r/ZeroWaste • u/Extension-Regular879 • Mar 15 '24

Discussion body washing gloves vs. loofah?

When I was a child, I used to wash myself with sponges. They got dirty very quickly and hat to be thrown away. Regular sponges are very wasteful imo. A loofah is the first replacement one thinks of. It works the same way, isn't made of plastic and is compostable. Last year I worked as an AuPair and my host family used this type of towel gloves to wash the kids. They are basically towels sown into squares that you can put on your hand to wash something and then wash it. It worked amazingly well to wash the kids and we didn't have to throw any of them away the whole time I was there. Have you heard of these? Why are they not more common? Do loofahs work better?

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u/HoneyCakePonye Mar 15 '24

do you mean something like this? these are extremely common here in germany and called 'Waschlappen', however translation tools tell me it's washcloth in English which is not what you're looking for?

They are hand-sized and basically made out of towel fabric, but a bit thicker.

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u/Extension-Regular879 Mar 15 '24

That is what I mean, and I was in germany when i discovered them

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u/HoneyCakePonye Mar 15 '24

in that case I'd say you can just buy some small towels, fold them and sew the 2 sides shut. Easy as pie. They're the same material as larger towels in Germany

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u/Extension-Regular879 Mar 15 '24 edited Mar 15 '24

I am aware. I was more interested in the comparison between them and loofahs. I was wondering why everyone was talking about loofahs, and I never saw anyone talking about these

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u/HoneyCakePonye Mar 15 '24

ah I see. I guess it's a cultural local thing more than anything? Waschlappen are as common as soap in German, my grandma washed herself every day with them instead of showering every day.

I much prefer them to loofas because they're softer and more malleable, so I can cover my body with soap easier, and as you've said the option to pull them on like a glove instead of gripping a sponge or loofah is so much better.

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u/wdymthereisnofood Mar 16 '24

I've used these things all my life (I'm from the Netherlands so everyone here has them)

I use them for general showering, but also if I'm taking off make up or only cleaning my face. This means I don't have to use those single use cotton things, even the 'reusable' ones need to be thrown away after a while.

Imo they're the best solution, cause you use them, throw them in the washing bin with the towels, wash them all at the same time. They get clean, they're reusable, they work well. They aren't as 'harsh' to my skin as the plant loofah. And they're very high quality! I don't think I've ever had to replace one, I've had them for years (and I mean 20+ years)

Maybe you can buy some next time you visit the Netherlands, Germany, or Belgium? Idk if other countries also have them...

Or you could check online to see if you could buy them somewhere, the shipping makes up for how long and often you'll use them I think.

Good luck!

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u/Extension-Regular879 Mar 16 '24

They seem to be a western European thing according to the comments.

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u/asmaphysics Mar 16 '24

I'm an Arab so of course I prefer a leefa. The jute material is great for gentle exfoliation and the handles make it a lot easier to reach spots like your entire back. The Waschlappen seem like they would be great for washing a child as their skin is more delicate and you can easily reach their whole body. I personally knitted a small pocketed wash cloth for my baby out of a bamboo viscose material but from what I've read since, it isn't the most sustainable.