Fight Grime, Twist and Shout
Photo by Twist
More than a year later, the perfect eco-friendly dishwashing and counter-scrubbing sponge remains a wantonly elusive thing. The hub and I test drove a couple of 100 percent cellulose sponges (sans scrubby sides) that we found at a natural foods store, but they soon fell apart after a few vigorous turns at the sink. We’ve dilligently swerved away from sponges with nylon-based backing—and try to stick to those that don’t claim to be antibacterial1—but the questionable dyes and plastic packaging still leave us wanting.
Twist, a new eco-friendly household products company, might be onto something, although it’s not without its shortfalls. The Boulder, Colo.-based outfit has sent out into the marketplace a 100 percent all-natural and biodegradable Loofah Sponge ($4.99 for a pack of two) that is part cellulose-cotton sponge and part Loofah plant fiber. (The cellulose comprises tree fibers from renewable-tree farms.)
Like the rest of Twist’s line, its Loofah Sponges are packed in attractive paperboard boxes that the company says are “earth friendly and recyclable.” It doesn’t mention if its packaging is made from recycled paper with any kind of post-consumer content, however, which in PR-speak usually means they’re not.
Another quibble: The antibacterial agent Twist adds to its sponges and cloths (Barquat CB 50). Here’s where things get hairy—synthetic antibacterial disinfectants are not only classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as pesticides (which have been strongly linked to the development of Parkinson’s), but they could also be encouraging drug-resistant superbacteria, allergies, immune-system failure, and dangerous environmental pollution.
To its credit, Twist does do a highly creative number on its packaging by providing instructions on how to turn it into a mini-birdfeeder. The company also says it “takes special care to make sure 99/97 percent of all waste is reused in production,” which is a knockout accomplishment.
Very close—possibly closer than any other sponge I’ve seen to date—but still no cigar.
[via CribCandy]
1The only O-Cel-O sponges being produced with the antimicrobial agent are those that explicitly say so on the packaging, according the 3M customer-service rep who responded to my e-mail.
Photo by Twist
Photo by Twist
kmkat said,
July 9, 2007 at 2:46 pm
I may be swimming against the current here, but why not use a cotton dishrag to wipe counters and sinks? Grab a clean one every day and throw the used one in the laundry hamper. Hot water, soap, maybe some bleach and it’s good to use again.
Lisa said,
July 9, 2007 at 2:50 pm
Why not knit dishrags? It is fun–they are a quick and mindless project with infinite possibilities. We use nothing but handknit dishrags and washcloths. Like KMKat says, all you have to do is wash and reuse.
Jasmin said,
July 9, 2007 at 2:57 pm
I actually do use rags for wiping counters, but the stove top often needs something tougher. Same thing for dishes—rags don’t quite work for me there.