How to make a loofah washcloth with your own hands: instructions with photos

Today everything natural is in fashion. Natural food, natural cosmetics, clothing made from natural fibers. The bathhouse is generally a stronghold of naturalness, starting from the logs and ending with the broom. Naturally, in the realm of environmentally friendly items there should be no exceptions, even in such little things as washcloths. No synthetics. Why is she in the bathhouse if there is such a wonderful product in the world as a loofah washcloth? Our story today is about her.

What is luffa?

Luffa belongs to the pumpkin family and is considered to be native to Asia. Its appearance resembles a liana and can reach a length of up to 5 meters; thanks to these qualities, this plant is often used as a hedge.

Forms a weak root system that is located on the surface.

The fruits can reach a size of 70 centimeters. Depending on the degree of maturity, there are several ways to use them:

Young fruits are widely used in cooking; they are prepared in the same way as zucchini. They have many useful qualities and are appreciated by lovers of tasty and healthy food.
Mature specimens make an excellent luffa washcloth. This unusual use is due to the structure of the vegetable. When the fruit is fully ripe, it becomes strong, fibrous and reticulated.

Loofah as a plant

From a botanical point of view, loofah is a representative of the genus of herbaceous vines, which, in turn, are part of the pumpkin plant family. It grows only in warm countries of the world, so it can only be found within Asia and Africa. And since, in addition to high temperature, it also loves humidity, it grows most actively exclusively in regions characterized by a tropical or subtropical climate.

In total, there are more than 50 species of luffa in the world, however, despite some differences between them, almost all plants of this species have similar characteristics. In particular, these include the presence of leaves with five or seven well-defined lobes, which can sometimes be fused together. When the loofah blooms, it produces large white or yellow flowers. Depending on the type of flower - pistillate or staminate - they can be either located singly or collected in inflorescences.

After flowering, a fruit is formed on the trunk of the loofah, which, as it grows, acquires a cylindrical shape and a coarse-fiber structure, and there are a large number of seeds inside the fruit. Loofah is predominantly a wild vine, but some of its species used in the production of products from it are specially bred on farms and in other agricultural institutions.

Beneficial features

Loofah seeds contain a huge amount of edible oil and protein. Luffa is included in many cosmetic products.

There are also vegetable and technical varieties of this plant. They differ in the quality of the oil obtained and in the scope of its use. Technical varieties are used to prepare loofah, and the oil obtained from the seeds is included in various face masks and other cosmetics. Food grades are used in cooking.

Not only the fruits and seeds of the plant, but also their green part have beneficial properties. For example, the juice from luffa stems in Japan is widely used to create lipstick or used as a lotion to cleanse the skin.

Before World War II, luffa (loofah) was used for industrial production. Due to its light and porous texture, it was used in various filters and diesel parts.

Also, due to good sound insulation and high strength, the fruits of the plant were used as an inner layer in the manufacture of steel helmets and automotive equipment for the US Army.

Types of luffa

One of the most specific representatives of the pumpkin family is the luffa. Many gardeners who are just starting to grow it on their plots want to know how to make a loofah from a plant. First you need to choose the right variety.

Luffa sharp-ribbed - this subspecies of the plant is much easier to grow because it is less demanding on soil and care, and it is also less susceptible to various diseases. The flowers bloom at night, so they are pollinated by nocturnal insects or by hand. The fruits should be consumed before full ripeness, when their size is 30-40 centimeters, otherwise the taste of the product will change and be bitter. In its shape, luffa of this variety resembles a cone or club, the surface is ribbed, the skin is difficult to separate from the pulp.

The fruits are consumed in the same way as cucumbers. But at the same time they are included in curries and added to soups. The leaves, shoots and flowers of the plant are also edible; by simmering them for a few minutes and mixing them with oil, you can get an unusual and tasty side dish.

Cylindrical luffa - this is the subspecies suitable for making loofahs. The length of the fruits can reach 70 centimeters, becoming slightly pointed towards the stalk. They are distinguished by thin skin, which is easy to separate, and delicate white pulp. According to the method of preparation, it is no different from sharp-ribbed luffa.

