainKnit.
You can easily replace your sponge with a sustainable and ecological alternative: a loofah! This is a plant product that belongs to the pumpkin family - a sponge pumpkin to be precise. You may have heard of loofah sponges for massaging in the shower. But because of its water-resistant and coarser surface, loofah is also great for washing up in the kitchen. And the best thing: it can also be washed at 60° in the washing machine!
'Where can I get one of these things?', you may be asking yourself. It's easy: in any drugstore or online. For example you can order this one, which can even be put in the dishwasher to keep the 'sponge' clean.
There are also some sustainable versions of dishcloths available in the retail trade, simply ones that can also be cleaned in the washing machine. We are slowly approaching the reason why I am bringing up this topic in my knitting blog. Maybe you can already guess why! I admit that the title gives you a hint.
Well you can knit your own dishcloths just as easily as buying one. It's a really quick and beginner friendly project. You don't even have to worry much about a stitch gauge as it's a simple square and not a garment. And the best thing is, it works really well with leftover yarn - a knitter's dream!
If you prefer to use a bought sustainable cloth, I recommend this one. For those who would like to knit their own, I have written a pattern in this blog post for my version of the knitted dishcloth, which I have named the Caja dishcloth.
First of all, the choice of yarn is very important here! You should choose yarn that is 100% cotton. This belongs to the family of very durable yarns and can also be washed at 60° in the washing machine. If you want to be extra resource-friendly, make sure that it is also organic cotton. The reason for this is that organically grown cotton is produced with a lower water content than conventional cotton.
For my Caja dishcloth, I use a remnant from my yarn stash from Søstrene Grene, the yarn Anna & Clara 100% Cotton 8/4. It has a wide range of colours and, among other things, balls that are GOTS certified (i.e. comply with the Global Organic Textile Standard). But you can choose really any yarn that is made of 100% cotton.
For one dishcloth you need:
Cotton yarn | fingering weight; washable at 60°
My yarn has a gauge of 22 x 34 = 10 x 10 cm | 8 x 8", knitted in a seed stitch pattern
I needed approx. 20g | 64 m | 70 yards of my leftover yarn
Circular knitting needle 2.5 mm, UK 12, US 2; 40 cm | 16"
scissors, darning needle
We will knit a simple moss stitch pattern for our rag, worked flat. The reason for this pattern is that it will be nice and firm and will have a good thickness to absorb water.
The seed stitch works like this:
Right side row: knit 1, purl 1, alternating to end of row.
Wrong side row: work all stitches opposite to each other, i.e. purl the knit stitches and knit the purl stitches of the previous row
And that is all there is! My dishcloth is supposed to be 20 x 20 cm | 8 x 8", but of course you can make yours a bit bigger or smaller. Just pick up a few more or less stitches.
Cast on 45 sts on circular needle 2.5 | UK 12 | US 2. Start the first row in the seed pattern, so knit 1, purl 1 alternately. At 45 sts you end with a knit 1.
Turn your work and start the back row. Begin with a knit 1, then purl 1 alternately to the end of the row. Now repeat the first row, then the second row and so on until you reach 20 cm | 8" or your desired length.
Now you only have to cast off the sts in the pattern. It doesn't matter whether you finish with a right side or a wrong side row.
Cut your working yarn and pull it through the last stitch. Finally, fasten your yarn ends with a darning needle and you are done.
That's it! That wasn't too complicated, was it?
When you have your finished Caja dishcloth, you should put it in the washing machine before using it for the first time. This will allow the yarn to really blossom and develop its absorbency for rinsing.
Make sure you always wash it in the 60° wash cycle when you use it later to remove as many germs as possible.
I hope to have given you a little push and motivation to swap your plastics by the sink for something sustainable.
If you followed my little knitting tutorial, let me part of your finished projects by tagging me on Instagram @yarn.me.up and using the #cajadishcloth!
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