The sponge. Here is an everyday object for which I had not asked myself if it was respectful of the environment or not. I told myself that my little sponge came from the demosponge living in the sea. Pfff…too influenced by SpongeBob!
In fact, it is made of resin foam derived from petroleum and treated with chemicals that give it its color and its resistance. It is not biodegradable and its abrasive side contains a glue capable of resisting water which aggravates its ecological impact.
So I started looking for eco-friendly and zero waste alternatives. That’s when I came across the DIY from Fait en Utopie to make a Tawashi sponge with old clothes. Basically, the Tawashi sponge is made of wool and uses a Japanese knitting technique. This DIY explains how to make one in a simpler way for knitting novices.
This sponge is zero waste , machine washable and reusable for life !
You will need:
– a wooden board
– 20 nails
– scissors
– a hammer
– a felt-tip pen
– a pair of old opaque tights
– one meter
– a sheet of paper measuring 14cm on each side or a set square for the corners
1st step
Draw a square with sides measuring 14 cm.
For right angles use a sheet of paper or a set square.
2nd step
Place 1 point 3 cm from the first corner, then 4 other points every 2 cm.
Hammer a nail into each point.
Cut your tights at the legs into 10 rings 8 cm wide.
3rd step
Put on the pantyhose rings as shown in the photo
4th step
Weave the first ring as in the photo: go over, under, over, under then over and thread onto the nail.
5th step
Do the same thing, weaving in reverse: under, over, under, over then under.
Continue with the rest of the rings, reversing the weave each time.
6th step
Once you have finished weaving, cast off the stitches by unhooking a ring from its nail and passing it through the next ring and so on until the end.
The last folded ring can be used as a hook.
Here is the result!
#zerowaste #zerowastehome #zerodechet #zerodechets #diy #sponge #tawashi #recovery