Varieties of luffa

There are more than 50 species of luffa, but only two types of plants have become widespread. Other types of plants produce too small fruits and require quite a lot of care. Therefore, it makes no sense to grow them

Luffa ribbed

The young fruits of the ribbed luffa are used for cooking. It is stewed, boiled, and added to other dishes. It can be eaten raw and even canned. The pulp of young shoots is juicy and sweetish (very similar to the taste of cucumber).

But when the time comes for the fruit to ripen, the pulp turns into dry fiber. When the fruit dries completely, a sponge of woven dry fibers forms inside. It is taken from the dried fruit and used to make washcloths, rugs, mattress filling, and even to make hats. Filters for insulation are made from pressed luffa sponge.

Luffa cylindrical (or Egyptian)

This species produces smooth, cylindrical or club-shaped fruits. This plant is often called loofah luffa. However, cylindrical luffa can be used not only for making washcloths.

The scope of its application is the same as that of the sharp-ribbed relatives. But, most often, natural washcloths are made from it. This species has tender and juicy pulp, delicate and thin skin that is easy to peel from dry fruit.

Growing seedlings

Many summer residents are wondering how to plant and grow luffa (loofah). The answer lies in the biological characteristics of this plant. It has a fairly long growing season, so the process usually begins with germination of seedlings.

Since luffa seeds are very hard and covered with a thick shell, they need to be prepared for planting. To do this, about a week before work, they need to be placed in a very warm place, with an air temperature of at least 40 degrees.
Then they need to be soaked in aloe juice for 20-30 minutes.
You need to start growing seedlings in early April so that the fruits have time to ripen before the onset of winter cold.
The soil must be nutritious and loose, in order to avoid the occurrence of bacterial diseases, it should be disinfected.
The first shoots should appear 5-6 days after sowing.
In order for the luffa (loofah) to receive as many nutrients as possible, when growing seedlings it needs to be watered twice with mullein diluted in water in a ratio of one to ten.

Loofah - edible healing sponge

24.02.2020

Despite the fact that eco-friendly washcloths are often made from loofah, many in our country are not familiar with this plant. Although it is exotic, it grows well here too. Once you grow a loofah and add it to your diet, testing it as a cosmetic, medicinal and handy home remedy, you will not remain indifferent to it. Moreover, this plant is not very whimsical.

The name “loofah” is given to a whole galaxy of herbaceous tropical vines from the Pumpkin family. In nature, there are more than 50 varieties of this plant, but only two of them are used for domestic needs - sharp-ribbed and cylindrical. All the rest grow too small and do not have the necessary physical characteristics for which large fruits are valued.

Externally, luffa (luffa, luffa) resembles its close “relatives” - zucchini and cucumber.

The ribbed loofah is grown mainly for its fruits, which, when unripe, are used like ordinary cucumbers in salads, soups, side dishes and other dishes. The fruits are long, from 30 cm or more, the pulp of the greens is starchy and tasty. Loofah contains 1.5 times more carotene than sweet peppers and carrots. It is also grown for its seeds, which contain about 50 percent edible oil. But the oil obtained from cylindrical loofah is poisonous, not suitable for food and is used only as a medicine.

The fruits of the cylindrical (loofah) loofah are also edible at a young age, but by the end of summer they become woody, dry out and are used to make washcloths, various decorative crafts and other household items.

Ribbed luffa

Cylindrical luffa

When grown in our conditions, the harvest can be 7-12 young fruits weighing 2-3 kg. As they ripen, they lose moisture and their weight decreases.

This vine is native to the subtropical and tropical regions of Asia and Africa. It is grown commercially today in China, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Brazil and the Caribbean. You can successfully grow loofah on an industrial scale in the south of the Caucasus, in the Krasnodar Territory and in the Crimea.

This amazing plant can be a real decoration of the garden - it looks elegant throughout the entire growing season.

Loofah can be eaten, used to treat certain diseases, used as bath accessories and cosmetics, and can also be used to make stylish, eco-friendly interior items.

Even before the middle of the last century, technical parts were produced from the ripe fruits of the cylindrical loofah - filters, seals for mechanisms, etc. Now they have been replaced by synthetic materials...

What are the benefits of luffa?

The leaves of this plant contain a lot of carotene, vitamin C, iron and protein. It can be an excellent source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, zinc, vitamins A, B and C.

