Elite Natural Scrubbers From Japan
by Justin Thomas, Virginia 
on 10. 4.06
These scrub brushes from Japan are highly effective. They're made out of natural materials and last much longer than plastic scrubbers. They just do not break apart. The scrubber on the right is a Tawashi Brush — it's a natural brush made from palm fibers which are tightly bound with thick wire. Great for scrubbing pots, or for scrubbing root vegetables without bruising the skins. The scrubber on the left is made from thin ribbons of fine-grit sandpaper. It's called a "Sandclean Scrubber" and it outperforms regular sponges and steel wool. You can find them at specialty Japanese stores or online at Korin.
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We reviewed the Sandclean product earlier this year at Fork & Bottle: http://www.forkandbottle.com/shopping/internetshop/korin0106.htm
Note: They almost work too well; you have to use them gently or they may scratch whatever you're cleaning more than your want.
If you already buy onions, garlic or citrus fruits in a sack made of plastic netting I'd recommend that you recycle this material by making a scrubber out of it. It's great for the task and as you eat more your scrubber gets bigger and bigger.
I also use this material in place of disposable filter for my aquarium and it wroks really well as cleans up just like new with just a little water.
If you're planning on buying a new green product please take a moment to first consider reusing waste materials you may already be generating.
Now if only I could find a use for all those damn plastic bags.
That's really nice. It looks really rough from the picture posts though. :T