how to make a nylon scrubber!

January 24, 2023/

put those mesh produce bags to work to make your own nylon scrubber!

If you’ve got a bunch of nylon net produce bags lying around I’m going to show you how to make a nylon scrubber – it’s so easy!

homemade nylon scrubber in a mini cast iron skillet

got bags?

I don’t know about you but winter always finds me flush with those nylon netting produce bags – from clementines, onions and so many potatoes. I usually just throw them away but then I came across a cute DIY that I had to share!

stack of mesh nylon produce bags

do you use nylon pot scrubbers?

I ditched gross kitchen sponges years ago, and have been using (and loving) Swedish dishcloths instead (you can read more about them in this post!). But for tougher jobs – and I clean a lot of dishes throughout the day – I swear by my nylon scrubbies. They get the job done without scratching my good pots and pans, and are gentle enough to use on my vast collection of vintage dishware.

I never knew I could make my own!

I was determined to figure out an easy way to make these!

Once I decided to give this a try I did some research – as you know I’m not a big DIY-er and would never share anything complicated here. And my initial search was NOT encouraging – words like crochet hook, slip stitch and pattern kept popping up, and this was quickly becoming a hard pass. But then I found a video that looked similar to the one I originally saw and got to work!

what do you need to make a nylon scrubber?

No need to run to the shop to buy anything – the whole point here is to keep it simple and use what you have in your home. Here’s all you need to make the scrubber:

mesh produce bags
some sort of thread, twine or string
a needle

how do you make one?

You’ll first stack 4 – 5 net bags together (leave one aside). They don’t have to be the same shape or size – just stack them up and then stretch and flatten as best as you can.

stack of mesh nylon produce bags

Then fold the bags into a snug rectangle – this will form the body of the scrubber. I made mine about the same size and shape of the ones I use, but there’s no hard and fast rule here.

homemade nylon scrubber

Now take that bag you put aside and wrap it around your rectangle. I had a smallish bag that was still intact so I was able to put the rectangle right inside and fold the edge over. Use your needle and thread to simply sew the edge shut (this is very easy, promise! I don’t sew!), fold it over and scrub away!

homemade nylon scrubber in a mini cast iron skillet

these really work!

It wasn’t long before I was able to put my little scrubbie to use and I have to say it worked better than I thought it would! And because it’s mesh throughout it dried quickly too.

bonus tip!

bunch of dried flowers next to a nylon mesh produce bag and glass mason jar

Now that you’re sure to be amassing a collection of nylon bags, here’s my other favorite way to use them!

nylon mesh stretched over the top of a glass mason jar

Stretch a piece of nylon netting over the mouth of a mason jar. Replace just the ring of the lid to secure the mesh and trim off any excess. Voila! You have a perfect flower arranger! You can wrap some twine or ribbon around the neck of the jar to conceal any rogue bits of mesh that peek through.

dried flowers arranged in a glass mason jar

Let me know if you try it!