The leaves, fruits, and seeds of the plant are a folk remedy for many diseases. In eastern countries, a decoction is prescribed for eczema, dermatitis, dropsy, leprosy, and hemorrhoids. In Africa, the juice of the leaves is used to treat conjunctivitis. By drinking the juice orally they fight jaundice, and by rubbing it they treat wounds and ulcers. Loofah is useful for anemia, bronchopulmonary, joint diseases, and helps young mothers increase lactation.

Loofah dressings (designed by Mauricio Afonso) are a better alternative to plaster.

What can you make from loofah?

Unripe loofah fruits have a delicate, pleasant taste that is similar to the taste of zucchini and cucumber.

Young loofah fruits, 10-20 centimeters long, are eaten as long as they retain their delicate taste and aroma, as well as shoots, leaves, buds and flowers. The green mass is stewed and served as a side dish. The shoots and buds are good in salads.

The juice of young leaves has a peculiar bitter-musky taste.

The tender green loofah fruits are eaten raw, boiled, stewed, fried, stuffed and pickled. Place in soups, stews, salads, stew with mushrooms or beans. Fruit pulp is added to omelettes.

The seeds, similar to watermelon, can be roasted and eaten as sunflower seeds.

Loofah goes well with olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, pepper, ginger, cumin, as well as legumes, seafood, rice and rice noodles.

For storage, luffa fruits are washed, peeled, cut and frozen. Young fruits are cut into slices and dried.

Loofah loofah

This plant sponge does not cause allergies, and at the same time as washing it provides a good massage of the skin and muscles of the body. Due to its rigidity, it has a peeling effect. After washing your skin with such a washcloth, it becomes as soft as a child’s.

At the same time, you need to know that the degree of hardness of a loofah depends on its maturity - the more mature the plant is, the harder its pulp will be. Its age is visually determined using the size of the washcloth itself and the size of its cells. The larger they are, the rougher the loofah. Sometimes dark seeds can be found in the mesh mass. They are also an indicator of maturity, and therefore toughness. These washcloths should not be used by people with sensitive skin.

After each use, the vegetable sponge should be thoroughly washed with soap, preferably with laundry soap, and dried on a radiator.

How to make an eco-loofah sponge?

Quite simple. To do this, the ripe fruits need to be dried a little. When the seeds begin to make noise when shaken, the ends of the fruit need to be cut off and the peel carefully removed. Next, the loofah is poured with boiling water, wrapped and left for 15-20 minutes. You can also boil the prepared fruits for 15 minutes in a soap solution. Then the loofah is cooled, the seeds are shaken out, the remaining peel is removed, washed, dried and decorated in the form of a washcloth.

Fruits processed in this way are also used as insoles for shoes and linings for hats.

The loofah is also used to make scrub soap. This soap opens pores, facilitates skin breathing, and stimulates blood and lymph circulation.

How to make soap with loofah?

In a water bath, without bringing to a boil, melt baby soap or soap base with the addition of a small amount of water. If desired, add vegetable dye (beet juice, onion peel decoction, St. John's wort or other natural dyes), essential oils for flavoring, as well as base oils: peach, almond, olive or any other.

Mix the mixture thoroughly. Place the prepared loofah into a suitable cylindrical container and fill with soap mixture. When the soap has cooled, remove it from the container and cut into pieces.

In addition, the loofah is suitable for makeup removing sponges and sponges. Apply cleanser to a dampened sponge and wipe your face in a circular motion, then rinse with warm water.

And from the young stems and leaves of the loofah, you can prepare a skin-whitening lotion. Just squeeze out the juice and wipe your face and hands with it.

Design ideas with loofah

Thermos and mugs with loofah inserts. They are comfortable to hold in your hands without the risk of getting burned:

Original lampshade made of loofah. When heated by a lamp, it does not emit unpleasant odors, unlike synthetic materials:

Acoustic loofah wall tiles provide excellent sound insulation:

Cute bath slippers:

Interior toys made from loofah:

Dental toys for animals are gaining popularity in Japan.

How to grow loofah loofah?

Since loofah is a heat-loving plant and has a long growing season, it is best to grow it in seedlings or in a greenhouse.

If you want to grow a loofah with long fruits, then the seeds for seedlings should be sown already in January, since the loofah needs a long photoperiod and an elevated temperature of up to 25 degrees Celsius. For the sake of growing only edible fruits, seeds of both types of loofah can be sown as seedlings in early April.

