DIY Dish Scrubber Pad (from mesh produce bags)
I swear this is NOT turing into a foodie blog, but you never know when inspiration is going to strike. In this case, it happened in my kitchen. 🙂
After my recent culinary disaster, I decided to cook a super-delish Sunday dinner for me & the fella. I settled on Coq Au Vin. This classic from Mastering the Art of French Cooking is simply THE best way to prepare chicken that I have ever discovered.
One of the ingredients, other than chicken, cognac, mushrooms, carrots, and wine (hence the vin), are these little guys:
As I began cooking, I was filled with increasing dread at the amount of dishes I would have to wash later.
Especially when I noticed the terrible condition of my dish scrubber.
Wait a sec…this looks vaguely familiar…
Those plastic onion mesh bags are about to start a new life as Dish Scrubbers!
I folded each of them inside each other, making sure the raw edge was firmly tucked inside.
I ended up with this!
My Coq Au Vin turned out wonderfully.
And thanks to my new eco-friendly dish scrubbers, cleanup was a breeze!
I’m quite happy with this sustainable solution to my scrubby situation.
And I promise to get back to fashion tomorrow. 🙂
Cheers!
41 Comments
missrose10
You can also was those in the dish washer, just pop them in where you put your silverware and put some of the silverware over it so it doesn’t pop out
Becky
Never thought to use the netting like that. Great tip. I have to say the frog scrubby holder brought me back to my child hood. My mom had one just like it. Thanks for the flash back 🙂
Erin
Oh yeah! Those make THE BEST scrubbies! I get all foo-foo with mine and fold a couple together and blanket-stitch the edges with yarn. They end up super cute, and they make cute gifts!
Joyce
Well it is a refashion – just not one you’ll wear 🙂
Flo
You know, your makeshift scrubby is probably more sanitary too as you can open it up to wash it well and let it dry.
Jay
This IS fashion Jillian – Fashion for the kitchen! What’s not to love? Never apologize for any food related posts, we all gotta eat and now we’ve got one more refashion to think about in our homes. Love it!
laurpud
Barb is right-dryer sheets to the rescue! They make using the slow cooker a breeze. I use those little bags when I make soup to holds the veggie scraps, or a chicken carcass. They do a great job of making the bones easy to take out
Nikki
Never used one of those, too hard on my antiques and nonstick. Great tip for those who do.
Meg
Tangentially related: LOVE the Fiestaware!!
Louise
Good job recycling on the spot! For when you have more time on your hands.
.http://homesteadchronicles.com/blog/crocheted-dish-scrubbie-pattern/
Abbey
glad you found enlightenment in the onion bag! jsyk, you can stretch those things a little further by cutting smaller pieces and stuffing them with a plastic grocery bag.
Lisa
I’ve been using them as scrubbies. I’ve also sewn some together to make produce bags to avoid SO MANY plastic produce bags at grocery store!
ReFashionista
I LOVE this idea! I always hate when I have to use those plastic baggies.
Connie S
My mother, goddess of thriftiness, used to do this with produce bags. I love your brilliant repurposing ideas.
Jean
I’ve been doing this for years! I like to tuck one half of the bag into itself so that the raw edges are on the same side. Then I slip a rubber band over it and roll the raw edges over the rubber band. I keep rolling until I’ve got a donut that’s easy to hold and store. When it gets grungy or full of food bits, I unroll it, remove the rubber band, and then impale it on the dishwasher prong thingies. When the dishwasher load is done, the bag is nice and clean and ready to roll into a scrubby again!
Barb
Hi to all: I know this is not a food blog but if the newly constructed scrubbie is not as successful as you thought try this. Fill pot up with hot water and a small amount of dish soap AND a dryer sheet. Yes it works overnight. Has something to do with the anti static stuff in it. I also did this with oven racks. In the bathtub with hot water and 1/2 cup dishwashing liquid and 7 dryer sheets – and overnight most of the burned on food was gone. I did this a couple of times and I am very happy with it.
