Crochet Can Keep You Clean...All While Solving Problems and Saving the World

If you've read any of my other blogs (specifically: Crochet Solves Problems) you know that I love using crochet to solve a problem. And for me, a particular pet-peeve of mine is having to replace bath poufs on a regular basis.

Jasmie, coconut, passion fruit, lilac...the list is endless of good smells than can be had through the miracle of body wash. In 2018, Americans spent 2.6 Billion dollars on liquid body wash (see stats here) and there really is no better way to apply that smelly-goodness to your arms and legs than with a bath pouf. The lather it creates is unparalleled; you certainly can't get it from a traditional washcloth or just by using your hands. 

But man those things are fragile! They usually end up moldy and stinky in a very short period of time. Or they just completely fall apart. They're certainly too delicate to make it through the washing machine, which would help the mold/stink issues. But good golly, when you need one to try out that most recent impulse purchase of super-good-smelling liquid body wash, you need it! There simply is no replacing the lather you can get with a pouf. 

Then there is the other problem. Yeah, they're reasonable enough in price (provided you keep your eye open for sales) and you could just make it part of your bath routine that you replace the pouf on a regular basis. But hey - that super-awesome lather creating netting is plastic. And as you read in my last blog - Crochet Can Save The World - there are just somethings that won't break down in the landfills. 

I was at the fork in the cross-roads again. I wanted to use a particular product but it chapped my ass at how destructive and wastefull it was to me and to the environment. So I did what I normally do. I turned to my craft to try and fix the problem. 

At first I tried simply crocheting the pouf from cotton yarn. I used this free pattern on Ravelry more times than I can count (Five Piece Bath Set by Priscilla Hewitt) making them for family and friends. And as fun as they were to make and as cute as they were piled up in a basket with other bath items, they didn't actually solve the problem. Yes, they wouldn't impact the environment like the poufs would, as they were made from cotton and could go through the washing machine. But they don't lather up like a pouf. It was more like using an exfoliator. Which, looking at where things stand now, that might not be a bad thing. The world has gotten on the all-natural loofah train for exfoliating your body. But this industry may be in trouble...(See market analysis abstract here)

So, what was my next move? I just went without. For years I didn't use any liquid body wash. I stuck with my tried and true bar soap. Any liquid soap I got as a gift I just regifted. And yes, I get that this is not a life-altering issue...boo hoo, you have to smell neutral and clean when your done in the shower...but c'mon! You know what it's like to walk into the soap aisle at the local store and just ooh and ahh over all the latest scents and smells that are available (at least I assume you do, or you probably wouldn't be reading this blog). And yes, damnit - I was jealous!

So the idea of an alternative to the pouf that would be good for the environment and provide me with the ability to get all lathered up in the newest liquid soap scent on the market never left my mind. And one day I was looking on the internet at crochet patterns and I happened across one of a "rubber ducky" and it was just an instant click in my head. THIS is the answer to my shower fantasies!

I was inspired to create a crocheted "rubber ducky" using cotton yarn and filling the inside with the pieces of a purchased pouf.  You get all the lather power of a store-bought body pouf but with the added bonus of being able to throw it in the washing machine and dryer. No more stink and no more repetitive pouf purchases! How do I know this is true? I tested it! I did the float test (week 45 in the Etsy Shop highlight on my Instagram account), the lather test, and ran the duck through the washer and dryer. Duckie passed all the tests but the float test. So no, Duckie won't be bobbing along the water during my bath time, but that's ok. He's still cute and I love him 🐤

And while I realize it's not the perfect solution as I'm still using a non-biodegradeable product, I'm only using part of one. I can create a couple of duckies from one pouf. And I have no intention of throwing it in the landfill anytime soon. I'm not perfect and Rome wasn't built in a day. We won't save our earth over night but every step we take in the right direction is one that we didn't take in the wrong direction. So my hands are a little "dirty" but I'll clean them up with my duckie and continue to look for ways to move forward in being more responsible to and for the planet I live on ❤🌎❤