Growing loofah seedlings is a complex process. Its seeds are very hard, covered with a thick shell and require heating for a whole week at a temperature of about 40 degrees before sowing. They must be sown sprouted in pots with a diameter of 4x4 cm, and after two weeks the seedlings are transplanted with a lump of earth into larger containers with a diameter of 8-10 cm. After 20-25 days, another transplant, this time into pots with a diameter of 13-15 cm, in which the seedlings remain until planted in the ground in a permanent place. For planting in open ground, choose warm, sunny and windless areas of the garden. And don’t forget to provide a good support for the vine.

Already 10 days after the final transplantation, young lufina cucumbers can be used for food.

By mid-August, the fruits of the cylindrical loofah begin to coarse and become tough. At the stage of technical ripeness, they are only suitable for washcloths. To obtain longer sponges, the side shoots are pinched, and 9-10 fruits are left on the main stem. If the loofah does not grow in a greenhouse, then in August it is advisable to cover it with film. This accelerates the formation of a dense network of fibers. By the end of the season, they form a strong frame from which the washcloth is made.

By this time, loofah fruits can grow up to 1 meter in length. They turn yellow-brown and become so dry that the seeds begin to rattle when the fruit is shaken, and easily spill out through the hole made at the end of the fruit.

If you provide the loofah with the proper conditions, you can get up to 12 large fruits from one plant. When they ripen, they dry out and decrease in size. You should remove washcloths with the onset of cold nights, when the temperature drops below +10C. At the same time, you can cut even unripe fruits - they will “reach” in the room or on the windowsill.

Growing loofah from seeds is a painstaking but exciting task.

By planting this exotic plant on your property, you will provide yourself and your loved ones with a natural hygiene product, a tasty food product and valuable medicine, as well as an excellent material for decorative interior work and creative crafts. It is also important that loofah is one of the few cheap environmentally friendly materials that is fully recyclable. Draw the rest of your conclusions yourself.

How to choose a place for a luffa?

Before planting a luffa, you need to choose the right place in which the plant will feel as comfortable as possible:

Luffa (loofah) does not tolerate strong winds.
Loves sunlight.
The plant can be planted both in a greenhouse and in open ground.
Before planting, you need to take care of the support; it must be strong and strong, because the plant grows very quickly and gains weight. An example would be a trellis, stretched twine, or even a metal mesh fence.

Transplantation into open ground

After the issue with the location has been resolved, it is necessary to plant the plants themselves. If the luffa is placed in a greenhouse, then the optimal time will be the second half of May, and if open ground is chosen as a permanent place of growth, then all work should be postponed until the beginning of June.

Before planting, you need to prepare holes, the depth and width of which will be 30 centimeters. The distance between plants should be at least one meter.

In order for the luffa (loofah) to take root as best as possible in a new place, the soil must be fertilized:

You need to pour half a bucket of humus into the bottom and add 2 tablespoons of potassium sulfate there.
Or you can use half a glass of ash per plant.

The luffa needs to be deepened to the cotyledon leaves, then the roots are carefully dug in; it is very important not to damage them during planting.

Plant care

Many people are interested in such a plant as luffa. How to make a washcloth? To make a bath accessory, you first need to grow high-quality fruits.

Luffa leaves absorb a huge amount of moisture, so you need to carefully ensure that the soil does not dry out and the plant has constant access to the necessary nutrients. Water for irrigation must be warm, otherwise the luffa may die. Experienced gardeners also recommend spraying the vine itself once every two weeks or using a sprinkler.

As soon as the first mature ovaries are formed, you need to select 3-5 of the strongest ones, the rest need to be plucked out. In order for nutrients to reach the fruit, it is better to remove the side branches, the same applies to excess green mass.

Luffa, like any other plant, requires a large amount of oxygen, so the soil needs to be loosened three times a season, given the shallow root system, this procedure must be carried out very carefully.

Pollination - initially only female flowers are formed, male flowers begin to appear only after 10-12 days. Given the nature of the plant, it is almost impossible to pollinate it with the help of insects; the most reliable way is to use the manual method. It will be possible to find out whether the work was carried out successfully or not in a few days; the pollinated ovaries increase significantly in size.

