by Texas Homesteader ~
I repurposed those plastic mesh bags that produce is often sold in and fashioned them into a handy cleaning tool. Check out today’s Homestead Hack, y’all!
Repurposing Filling A (Cleaning) Need
I’m pretty fond of trying to think outside the box to provide for myself things that I used to buy. Recently I went into a frenzied canning marathon trying to get many fresh apples & pears preserved before they went bad.
But oh the sticky mess it made in my kitchen! I’ve been scrubbing my kitchen for what seems like days! LOL.
When I’ve made a mess this big I need a big scrubber – those little palm-sized ones I used to buy just don’t do it for me.
I need something big enough to hunker down when I’m scrubbing sticky canning residues from stockpots & countertops. You know, BIG messes for which I may or may not have been responsible. (eh hemmmm…)
And luckily I’m able to easily provide this handy cleaning tool for myself. As a bonus it’s much larger and thicker than the wimpy ones I used to buy.
No Tools Needed – Finger Crochet
Have you ever heard of finger crochet? Me neither, did I just make that up?? Although I’d never heard of it before a reader told me they did finger crochet in elementary school.
DARN, there goes another original million-dollar idea destined to make me filthy rich!
I used to do some light crocheting when I was in junior high although back then I used crochet hooks. But I remember nothing but the most basic stitches.
So this post is certainly not a tutorial for crochet (and you’re WELCOME) I’m just giving you a quick craft idea & I’m assuming you already know the basic stitches.
But c’mon, it’s just a scrubbie – perfection doesn’t even matter here anyway! In no time you can whip one of these up for yourself.
Gather Supplies
First I saved several mesh produce bags. I cut off the sewn-paper/plastic advertising part at the top and the metal ring at the bottom. Now I’m left with a long mesh sleeve about 21″ long. I cut each sleeve by 1/4, making 4 rings about 5″ to 5.5″ wide each.
Then I stretched the rings out & quickly joined them together into one long mesh rope chain. I did this by looping one ring through a second ring and then looping the first back through itself.
(clear as mud?? LOL) Although it’s hard to describe, it’s easy to do.
Remember when you were a kid and thought it would be funny to join all the rubber bands into one big rubber band & stuff it all back in your father’s desk?
No? Just me??
OK well anyway you’ll join these together in the same way children whom shall remain nameless would join together a bunch of rubber bands.
Crochet Scrubber Using Basic Stitch
When I had a large thick rope of mesh I crocheted the rope into a round pad.
Now the first one I made I tried using a rug hook since I knew a crochet hook would be too small. What madness!
The rug hook kept getting hung up into the mesh. I figured it would be much easier to just crochet by hand and you know what?
IT WAS!
The loops are big enough that I can easily use my fingers instead.
So using basic stitches I finger-crocheted that mesh into a large pot scrubber of my own size requirements. Now THIS bad boy does the trick!
I love that these mesh bags were diverted from the landfill. (I’m not even sure if they’re recyclable??)
Instead I’ve turned them into something useful. This Texas-sized scrubber will greatly assist me the next time I try to single-handedly destroy my kitchen with a canning marathon! 🙂
~TxH~
This post categorized in 
Want To See Our Natural Cleaning Posts?
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- Grandma-Approved Cleaning Techniques
- Laundry-Scent Booster
- Cleaning Blood On Clothing
- Many Magical Uses For Baking Soda
- Make A Natural Air Freshener For Pennies
- How To Clean A Narrow-Neck Jar
- Easily Cleaning Stuck-On Food From Cast Iron
- MYO Citrus-Scented Cleaner
- All-Natural Lavender-Scented Hand Scrub
- MYO All-Natural Carpet Cleaner
- Gentle Homemade Dog Shampoo – 2 Formulas
- Saving Your Fingernails While Cleaning
- Repurposing Mesh Bags For Scrubbing
- How To Use ALL Of Your Spray Cleaner
- The Secret To Streak-Free Glass Cleaning
- MYO All-Natural Wood Cutting Board Conditioner
- Why I Grow My Own Luffa Scrubby (and why you should too!)
