Scrubbies (was) RE: [at-l] more thru-hiker advice...

[nealb@midlandstech.com (William Neal)]

When buying "scrubbies", look carefully and feel them if you are worried
about scratching.  They are "suppose" to come in different colors that match
their harshness.  Black is usually the harshest. And White the softest.

Also look how thick they are.  The ultra thin ones you find in some $1
stores and some store brands are usually softer than the thicker ones --
especially after using the thin ones a time or two.  I think they are more
"copycat" than anything else.

If you want a really hard one for scrubbing metal, try and connect with a
janitor or floor waxer or janitorial maintainence supply store.  The center
hole on a buffing pad makes great scrubbies.  And many floor buffers are
designed so that you have to punch out the center hole and throw it away.
When I stripped and cleaned floors, I had large garbage bags full of those
"hole" scubbies.  The black ones were great on stainless steel and on tires.
And I even used the whites as a personal wash buff.  It really removes grime
and dirt and helps get rid of creepy-crawlies without soap; although it
takes getting use to.  But then some Native Americans washed with sand. I
would not use the black for personal care; it would likely take the skin off
where you don't want the skin off.

Also, some of the softest scrubbies are those that have a plastic net over
the pad.

William, The Turtle