Agricultural technology for wet production

The famous money-grubber, Father Fyodor Vostrikov from the immortal work “The Twelve Chairs,” dreamed of a candle factory near Samara, which would help him spend the rest of his days in prosperity and luxury in his own house with servants. Who knows, maybe for someone opening their own basting production will be the beginning of the path to great success.

The key advantage of this plant is that its well-ripened fruits make excellent natural washcloths. They gently and delicately cleanse the skin of keratinized epidermis, relieve inflammatory processes on the surface of the skin, and are an absolute hypoallergen. In general, the use of such a washcloth is a kind of symbiosis of a soft scrub and a delicate superficial massage.

The technology for growing this plant is similar to the methods of agricultural technology for melons, in particular cucumbers. For planting, it is necessary to allocate well-drained fertile areas illuminated by the sun. Trellis should be recognized as a rational method of placement. It is in this way that it will be possible to achieve uniform illumination of plants and avoid thickening, in which the level of fruiting is reduced to 30%, and the fruits become smaller by almost half. By the way, about productivity. On 1 acre you can rationally place 30 plants, from the fruits of which you can make about 900 washcloths. Considering the cost of one washcloth in a retail chain, you can fairly accurately predict expected income. The main agricultural practices are as follows:

One of the zoned varieties for the southern regions of the country should be recognized as the “Cylindrical” variety;
Direct sowing of seeds into the soil is associated with the risk of late frosts, so preference should be given to growing through seedlings. It is sown in peat pots in March and the ambient temperature is maintained within 24-28 degrees Celsius. The seedlings are watered abundantly, not forgetting that air humidity for pumpkin plants is a very important factor for the successful growth and proper development of seedlings;
When the first natural leaf appears, the temperature is reduced by 3 degrees Celsius;
Seedlings at 6 weeks of age can be hardened off;
Planting is carried out in southern, well-lit areas, when the danger of night and morning frosts has passed;
Due to the shallow root system of this plant, you should immediately take care of the presence of support for the stem;
The distance between adjacent roots should be at least 150 - 170 cm;
When the central stem reaches a length of 500 cm, it must be pinched and thereby provoke the development of lateral shoots and increase the yield;
During the growing season, young shoots and leaves can be removed without creating zones of local thickening.

Attention! Young leaves and shoots should not be thrown away as they are an excellent base for an effective skin care product. The green mass is finely chopped, 100 g. leaves and shoots add 5 drops of unrefined olive oil, 10 g. flower honey. The mass mixes well and is applied to the skin for 10 minutes, after which it is washed off with warm water.

For clarity and understanding of the principles of basic agrotechnical practices, we will form them in the form of a table:

Fertilizing

You can fertilize the plant using the following substances:

Ammonium nitrate is used during planting, second and third loosening.
The mullein solution must be mixed with water in a ratio of 1 to 10. Fertilizing is done during the period of ovary formation.
Complex fertilizer - you can use 1 tablespoon of nitrophoska diluted in a bucket of water. This procedure is carried out in the middle of the growing season.
Superphosphate extract - 1 tablespoon of the substance is diluted in a bucket of water. This feeding promotes the ripening of seeds and the best ripening of the fruit.

When to collect luffa for sponging?

To use the fruits in cooking, they must be collected while they are young. But as for the manufacture of bath accessories, the time of removal will depend only on the desire of the person himself.

To get a soft loofah, you should collect green fruits, but for tougher specimens, mature, brown luffa is suitable. A prerequisite is to harvest the crop before frost, otherwise it will be unsuitable for use.

How to make a loofah from luffa?

Luffa is a loofah, the production of which begins with long-term drying of the fruit, usually lasting several weeks. To prepare the plant for the process, you need to trim the ends and get rid of the seeds. Then the future sponges are hung in a dry room, not allowing them to come into contact with each other, otherwise mechanical damage or wet spots may form, and the fruits will most likely rot.

The next step is soaking in boiling water. This procedure is necessary so that the skin of the fruit softens and is easier to remove.

As soon as the washcloth is almost ready, you need to clean its fibers from pulp and seeds with a stiff brush.

To prepare the sponge for use, you need to wash it in soapy water and dry it naturally by hanging it in a sunny area or placing it on a window.

