Tawashi

A tawashi (たわし or 束子) is a scrubbing brush for wet cleaning, of a style that is popular in Japan. Traditionally, tawashis were made from the hemp palm. In Japan, sponges used for rubbing and washing are now treated as forms of tawashi. A metallic tawashi (金属たわし) 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).
 * Nylon sponges, sometimes called nylon tawashi (ナイロンたわし), are suitable for washing tough stains, but should not be used on delicate items.
 * An acrylic tawashi (アクリルたわし) is made of acrylic, typically knitted or crocheted.
 * A luffa sponge, or luffa tawashi (ヘチマたわし), is used as a body scrub.
 * In recent times, some tawashis are crocheted from cotton yarn, producing the eco-friendly tawashi (エコたわし), which is scratch-free, and used for dishes and small cleaning jobs. (The prefix eco- (エコ) indicates that it creates less pollution because it can be used without soap or detergents. )