See All Our Natural Cleaning Posts
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Such a great idea!! Thank you for sharing with as at the To Grandma’s house we go link party, you will be featured in the new party starting tomorrow, hope to see you there!
How exciting – thanks! ~TxH~
What a great idea! Next time I buy a bag of fruit, I’ll have to try this!
You’re my neighbor in Rosilind’s Christian Blogger’s Linkup!
Have a Lovely Day!
I’m so glad you stopped by Lillian! ~TxH~
You are so crafty! I never would have thought to do this and it’s such a great idea! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Share The Wealth Sunday!
I hate to throw this thing away so I can buy this other thing so I’m often pondering on repurposing options, Lisa. This one works doubly well for me since I can quickly make a scrubber of my own size requirements. ~TxH~
Such a great way to repurpose something into something else that is so useful! Thank you so much for sharing with us at Dishing It & Digging It!
It’s a handy thing to have too Angie. Yea! ~TxH~
I love repurposed crafts and this one is genius! I could use a giant pot scrubber for sure! Thanks for sharing your awesome project with us at Merry Monday this week!
I do love having such a large pot scrubber, Marie. It makes short work out of my messy messiness! ~TxH~
Wow! That’s a neat idea! Thanks for sharing on the Family Joy Link Up.
They’ve sure been helpful in kitchen cleanup, Alicia. ~TxH~
This is a very cool idea. I bet it works great. Thanks for sharing on the Waste Less Wednesday Hop!
yes ma’am Katy – works great. ~TxH~
You are too funny Taylor. But not the only one who destroys your kitchen. haha. This is a really great repurpose of those mesh bags. And we always want to be environmentally friendly so you have my vote of confidence on that one. As long as it works right? And it is a very pretty color to boot! Pinning your great idea.
Awesome Mary – thanks for the pin! ~TxH~
That is a very cool idea!
…and there’s always a plentiful supply of those mesh bags, Laura. Either I’m getting them or family members are saving them for me. I’m thinking if I cut the rings thinner for a smaller weave it might make a cute homemade gift to accompany homemade soap. Hummmmm…. ~TxH~
Love it! Pinning it now 🙂
Awesome – thanks for the pin! ~TxH~
What a smart idea! Waste not, want not 🙂
I agree Connie, & I love that I didn’t have to throw this netting away & then turn around and buy a scrubber. Win/win! ~TxH~
How clever. crochet! That leaves me out. I roll up the net bags, tie with a string in the middle and that’s my cheap scrubby :} Normally I use them for storing onions, small toys, basketball and or football and then hang up out of the way; etc.
I’ve rolled the net bags before Colleen but they didn’t stay with the (eh hemmmm) AGGRESSIVE scrubbing I do. LOL ~TxH~
Brillant! Gotta try this.
‘Tis an easy way to make something useful out of something that’s outlived its usefulness, Cynthia. Give it a try. ~TxH~
great idea!!
This. Is. Brilliant. What a great idea!
LOL Michelle. I was able to make 3 scrubbers just while relaxing in my chair with our little dog schnoodling in my lap. I’m a big fan of easy! ~TxH~
Thank you, Tammy! I have seen these at craft sales and always wanted to learn to make my own.
It’s a relaxing activity that can be done while watching tv Shelley. Give it a try. ~TxH~
Hi Tammy! Stopping by from the Homestead Blog Hop. Love this idea, and very clever of you to “crochet” with your fingers. It reminds me of arm knitting. 🙂
I use old mesh bags in kind of the same way. If I have something really messy and don’t want to ruin my regular scrubber, I just take an bag and scrunch it up in my hand and scrub with it. It’s great for cheese and for greasy roasting pans. Then I can just toss it in the trash. Pinning this post!
Thanks for the pin, Marge. One of these pads I made the other day was large enough to do what RancherMan refers to as ‘foot scrubbing’. When I make a huge sticky splattered mess in the kitchen, I spray some of the worst places with vinegar/water and use my foot and a large scrubber to loosen up the stuck-on mess. Then mopping is a cinch. It sure beats my previous method of hands-n-knees scrubbing! I always have a large scrubber in my floor cleaning kit. ~TxH~