How to care and store

Scientists have proven that natural products such as loofah sponges are an ideal habitat for various pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, after use, you must rinse it and let it dry completely. But no matter how much you want it, even with careful and proper care, after six months it is best to replace the sponge with a new one.

If you want to use a washcloth for as long as possible, then it is worth preventing the occurrence of germs in it. To do this, you need to pour boiling water over the sponge after and before each use. If the washcloth is in your bathhouse, it will dry by itself, since the temperature in the room is always high and there will be no problems with drying.

How to sew luffa washcloths?

To make the bath accessory convenient to use, it is cut to the required size and the handles are attached. You can also design the washcloth in the form of a scraper. To do this, the luffa is given an oval shape, one side is completely covered with fabric, to which a loop is attached in advance.

If the washcloth does not stretch in hot water and does not shrink in cold water, it means that the entire technology was performed correctly.

How to use a luffa sponge?

Before using such a sponge, you need to soften it a little by holding it in hot water for 2-3 minutes.

Luffa is a washcloth, reviews of which always remain at the highest level. But in order not to harm your body, but to bring a beneficial effect, you should not overdo it in use (no more than twice a week). Otherwise, irritation may appear on the body or skin breakdown may occur.

After each use of such a washcloth, you must use moisturizing creams or oils.

Luffa has the ability to remove dead skin cells, but after a month of use, the pores of the sponge become clogged and bacteria begin to multiply in them.

After each use, the washcloth must be thoroughly rinsed and dried.

Advantages and disadvantages of natural washcloths

Manufacturers offer us a large selection of a wide variety of natural washcloths, which differ in shape, size, material density, and structure. Some people make eco-scrubbers with their own hands. I, too, recently had this desire: I have jute at home, and I know how to knit)). But so far this has not come to fruition.

Why should you choose natural washcloths for your hygiene, what advantages do they have over synthetic ones:

Act as an antiseptic
Massage the skin, increase its tone
Improve blood circulation
Cleanses pores
Do not cause allergies
Freely pass air
Smell good
Pleasant to the touch
Environmentally friendly: decomposes when disposed of

Eco-scrubbers, when used and cared for correctly, will help you say goodbye to visible skin problems and improve the appearance of your body. They will help you cheer up in the early morning and relax after a hard day.

At the same time, such products are difficult to maintain and in some respects are inferior to their artificial counterparts, namely:

They don’t release water well and take a long time to dry.
Harmful microorganisms quickly develop in them
Short-lived (average service life is two to three months)
Most materials are hard to the touch
Most often they foam poorly
More expensive than synthetic analogues

Such a list of disadvantages can be intimidating, but in fact the advantages outweigh, don’t they?

Use of luffa in medicine

Many countries in Asia and the East widely use luffa in folk medicine. A decoction of the roots and green parts of the plant is an excellent remedy for stopping internal bleeding; it is also used to treat sinuses.

Many cosmetologists recommend using luffa with homemade soap. Melted soap is poured into the holes that form after peeling the fruit from seeds and pulp and the resulting sponge is used as a scrub. This cosmetic product will perfectly cleanse the skin and stimulate blood circulation in small vessels.

One of the most beneficial fruits for the skin comes from a plant called luffa. The washcloth, the photo of which can be seen above, is an environmentally friendly product. With enough effort, you can grow it in your garden. In addition, the vines on which the fruits are formed have an unusual appearance, so they are often used in landscape design.

Collecting luffa for eating

Using a sharp knife or pruning shears, cut the stem between the vine and the young luffa squash. Harvest while they are still tender (you should be able to easily pierce the skin with your fingernail). For most species, this occurs when the vegetables are about 15 centimeters or less in length. Use them in any summer salad recipe.

Loofah loofah is a popular natural remedy that is made from the ripened luffa fruit.
Also known as sponge gourd, sponge gourd or luffa, this plant can be grown from seed.
You can also eat luffa, but do not eat fully ripened and dried luffa. You clean the one that is ripe and use it as a “sponge” for cleaning the skin and a washcloth.
Be sure to regularly wash your loofah sponge in boiling water, dry it in a dry place, and disinfect it regularly to avoid contamination.
Replace washcloths every three to four weeks. You can burn or compost them.