Shower Poofy Hack

[Carly B]

I have to agree with DeeAnna. In my bathroom, something like that would never dry out completely, and would start to smell after a couple days. I have too much to do to wash and dry a stinky cloth bath pouf every few days. I even tried crocheting a small bag for soap scraps using an openweave stitch and 100% cotton yarn, and it got gross after two uses.

Now making something out of a nylon mesh is a different story....

 

[amd]

In my bathroom, something like that would never dry out completely, and would start to smell after a couple days.

This is a concern for me as well - I think DeeAnna and I live in similar weather regions, and if I remember correctly neither of us have AC in our home. In the summer the bathroom humidity becomes an issue - my husband washes towels much more frequently because they do get funky sooner. This is a handy idea for me to test out as I have towels I'm currently replacing, and as we head into summer months I'll have a decent idea of whether it works or is not. Others may have better "bathroom conditions" than I do, so they may find that they don't have issues. I think multiple poofs would be needed in my house to replace those being washed - which with one large towel it is doable to make several at one time. This may just appease my desire to repurpose and replace plastic within my own house and I'm ok with that. If other people find the DIY hack useful too, even better. If it doesn't work for selling, then it doesn't work for selling, I'm not as concerned about that.

I even tried crocheting a small bag for soap scraps using an openweave stitch and 100% cotton yarn, and it got gross after two uses.

I had the same issue with those, I think it has more to do with the soap bar being inside the bag. Keep in mind a poof is only going to get a couple swipes of the soap bar, so the soap on the poof isn't going to be as concentrated as a bag with soap in it. We switched to nylon mesh bags for keeping our soap slivers in. My daughter and I find the lather from those bags to be very helpful for shaving. The poofs though... I'd like to get rid of them in my house. We buy 5 new poofs every month and it irritates me that the old ones are going into the garbage.

 

[violets2217]

I buy everything I can at goodwill or like stores. We went to the local mall for the first time in about 3 years last month because the kids want some clothing we couldn’t find at goodwill. They have learned they have free reign at thrift stores because the cost is a fraction of what it would be at a retail store & they are becoming more environmentally conscious. But I’ve never bought towels, only because I’ve not bought towels in quite a while... lol! It’s way past time. I’ve bought second hand sheets, blanket and pillowcases to sew things... reusable bags pj and stuff. Sadly goodwill does not wash there donated items prior to reselling, I asked... so everything goes straight to the washer outta the bag. If I find 100% cotton linens I use the for my fabric paper towels and bowl cozies i sew.

I do use the sanitize cycle on my towels if they are extra dirty... they cycle just takes so long and requires extra detergent and oxi clean.

On a side note, when I first made soap, I used some washcloth to sew a soap pocket thingy for all my scraps to use up and it never dried in the shower. It always got smelly, slimy and crusty, but always washed well. But only because it always had damp soap in it. Still wanna try these out! I’m always excited about reusable items & I buy way to many poofy thingy things!

 

[msunnerstood]

I think I’d only use white so that I could bleach them during the wash cycle. I have a white towel that has one corner completely shredded. Think I’ll experiment with that.

We shop at second-hand stores all the time. My conscientious daughter refuses to buy brand new clothes. She even bought her prom dress from Goodwill. I’ve caught on too and have bought some nice dresses. Line a seem hard to come buy. Probably because someone is conducting quality-control which didn’t even occur to me.

All of my daughter's dance dresses came from goodwill and that was her choice. Nice to have thrifty kids. My wedding dress came from goodwill and it wasnt hugely expensive to have it altered.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Like @violets2217' I love the "Thrift Stores" shopped them for years' Ive bought just about every thing a household could use. I call them my "Fun Stores" cause you could find hidden treasures for penny's. Though the cost of items as of late have really gone up... Ugh . The Scrubber looks like a great idea if it can be rinsed out & dried between usage, as far as selling them w/ recycled or used material' not a problem as long as the buyer knows. A lot of ppl like the idea of using recycled items. The amount of brand new items including Bath Towels' Wash Cloths' being donated by big corporations is common practice at the GoodWill's & Salvation Army's.

