How to Make a Dish Scrubber

Are you looking for an alternative to a more expensive store bought dish scrubber? You can take the time to make your own, saving you money and you can customize it to suit your style. And it’s a beginner friendly pattern!

Everyone needs a knitted scrubber for dishes, pots and pans and anything that requires some elbow grease.

With the right information you can make the perfect dish scrubbies in no time at all. All you will need is little, or a lot of, patience.

Bonus: it’s an eco-friendly dish scrubber too!

Learn how to make a dish scrubber in the knitting pattern below or purchase the ad-free, downloadable & printable PDF on Etsy, Ravelry or LoveCrafts.

Pin-it for Later!

Check out all my FREE dishcloth knitting patterns HERE!
Would you like to download all my dishcloth patterns? Get the bundle HERE!

I feel like I’m a terrible gift giver. Anyone else? I’m practical to a fault and these dish scrubbers are terribly practical. And I love them! They have over a dozen uses, meaning you could gift them to just about anyone. ;) Does that make them a little brilliant too? Why yes it does, if I do say so myself. ;)

About the Pattern

This heavy duty dish scrubber is knitted using jute twine or string. Jute is a natural fiber that comes from plants. It’s strong and coarse making it great for burlap bags, rugs and gunny sacks and now scrubbers of all kinds!

• Available Sizes: One
• Pattern Format: Written Pattern, No Chart
• Pattern Language: English
• Skill Level: Beginner
• PDF Format: Printer Friendly

Techniques

Here are some of the knitting skills you need to know before getting started:

• Knit Flat (Back & Forth)
• Knit Stitches
• Garter Stitch

Yarn & Substitutions

This is a heavy duty scrubber which is great to use on sturdy materials like glass, cast iron, stainless steel, etc. Be sure to test it on a hidden spot to make sure it doesn’t scratch the surface of whatever you’re cleaning. Excellent for handling tough jobs!

Yarn Weight: Worsted Weight Yarn / Medium Weight Yarn
Yardage: 20 – 25 yds (18 – 23 meters)
Suggested Scrubby Yarn: Jute Twine

What are the best yarns for a knitted scrubber? 

Jute fiber is one of nature’s most durable materials. It’ll last longer than a synthetic sponge or scrub pad. And, it’s machine washable. When it finally wears out you can safely dispose of it in your compost. :)

Hemp
Scratchy 100% wool yarns
Red Heart Scrubby Sparkle
Lion Brand Stitch Soak Scrub Yarn

Knitted scrubbies are a great way to use up some scratchy yarn that you purchased online a that you have hidden at the bottom of your stash. 🙈

Tulle is a great way to add some scratchiness to your cotton yarn. Hold it double with the cotton yarn to create a more durable washcloth pattern.

Needles & Notions

• Needle Size: US 9 (5.5 mm) Knitting Needles
• Adhesive Bandages (to protect your fingers)
• Darning Needle
• Strong Scissors

Tips for Knitting Jute Dish Scrubbers
Adhesive bandages are your friend. Wrap the adhesive bandage around your index finger, or whichever finger(s) you hold your yarn with. Try knitting a few rows before adhering the bandage to see where it rubs and then you know exactly where you need them. ;)

Gauge

11 STS & 19 rows per 4” (10cm) square, knit in the garter stitch

Measurements

Each one measures 4″ wide x 4″ (10 cm x 10 cm)
Weight of one scrubbie: 0.9 oz (25g)

Notes

Reversible.
Knit using the garter knit stitch.
Knit holding 2 strands of yarn together throughout.
The twine is very rough. Wrap an adhesive bandage around the tip of your index finger on your left hand, or whichever finger holds the tension for your yarn. You might need more than one.

Learn how to make a dish scrubber in the knitting pattern below or purchase the ad-free, downloadable & printable PDF on Etsy, Ravelry or LoveCrafts.

Modification Options

• Add a loop to each corner to make it function like a Boie body scrubber. ;)
• Hemp would make a good alternative too, maybe even a little less abrasive for delicate skin.

Uses

• Dish scrubber
• Potato scrubber
• Back scrubber
• Foot & elbow scrubber
• Cast iron scrubber
• Dry brush scrubber
• Coffee & tea cup scrubber
• Shop tool scrubber
• Kitchen sink scrubber
• Cleaning pots & pans
• Pot Scrubber
• Bathroom & Bathtub Scrubber
• Boot Scrubber

Eco-Friendly Alternative

Are you looking for a plastic-free alternative for your kitchen scrubber? Knitted dish scrubbers are a great alternative to disposable dish scubbers. It’s knitted using jute twine or string. Jute is a natural fiber that comes from plants. It’s strong and coarse making it great for burlap bags, rugs and gunny sacks and now scrubbers of all kinds! 

Learn how to make your very own eco-friendly scrubbers below.

Knitting Abbreviations

*– * – repeat between * to end of round
BO – bind-off in pattern
CO – cast-on (long-tail cast-on method)
K – knit stitches (K1 means to knit 1 stitch)
STS – stitches

Save it for Later

• Buy the ad-free, printer-friendly pattern on Etsy, Ravelry or LoveCrafts.
• Pin-it for later here.

Free Pattern

Knit flat, back & forth, row by row.

Holding 2 strands of twine, cast-on 11 stitches using the long-tail cast-on method.

Knit 17 rows.

Row 18, right side row, bind-off in all knit stitches.

Leave a 4-5″ tail to make a loop for easy hanging. (optional)

Weave in the ends.

No blocking necessary.

Knit 2 more, or as many as you’d like.

To make it larger, just cast-on more stitches, in any number of stitches, and knit as many rows as you’d like, and knit to your desired size. :)

How to tie the loop

Print this Pattern

I know many of you enjoy working from a paper copy of your knitting pattern that’s why I offer a printer-friendly PDF completely ad-free on Etsy, Ravelry or LoveCrafts.

That way you can have lifetime access to it and download it to any device and view it from anywhere, without ads (and the pattern might not be around forever).

The ads on this website make it possible for me to offer the patterns for free, that way you can try it before you buy it. :)

Conclusion:
Become a brilliantly practical gift giver by gifting these jute twine scrubbers. They make practical gifts for just about everyone!

More dishcloth knitting patterns that you’ll love

Check out all my FREE dishcloth knitting patterns HERE!
Would you like to download all my dishcloth patterns? Get the bundle HERE!

Learn how to make a dish scrubber in the knitting pattern above or purchase the ad-free, downloadable & printable PDF on Etsy, Ravelry or LoveCrafts.