DIY Compostable Dish Scrubber From Invasive Scotch Broom (Great for Cast Iron)

Save money, make use of an invasive species, and avoid contributing to the world's plastic waste problem, all in less time than it takes to go buy a plastic dish—or an expensive all-natural scrubber imported from distant lands, for that matter! DIY compostable dish scrubbers are where it's at.

If you don't live in an area with Scotch broom, there are likely many other flexible, twiggy materials growing on shrubs near you. The technique shown here can be used with many other plant materials, feel free to experiment.

(This brush doesn't replace the wiping function of a dish cloth/sponge, it helps to have one of those too and it can certainly also be made of compostable material like jute. The broom brush can often do the job of steel wool, however).

Sturdy knife or secateurs/garden clippers

Scotch broom shrub

Natural fibre cordage/twine such as jute, hemp, cotton, etc (so that entire scrubber can be composted)

Make sure to include stems of different thicknesses—the stiffer, woodier stems will provide strength for scrubbing and scraping while the thinner fronds help with a gentler brushing action. Conveniently, the plant already grows with good stem thickness variation and you can often just grab a handful and cut it as is.

Make sure you don't somehow include any seed pods/seeds, so there's no chance of accidentally spreading them when you compost the brush at the end of its life.

Cut two pieces of twine—I find that about 16 inches / 45 cm / 1.5 feet is a good length—and tightly bind your bundle in two different places. Wrap the twine around a few times, pulling tightly as you go, and tie it in a bow like you would tie your shoes (AKA a double slippery square knot). Tying in two places creates a bit of a handle and makes it a lot sturdier than only one.

If you are using a knife, it can help to cut a diagonal first and trim from there. (With secateurs, it can be easier to cut all your pieces to the same length before you tie the bundle). Here you can see how the variation in stem thickness shows up in the ends of the brush. Because I kept the broom stems arranged the way they were on the plant, there is a coarser end and a finer end for different scrubbing needs.

If you make a brush using fresh broom (which I reccommend, as it is easier to cut), the binding will get loose as the bundle dries out (unless you start using it right away without ever giving it a chance to dry, which is an option). Since you bound the bundle together with a bow, it's easy to untie, tighten, and retie so that the brush stays nice and snug.

Scrub some pots and pans! The woody stalks can scrape some very stubborn stuck food bits, without scratching up metal pans or damaging the seasoning on your cast iron. It helps to hold the scrubber near the end you are using for extra support, and play with the angle to see where you get the best scrubbing action.

The ends of the scrubber can become raggedy over time with a lot of use. But you don't need to make a new one yet—just trim them a bit shorter and it might be good as new.

The entire scrubber can be composted in city compost, in your garden, in a hole in the woods. Congratulations, you just avoided contributing another plastic dish scrubber to the landfill. Imagine if all of the 'waste' we produce could cycle back into becoming soil nutrients!