 

[Quilter99755]

My daughter makes jewelry and has this type of bag in many sizes. We use them as soap keepers for bit ends of soap bars, or my failed syndet shampoo bars that seem to fall apart.

https://www.amazon.com/Bouraw-Organ...1&keywords=jewelry+bags&qid=1621697522&sr=8-8
Our shower has no window so anything cotton in the shower smells funky after one day. These do not, at least for us. Our area is very dry but due to no window, our bathroom is humid. Once these bags get wet, the soap or shampoo lathers well and always dries out within a few hours on a soap saver tray. And they are organza rather than nylon. When the soap slivers are done, I rinse them out, air dry them and put them back in the jar for further use. I don't know how I did without them.

I have a sewing machine but would not even think about using cotton, let alone toweling to make the poofs. I'd be taking them apart on a daily basis just to get them to dry. I have thought about making a poof out of organza, but these little bags work just fine on my skin, so I figured "why bother".

 

[TheGecko]

This seems rather disrespectful.

I greatly dislike hypocrisy. You don't get to give your "personal opinion" then decide that others aren't entitled their own.

Sorry but I have traumas in my past (and some not so past) that contextualize this idea beyond just a craft project. So no I didn't take it too far.

Your apology is accepted and yeah, you really did take it too far. Way too far. Completely off the scale far. Seriously..."violated'...by a used towel?!? But let me take it a little 'further' for you...how do you know when you buy that "outer clothing", that folks were wearing undergarments. Both of my daughters go 'commando', how do you know that that t-shirt was used to clean up after sex?

 

[TheGecko]

I thought I would share this DIY that I found. I haven't yet made them (I don't have a sewing machine lol) but if I can find a basic machine, or, ahem, ask my momma to do it for me... I thought these would be a great addition to sell at craft shows.

Good timing as I'm getting ready to replace all of our bathroom towels (some of them are older than our kids - oldest is 19!) They'll make good testers anyways, I imagine for selling I would want to use new towels - or do you think people would not be skeeved out by upcycled?

You'd need an overlock machine to do the edges as illustrated in the cover photo. Otherwise you would need to fold over the edges and run a zig zag stitch on the inside edge.

Whether they would go over well or not is going to depend on the type of craft shows and the attendees. You're going to have your "Karens" and germophobes that will freak out and go off on you for using 'used' towels. However, if there is a lot of upcycling, folks will probably think they are great.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I did not read every word in this thread, but I wonder what the people who get squeamish about using a clean/sanitized towel do when they go to a hotel.

 

[GemstonePony]

I greatly dislike hypocrisy. You don't get to give your "personal opinion" then decide that others aren't entitled their own.



Your apology is accepted and yeah, you really did take it too far. Way too far. Completely off the scale far. Seriously..."violated'...by a used towel?!? But let me take it a little 'further' for you...how do you know when you buy that "outer clothing", that folks were wearing undergarments. Both of my daughters go 'commando', how do you know that that t-shirt was used to clean up after sex?

Ewww. I already have a goal of eventually being in a space where I can make my own clothing that both fits and lasts (I don't think that's a thing that's available commercially... At least, not in a price range for my everyday wear), but for now I get to be grossed out by my wardrobe because it's what's in my price range.

I did not read every word in this thread, but I wonder what the people who get squeamish about using a clean/sanitized towel do when they go to a hotel.

Bring our own, or, if that's not an option and not showering is even more disgusting, use them anyways. People do things they find repulsive and disgusting all the time.

 

[earlene]

I did not read every word in this thread, but I wonder what the people who get squeamish about using a clean/sanitized towel do when they go to a hotel.

I have seen people bring their own sheets & towels to hotels & motels. Sleeping bags made of sheet material is sold for this express purpose (not as towels, but as protection from hotel sheets).

I actually to keep a spare towel and washcloth in my luggage when I travel because sometimes I have stayed at places that sparingly provide flimsy bath linens. I generally don't return to those places, but at times, checking out and searching for another place when I am exhausted, just doesn't seem viable.

 

[JuLeeRenee]

I did not read every word in this thread, but I wonder what the people who get squeamish about using a clean/sanitized towel do when they go to a hotel.

They take their own stuff to use.
I use to work at a hotel and after working at one, yep I take my own stuff.