Handmade Plastic-Free Cleaning Sponges: My Review Of Kerry’s Scrubbies Cleaning Pads

Overall Rating:

4.93/5

Performance = 4.9

Value For Money = 4.9

Longevity = 5.0

As part of reducing the amount of plastic waste I produce in our home, I’m switching away from plastic cleaning sponges to compostable alternatives.

I’ve come across Kerry’s Scrubbies on one of my favourite sustainable online shops, &keep, and decided to try them.

Made of organic cotton and hessian, these cleaning pads are 100% plastic-free, but do they work?

I’ve tried them and in my Scrubbies cleaning pads review I will share my thoughts about these sustainable cleaning tools with you.

Who Is Kerry?

But first I want to tell you a bit about Kerry, who is the founder of Scrubbies UK and who makes these cleaning pads by hand in her home. Her story is truly inspiring and the reason why I want to support her business.

Back in 2018, Kerry found herself in a tight spot financially, being forced to use a food bank for the first time in her life, despite working. The single mum came up with the design of the compostable cleaning pads within days and Scrubbies UK was born.

Now she sells her sustainable alternatives to plastic sponges all over the UK and Europe, while still making every single one by hand on her sewing machine in her home in Wales.

Sustainability At The Heart

From the beginning, the driving force behind Kerry’s business was sustainability. She wanted to be part of solving the global plastic crisis. That’s why every single part of her cleaning pads are plastic-free.

She uses organic cotton and durable hessian stitched together with organic cotton thread and with a bamboo lining. The latter is naturally antibacterial too, which is a great bonus.

Washable at 40°C in the washing machine, you can refresh and reuse these cleaning pads again and again. And once they are at the end of their life, you can cut them up and throw them on your compost heap. So you get plastic-free, zero-waste cleaning right there.

Minimal Packaging

The pads come minimally packaged with only a paper strip around to keep them together. The tape holding the paper is also made of paper.

So the whole packaging is recyclable and plastic-free. It’s simple, but let’s face it: you don’t need more.

Kerry is truly an inspiration and shows that one person can make a difference. This is exactly the type of micro-business we should support.

Multifunctional Cleaning Pad

These pads can be used for various cleaning tasks, including washing dishes, cleaning surfaces and scrubbing sinks. You’ve one side that’s made of organic cotton and which works great for washing most dishes, wiping surfaces and for other daily cleaning tasks.

The other side is made of hessian material, which is tougher and rougher, making it ideal for getting rid of burnt-on food, scrub grime off sinks and tiles, and anything else that needs more oomph.

The pads are quite thin, which means you can easily get into glasses and mugs to clean them thoroughly.

Non-Scratch Cleaning

Although the hessian part is rougher, it won’t scratch your non-stick pans or delicate surfaces. This is great news, because it means you can use these pads for anything want.

Despite this, the scrubbing power of the hessian is quite impressive. I used it to clean our oven, which can be quite a chore, especially after we’ve done a roast dinner.

But the scrubbing part did a good job at dislodging the burnt on food stains, albeit it I did have to put quite a bit of elbow grease in. However, there weren’t any small plastic bits coming off it, like what happens when you use the scrubbing part of a plastic sponge.

All in all, I’m really pleased how well these cleaning pads work for all sorts of cleaning tasks.

Good Absorbency

One key ability of a sponge is that it can absorb water. This means that it holds cleaners or washing-up liquid for longer.

Although these pads aren’t technically sponges, they’re still quite absorbent and hold washing-up liquid very well. I was quite surprised how well these pads absorb.

I wasn’t sure about the hessian part at first, but when you scrunch it, you can see the foam coming out on both sides, proving that the washing-up liquid is well absorbed.

Admittedly, they don’t absorb as well as a sponge but still well enough not to have to use a tone of washing-up liquid.

Less Washing-Up Liquid Than You Might Think

This is great news because it means that I can get away with using less washing-up liquid than I feared when washing dishes.

I’ve tried a cleaning pad before that was only one layer and it took quite a while until it was full of washing-up liquid. As a result I had to use more, which isn’t idea, especially if you try to be more sustainable.

So I’m really please that this isn’t a problem with the Scrubbies pads. My husband also really likes them, which is always good.

Long-Lasting

What I love most about these pads is that you can wash them in the washing machine and then reuse again. The amount of waste this saves when switching from plastic sponges is immense.

Because they are machine washable, they last for ages. I have mine now for several months and they’re still going strong. Not only does this reduce waste, but it also saves money.

I would recommend washing the pads regularly, to keep them clean and hygienic, especially if you use them for washing dishes or in the bathroom. Even though, the lining used is made of bamboo, which is naturally antibacterial.

1 Set Per Task

To make sure that I keep on top with washing the pads, I have a set of two pads for each task: cleaning the pots, kitchen cleaning, and bathroom cleaning.

While one pad is in the wash, the other is used. I wash my washing-up pad every two weeks and the pads we use for cleaning the kitchen and bathroom every three weeks.

You can get different coloured patterns, plain colours, or monochrome patterns. This is ideal to keep the pads for the different tasks separate.

Great Value For Money

Because these pads can be washed and reused for a long time, they are great value for money. This is actually a swap that will save you money.

No more buying plastic-sponges every few weeks because you have to throw them away and replace them with new ones.

And this value for money is down to two things: durable materials and handmade quality. Kerry uses organic cotton thread to sew her pads together. This is much more durable than polyester thread and can be washed again and again.

Both cotton and hessian are also durable materials. Because they are handmade, each pad is made to the same high standard. That’s how you get a quality product.

Compostable For Zero-Waste

The main reason the Scrubbies pads are sustainable is that they are plastic-free and can be composted. However, you can only achieve zero-waste if you have access to a composting facility.

We have a compost heap in the garden, so once the pads have reached the end of their life, I’ll wash them one more time, cut them up, and throw them on our compost heap. Ideal for my zero-waste kitchen.

There they will turn into compost and provide nutrients for our fruit and vegetables. If you don’t have a compost heap, you can just bury the cut up pads in your garden. They will compost in the soil as well, it might just take a bit longer.

Your council might accept the pads in their garden waste bins, but you need to check with them. If not, you have to dispose of the pads in your general waste bin. Not ideal, but at least they won’t cause any harm in landfill.

I’m Not The Only Happy Customer

As you might have guessed from my Scrubbies cleaning pads review so far, I’m a big fan of these eco-friendly plastic sponge alternatives. But I’m not alone.

Through &keep who use Feefo to get customer feedback, the Scrubbies pads have a 4.5-star rating out of 5 stars, from 100+ reviews. 93% have given them a 4- or 5-star rating.

There are three things that customers like: that they are washable, how long they last and that they are plastic-free and compostable.

Excellent product…I’ve bought these before and they lasted a ridiculously long time before going to compost!

5-Star Review by Chris on Feefo

Of course, there are also some negative reviews. But they are few and far between, and the positive ones by far outweigh the negative ones.

Final Thoughts

I can heartily recommend the Scrubbies cleaning pads to anyone who wants to live a more sustainable life, reduce the amount they plastic they use and reduce the amount of waste they produce.

These pads work great for whatever cleaning task you need. Because you can wash them, they will last a long time. This makes them great value for money.

Made from sustainable materials (organic cotton, hessian and bamboo), they can be composted when reached the end of their life.

Give them a go, you won’t be disappointed. And make sure you use sustainable cleaning products with them, so you can turn your whole cleaning routine green.