Making Scrubbies

16 years ago

As requested, this is how I make scrubbies:

I am going to start with an assumption that you don't know how to sew. If you do, skip the first part.

1. I use heavy carpet/button thread. You want a good strong knot at the end of the double thread (threaded through the eye of a long needle). If you have never done this, this is how I do it. Wet your index finger and thumb (saliva works well for this), wrap the thread around your index finger and roll with the thumb.

2. You should have a good knot.

I bought about 12 yards of coarse net/mesh at JoAnns. Anything like that will work. It was about 72" wide, folded into fourths. I cut pieces across the mesh that were 6" wide. Then I folded it in half.

3. Anchor the thread: On the folded end push the needle through the mesh and then between the two threads just below the knot. I do this because the knot will slip right through the mesh if just try to sew without anchoring it.

4. Pull the thread taught. Make sure the knot is secure.

5. Sew the length of the mesh packet down the middle.

6. Cut any folded edges. Believe me this is much easier before you gather the mesh.

7. Pull on the thread and the mesh will start gathering up.

8. Secure the gather. Pull the thread as tight as you can. Wrap the thread around the mesh two or three times, really tightly. Make a couple of knots through the thread to secure it.

9. This is at the point of being securely tied and knotted.

Start pulling the layers of mesh apart.
Finished scrubbie.
I got really tired of making scrubbies so #12 shows a really big one. I switched to bigger ones, then at the end just crumpled up the mesh and jammed it in the bag. :-)

Hope this makes sense and helps

Anne

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Comments (10)

diggery
16 years ago
Makes perfect sense. Even *I* don't have a question after your excellent instructions, lol. I like that you started out w/the basics. Too many times I look at a tutorial and can't figure out how to *arrive* at the *starting point* :0 (ok, so i'm a kinesthetic learner)

Thanks for your valuable time in putting this together. Ya done good!

~digger
annedickinson
Original Author
16 years ago
Digger,

At this point I don't know if all the sewing is really necessary. A friend bought LOTS of manufatured scrubbies and took them apart for her skippy.

So... why not just crumple up the mesh in a bag to begin with. Skip the sewing part!

BTW. I am soooooo happy with my new filter. I know that sweet BF hates fish ponds, and yet, he worked all weekend on the filter for me. I sat out there for a long time tonight just totally enjoying it.
Anne
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goodkarma_
16 years ago
Great tutorial! Anne, the reason not to put it in a mesh bag (and to do make them per your instructions) is that water will take the path of least resistance and float around the mesh bags. I know the scrubbies themselves create some water resistance, but not as much as putting in mesh bags. Good work!

Lisa
annedickinson
Original Author
16 years ago
Lisa,

Thanks for the suggestion on not putting the scrubbies in a net bag. I'll take them out.

Anne
denisew
16 years ago
My great aunt used to make those - usually with two colors of netting (so they would be pretty) - as devices to remove pet hair from furniture. ;-) But they are great for cleaning and scrubbing all kinds of things inside and outside the house.
annedickinson
Original Author
16 years ago
There is also a way to make them crochetting. Some day I'll sit down, figure out how to do it and then post that.

Anne
annedickinson
Original Author
15 years ago
After spending hours crocheting traditional scrubbies this weekend I think making them the way I pictured in the first post is much quicker and easier.

Anne
koilady
15 years ago
Hi everyone, the only thing that I can see that might be a problem with these hand made scrubbies is that the material might be so light that they will bunch together and eventually get clogged with light brown particulate and then the good bacteria would start to die because it isn't getting enough oxygen.
If the material you are using is coarse and hard like the plastic scrubbies that are used to clean out pots and pans, it should work fine but if the material is soft like what women use to bathe themselves, I'm not sure it will work properly.
Let me know what you think.

Your's Koily, Lorraine
annedickinson
Original Author
15 years ago
Lorraine,

The water is crystal clear so, as far as I can tell, all is working well. Some of the scrubbies are sewed as in the diagram. Later on I got tired of making them so the netting is just bunched up an put in the filter. So some is loose, some isn't.

Your point is well-taken and I'll keep that in mind for future endeavors.

Anne
diggery
14 years ago
Just adding here re the use of mesh bags. Lisa makes a good point...water will take the path of least resistance. That bit of wisdom acknowledged, I have used mesh bags to hold my scrubbies since day one of my skippy addition with excellent results (7+ yrs?) HOWEVER, the bags cover 100% of my skippy surface, slightly overlapping, so there is NO WAY water can travel *around* them. Plus I have a layer of batting covering the bags which adds a finer layer of filter material before the water exits the skippy. The layers are topped with a 2nd piece of grate which I then sprig with various plants/cuttings which add yet more filtration & make the skippy invisible. I've never experienced a problem with this set-up in all these years.

Granted, this might not be the best route for everyone....as my skippy is small because my pond is small. I also have loose scrubbies surrounding my submerged pumps and I find that the mesh bags make it MUCH easier to clean my skippy each spring.