Murielle
I’m going to be looking up that recipe! Wonderful use of plastic netting!
Julie
Just wanted to comment on how much I loved your red pot! Please don’t say you picked it up for $5 at a thrift store, lol!! Love all the refashions, keep them coming!
annabel52
I have an orange net bag bow (that was red in color) on a wreath in my kitchen this very minute. On the wreath are vintage cookie cutters and cookie press discs. I recycled this 5-6 years ago for Christmas and loved it so much I keep it up year round.
Once you think outside the box….you are there and everything else falls into place.
Keep up any kind of refashion, it all makes sense and saves stuff from the landfill.
Lisa, too
I just did this same thing over the weekend. And by thing, I mean the realization that food packaging can be refashioned thusly! Mine’s red, though. But great minds still think alike, yes?
Yona
Love it! I also used the mesh veggie bags as bag scrubber, foot exfoliator etc… just cut it open so you can fold it up to any size in the shower to use on your back, feet, legs….. and feels so good.
Mary
Fashion for the kitchen!!!
Lindsey
Thanks for the great tip!
SuzyDQ
is it just me, or does the first picture of Coq Au Vin (comfort food) look similar to the chicken livers? I’ll trust it turned out MUCH BETTER, though. phew!
Jillain (not Jillian)
It’s not entirely off-theme for this blog. I think once you get into the habit of looking at old clothes n a new way, you form the habit of trying to find new uses for all kinds of old things. It’s just good mental gymnastics.
jenny_o
You could write about anything and I’d read it! But I appreciate that you write about re-using and thriftiness because those are so close to my heart 🙂
GirlFriday
This is a great “refashion” idea! Thanks for sharing.
Valerie Malley
Great idea.
Lisa
If you cook, the fella should clean…just saying
Jillian McKimm
I’m with you Lisa!
Our onion bags are red, thanks for sharing! 🙂 Jillian.
Barbra
Part of being a ReFashionista is thinking outside the box. And this is the perfect example of thinking outside the box!
Don’t change a thing about your blog! We will follow you anywhere…thrift stores, sewing rooms, wine shops, the grocery store…Keep up the interesting and inspiring entries!
Kerry Franciscovich
Love this. I think it goes to show that once you start thinking in the direction of re-use and sustainability from any view point (in your case it was clothes and how wasteful we have become with them) you are more likely to begin thinking about it in every aspect of your life. I LOVE your refashions…but I love your sustainability message….which is at the heart of what you do…even more.
momwothacouponAmy
I likes it! Refashioning the bag to become a scrubby-from where I sit, it’s in keeping with the theme of the blog.
clayo
I’ve used the netting for scrubbies before. I also remember making Christmas crafts with my Grandma (back in the 60’s). We painted a quart milk carton green, slipped some red netting over it, wove in some plastic holly, added some red ribbon at the top and bottom and made a decoration that we hung from the light over our kitchen table, lol! It was pretty cute, as I recall…
johagord
Buy frozen pearl onions, then no peeling involved! Just chuck them in
Catherine
Anne: O.k. now i know what to do with the plastic bags from fruits and veggies, very god refashion, love it.
Thank-you for sharing.
Blessings
Catherine
Michele
Great idea, Jillian!!! And the Coq au Vin looks AMAZEBALLS.
Victoria Brock
I LOVE Coq Au Vin! Looks good! And you know we probably wouldn’t mind if you turned this into a Foodie blog!
Ali
I love that you re-use things! If only more people were like that – I am ALWAYS saying this is not good for our planet – let’s re-use! In my case I scored a fantastic possibly vintage dress initially tagged at $50, but turns out it was only $5 MADE IN THE USA! Funny enough I’m a size 12 and it was tagged a 1X!
Catherine
I guess I should stop throwing away the netting that comes with my produce.
http://buildinglifelongreaders.blogspot.com
Jan in Orlando
I KNEW I was saving these for SOMETHING!