Any tips on cleaning a loofah?
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free skin care · Thu Oct 07, 2004 7:33 am

I've got a loofah scrub that I hardly use, but when I did I left it in the shower. Needless to say - it stanks! Do I have to throw it out? Or is there a safe way to clean it besides soap and water?

free skin care · Thu Oct 07, 2004 7:44 am

I soak all my sponges and loofahs periodically in approximately 1/2 cup of baking soda and 2 gallons of HOT water. Baking soda is a great cleaning product and deodorizer. Hope this helps.

Thu Oct 07, 2004 9:37 am

I'd toss a stinky loofa JMHO! Shock

free skin care · Thu Oct 07, 2004 10:05 am

i would toss the stinky one, too... u don't want those evil bacterias hiding in there lurking to cause any troubles!!!

i usually just rinse it well after shower and take it outside to let dry...

yes, let the almighty sun kills all those bastard germies Bad Grin

waaaaahaaaahaaaahaaaa....

free skin care · Thu Oct 07, 2004 11:09 am

Wow! this was a helpful post! I throw mine away when they get stinky/mold. I never thought about cleaning them! I never realized B.Soda was so good for cleaning, then again it was recommended yearsssss back for my gums.

free skin care · Thu Oct 07, 2004 11:44 am

Baking soda is awesome. Now they sell a special baking soda to put in your wash. Yes, you can brush you teeth with it to remove stain. I have always cleaned and sweetened thermos with it. Many people put an open box in their refrig. to absorb odors.

So, if you can use it it your mouth you can sure clean and soak you sponges and loofahs in it. It really works! I would wash them first and then soak and let them DRY. No more odors. They tend to smell from not drying them out between uses. They kind of get moldy.

My mother always told me kitchen sponges were gross and held a lot of bacteria. The baking soda trick I learned from Mom.

free skin care · Thu Oct 07, 2004 12:23 pm

a low percentage solution of bleach would work too.

free skin care · Thu Oct 07, 2004 2:11 pm

Winnie,

my dentist had me use Hydrogen peroxide with B. soda as my gums were receding! he says due to braces? I had skin grafting done on a tooth and now I have another tooth-gum receding!

I don't know Winnie, it might be quicker, easy to toss them! LOL

Do you clean sponges in B.Soda too?(helllo you already wrote you did!) Now I also heard they contain alot of bacteria and toss them and replace with a new one.

The things you learn on boards! Very Happy

I got a tip! for those who don't know of it - Shower spray is the BEST invention!! I hate to scrub showers and hardly ever need to with Shower sprays!

free skin care · Fri Oct 08, 2004 7:51 am

Thanks for the tips! I wondered if bleach was ok or it would breakdown the loofah. I didn't even think of baking soda great idea! I use baking soda to clean out those stinky cooler bags or lunch bags when baby's milk has spilled in it. I also use it in my fridge and freezer. Baking soda like vinegar is the natural way to clean and disinfect without harsh chemicals.

It's funny, I hardly use sponges - instead - paper towels to wipe down and clean because of the bacteria issues...And now here I am being cheap and not throwing out a loofah that I put on my skin!!!

free skin care · Wed Oct 20, 2004 7:20 am

I toss my loofah in the laundry with some towels and it comes out just fine. It is the kind with a fabric pad on the back and a strap to keep it on your hand. I wrap my hair up in a synthetic chamois made of PVA sponge after a shower and I keep it wet in a plastic container in the shower. I frequently toss it in the laundry too.
I use sponges in the kitchen and always squirt a bit of bleach on them to kill bacteria. I did a fun course at the Disney Institute and they suggested keeping a spray bottle with bleach and water in the kitchen and always using bleach on anything that has been touched by raw chicken, meat etc.

Wed Oct 20, 2004 11:42 am

Throw it away! It's nothing but germy now! They're cheap to replace.

free skin care · Wed Oct 20, 2004 2:52 pm

Sassyred wrote:

Winnie,

my dentist had me use Hydrogen peroxide with B. soda as my gums were receding! he says due to braces? I had skin grafting done on a tooth and now I have another tooth-gum receding!

It's not widely known, but receding gums can also be one of the first signs of osteoporosis. Shock

It evidentally shows up in the gums/teeth/jaws before it shows other places.

One of the reasons your dentist suggested baking soda is that baking soda is an alkalizer. It raises pH.

If your pH is low, your body begins to draw calcium (another alkalizer) from your bones to bring your blood pH back up where it has to be for life to be sustained. That's how osteoporosis starts... loss of calcium from the bones.

While using the baking soda on the gums would alkalize that specific area, it wouldn't get to the root cause, which is low pH.

One way to maintain proper pH is to eat 80% of your diet in all raw fruits and vegetables. Or, at the very least, you can improve the situation by eating more raw fruits and veggies, organic if possible.

Another approach is to get more alkalizing minerals in your body.

I used to have the receding gum problem years ago and it scared me so badly because my Dad had to have that gum-scraping surgery and I could just see myself going through the same thing. Anxious

However, I improved my diet and supplementation and turned it around.

When it first showed up and they were testing my gums at the dentist, they showed a "9" on some of the gum areas. What they like to see is a "1" or "2" at the most. You know, that's when they stick that little prong down between your gums and teeth in a dental exam?

Anyway, now all mine are 1's, 2's and occasional 3's. So, it can be turned around, but you do have to change what you're doing. Shame on you

JUDY

free skin care · Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:57 pm

I use water and bleach to clean mine...then I rinse well and soak it in plain old water to get rid of all the bleach

free skin care · Wed Oct 20, 2004 9:04 pm

Your mouth or your loofahs?

Only kidding. Was reading your post and after reading the post before yours got a tad concerned. Laughing

Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:18 am

i uses to soak it in hot water with a few drop of Dettol for 15 min every week.

free skin care · Thu Oct 21, 2004 1:00 pm

bleach in my mouth? yummy....I don't think i'd still be typing if that were true! rofl

free skin care · Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:58 pm

Loofas are self cleaning. I would just replace it. Smile

Fri Oct 22, 2004 7:07 pm

Hydrogen peroxide is the way! Pour it all over the sponge then watch it foam up killing all the germs...it even gets warm from all the action! I do this on my kitchen sponges too. I used to just throw them away just as soon as they begin to smell a bit. But since my nose is very keen, they sure weren't around long...but with peroxide baths every couple/few days they will last and last...

Bleach! NO FREAKIN" WAY!!! Unless your into smearing a toxic substance (even in small amounts) into your organs...the Skin is a permeable organ ...

Letting them dry out completely too between uses will cut down on the bacteria/mold growth...

Very Happy

Danielle

Sun Oct 24, 2004 3:34 pm

What I've done with my loofah glove and wash poofs is to soak them in hot water and bleach. Bleach kills anything and gets rid of those icky grey spots lying within. I'd try it ,,it works..saves money.

free skin care · Sun Oct 24, 2004 5:35 pm

Sassyred wrote:

Winnie,

my dentist had me use Hydrogen peroxide with B. soda as my gums were receding! he says due to braces? I had skin grafting done on a tooth and now I have another tooth-gum receding!

I have the same problem -- a receding gum. How was the skin grafting procedure? Did the baking soda help you at all? I am very nervous about going to the dentist soon.... Sad

free skin care · Sun Oct 24, 2004 5:37 pm

Oh I forgot to add... I always make sure my loofahs are kept VERY dry to prevent mold. If I think a moldy one isnt so bad I will soak it in diluted hydrogen peroxide. To save money I cut my loofahs into smaller pieces before using them.

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