‘Eko tawashi’ (eco-friendly tawashi) which is a cotton sponge made from crocheted cotton and is said to create less pollution as it requires no soap or detergent to aid in removing dirt.Luffa sponge/ luffa brush (‘hechima tawashi’) for gentle body scrubbing and exfoliating.Kamenoko tawashi, the common scrubbing tool Kamenoko Tawashi.Knowing this, Nishio Shouzaemon revolutionized the ancient tawashi in an attempt to figure out an easier way to perform burdensome tasks like scouring dirty pots, pans, grill plates, cast-iron cookware, stubborn floors and more! If you think about it, the most dreaded task of home-cooking is home-cleaning, especially if you have no help in the kitchen.Īnd, even if you do, it is a pain to the eye and is the deterrent between you and your next batch of Okonomiyaki! The most recognized Japanese scrubbing tool is the Kamenoko Tawashi, invented by Nishio Shouzaemon exactly 113 years ago. Some sources say his inspiration came from watching his mother dedicated her life to taking care of the family home and remembering how tiresome it was for her. Other sources say his invention was as unintended as it is genius because at the time he was a young businessman who was trying his hand at weaving welcome mats to sell at the marketplace.ĭuring the trial and error phase of creating these mats (which failed at removing dirt), his wife picked up a bundle of the raw materials and used it to scrub whatever needed scrubbing around the house. This prompted the birth of the 20th century Japanese tawashi brush – Kamenoko Tawashi. It worked amazingly well and Nishio realized that even though the bristles looked hard, they were in fact gentle and at the same time strong enough to remove burnt-on grease, dried-on splatters, and even mildew-infested grouting without damaging the object or surface that is being cleaned.Ĭeramicware, Dutch ovens, and white sneakers are no exception!Ĭleanliness – referring to spatial sanitation, bodily hygiene and spiritual purity – is one of the highest virtues in Japan. When you get lost in the cultural bliss of this country, you might notice that there is a general sense of this virtue being upheld by its people. Go to any public facility and it is one of the first things that stand out.īathhouses and schools in Japan reveal that without the Kamenoko tawashi brush it would not be as easy to keep surfaces as pristine as they are on such a regular basis. The fact that this organic scrubbing brush is made primarily from windmill palm fibers allows another Japanese virtue to be upheld with ease – Mottainai. ‘Mottainai’ is based on Shinto standards and it is a stand-alone exclamation that refers to waste. When something is wasted, the Japanese utter the term ‘mottainai’ to express a deep sense of regret roughly translated as ‘What a waste!’ or ‘Don’t waste!’ In Japan, wastage is disgraceful especially when it comes to food, time, and resources.
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