A tawashi (たわし or 束子, lit., a bundle) is a scrubbing brush for wet cleaning,^[1] of a style that is popular in Japan.^[2][3] Traditionally, tawashis were made from the hemp palm.^[4][5] In Japan, sponges used for rubbing and washing are now treated as forms of tawashi. A metallic tawashi (金属たわし, kinzoku tawashi) is made of metal; steel, stainless steel, and brass are frequent choices. They may be used in removing scorching and rust.

Types

Several synthetic polymers are frequently seen:

• A polyurethane sponge is sometimes called sponge tawashi (スポンジたわし, suponji tawashi).
• Nylon sponges, sometimes called nylon tawashi (ナイロンたわし, nairon tawashi), are suitable for washing tough stains, but should not be used on delicate items.
• An acrylic tawashi (アクリルたわし, akuriru tawashi) is made of acrylic, typically knitted or crocheted.
• A luffa sponge, or luffa tawashi (ヘチマたわし, hechima tawashi), is used as a body scrub.
• In recent times,^[vague] some tawashis are crocheted from cotton yarn, producing the eco-friendly tawashi (エコたわし, eko tawashi), which is scratch-free, and used for dishes and small cleaning jobs. (The prefix eco- (エコ) indicates that it creates less pollution because^[vague] it can be used without soap or detergents.^[6])

A popular Japanese design for a tawashi, said to resemble a young turtle

A yellow polyurethane sponge with a green nylon sponge. It is called sponge tawashi in Japan.

A luffa sponge, called hechima tawashi in Japanese

Tawashi from late Edo period

Tawashi for sale