Does anyone grow a loofa/ luffa plant ? I’m looking for some seeds. I will send a stamped addressed envelope.

I saw a neat thing with them on the ‘net, cut a couple inches off a dried loofa and wrap base securely with baking paper and fill with melted soap and leave to set. Great for gardeners hands. And grubby big boys.
Good way to recycle left over soap bits too :)

Happy Potter said:

Does anyone grow a loofa/ luffa plant ? I’m looking for some seeds. I will send a stamped addressed envelope.

I saw a neat thing with them on the ‘net, cut a couple inches off a dried loofa and wrap base securely with baking paper and fill with melted soap and leave to set. Great for gardeners hands. And grubby big boys.
Good way to recycle left over soap bits too :)

I don’t have them but any of the online seed places will. You should join the Aussies Living Simply forum for things like that.

How do you melt soap?

bubba louie said:

Happy Potter said:

Does anyone grow a loofa/ luffa plant ? I’m looking for some seeds. I will send a stamped addressed envelope.

I saw a neat thing with them on the ‘net, cut a couple inches off a dried loofa and wrap base securely with baking paper and fill with melted soap and leave to set. Great for gardeners hands. And grubby big boys.
Good way to recycle left over soap bits too :)

I don’t have them but any of the online seed places will. You should join the Aussies Living Simply forum for things like that.

Ok :)
I did look online for seeds and a couple packets of seeds and one packet of leek seeds and the cost, with postage, came to over $16. Pft.

Dinetta said:

How do you melt soap?

I’m not sure, never tried but it can’t be that hard. plenty on you tube about it. I just shove soap bits in an old stocking and tied to the outside tap.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

How do you melt soap?

I’m not sure, never tried but it can’t be that hard. plenty on you tube about it. I just shove soap bits in an old stocking and tied to the outside tap.

Oh OK, so you just leave the shards in the water until they melt and then squash ‘em all together? I did try melting them in a double saucepan but it was a lot of hard work…after a while some soaps could do dooty as shell-grit, they’re that hard and non-soapy…

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

How do you melt soap?

I’m not sure, never tried but it can’t be that hard. plenty on you tube about it. I just shove soap bits in an old stocking and tied to the outside tap.

Oh OK, so you just leave the shards in the water until they melt and then squash ‘em all together? I did try melting them in a double saucepan but it was a lot of hard work…after a while some soaps could do dooty as shell-grit, they’re that hard and non-soapy…

I might try with some pure velvet soap first, once I get hold of a bought loofa to chop up.

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-‘Melt-and-Pour’-Soap scroll down for a little video

Happy Potter said:

Does anyone grow a loofa/ luffa plant ? I’m looking for some seeds. I will send a stamped addressed envelope.

I saw a neat thing with them on the ‘net, cut a couple inches off a dried loofa and wrap base securely with baking paper and fill with melted soap and leave to set. Great for gardeners hands. And grubby big boys.
Good way to recycle left over soap bits too :)

I used to save all the left over bit of soap and then melt them all down to make up new cakes. I did it for years. I refuse to do it any more but your idea sounds like a good one.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

How do you melt soap?

I’m not sure, never tried but it can’t be that hard. plenty on you tube about it. I just shove soap bits in an old stocking and tied to the outside tap.

I used to grate the soap, add water and simmer till it went to jelly. Then I poured it into a tray, let it set and cut it into bars. Letting it dry out for as long as possible is the secret. The dryer the soap the longer it lasts. I also unwrap new soap that I buy so it can completely dry out before use. Extends the life of a cake by 50% I reckon.

I’ve grown my own loofas in th past. Care needs to be taken to pick them at the right time and dry them carefully as like any cucurbit they can turn to mush after picking. Once dried properly they will last quite a long fime if you dry them out between uses. I’m unsure of how long they’ll last filled with wet soap. I’ll be all ears on this.

roughbarked said:

I’ve grown my own loofas in th past. Care needs to be taken to pick them at the right time and dry them carefully as like any cucurbit they can turn to mush after picking. Once dried properly they will last quite a long fime if you dry them out between uses. I’m unsure of how long they’ll last filled with wet soap. I’ll be all ears on this.

My parents used to grow them (many many moons ago this is) and they just left the fruits hanging on the vine till it (the vine) all browned off and virtually fell off the trellis. By that time you could hear the seeds falling lose inside the brittle shell of the sponge skin.

roughbarked said:

I’ve grown my own loofas in th past. Care needs to be taken to pick them at the right time and dry them carefully as like any cucurbit they can turn to mush after picking. Once dried properly they will last quite a long fime if you dry them out between uses. I’m unsure of how long they’ll last filled with wet soap. I’ll be all ears on this.

Summer fruiting for here so we will all be waiting a bit. But yes the soap filled loofa piece would have to be left to drain and dry between uses so a few on the go would be handy.
I like the idea because it’s sustainable, cheap, handy, and recycles left over soap bits.

pomolo said:

roughbarked said:

I’ve grown my own loofas in th past. Care needs to be taken to pick them at the right time and dry them carefully as like any cucurbit they can turn to mush after picking. Once dried properly they will last quite a long fime if you dry them out between uses. I’m unsure of how long they’ll last filled with wet soap. I’ll be all ears on this.

My parents used to grow them (many many moons ago this is) and they just left the fruits hanging on the vine till it (the vine) all browned off and virtually fell off the trellis. By that time you could hear the seeds falling lose inside the brittle shell of the sponge skin.

Yep.. they have to rattle on the vine… and again.. best to grow them on a trellis.

pomolo said:

roughbarked said:

I’ve grown my own loofas in th past. Care needs to be taken to pick them at the right time and dry them carefully as like any cucurbit they can turn to mush after picking. Once dried properly they will last quite a long fime if you dry them out between uses. I’m unsure of how long they’ll last filled with wet soap. I’ll be all ears on this.

My parents used to grow them (many many moons ago this is) and they just left the fruits hanging on the vine till it (the vine) all browned off and virtually fell off the trellis. By that time you could hear the seeds falling lose inside the brittle shell of the sponge skin.

Love the tips, thanks :D

pomolo said:

Happy Potter said:

Does anyone grow a loofa/ luffa plant ? I’m looking for some seeds. I will send a stamped addressed envelope.

I saw a neat thing with them on the ‘net, cut a couple inches off a dried loofa and wrap base securely with baking paper and fill with melted soap and leave to set. Great for gardeners hands. And grubby big boys.
Good way to recycle left over soap bits too :)

I used to save all the left over bit of soap and then melt them all down to make up new cakes. I did it for years. I refuse to do it any more but your idea sounds like a good one.

The lady who did the 12 months self sufficiency thing, (Lintressa?) just pushed the ends of soap into the loofah without bothering to melt them.

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

I’ve grown my own loofas in th past. Care needs to be taken to pick them at the right time and dry them carefully as like any cucurbit they can turn to mush after picking. Once dried properly they will last quite a long fime if you dry them out between uses. I’m unsure of how long they’ll last filled with wet soap. I’ll be all ears on this.

Summer fruiting for here so we will all be waiting a bit. But yes the soap filled loofa piece would have to be left to drain and dry between uses so a few on the go would be handy.
I like the idea because it’s sustainable, cheap, handy, and recycles left over soap bits.

You can eat the baby ones like zucchini too.

bubba louie said:

The lady who did the 12 months self sufficiency thing, (Lintressa?) just pushed the ends of soap into the loofah without bothering to melt them.

Yep Lintressa…she was an inspiration but she got stroppy after a while and that was the last we heard from her…

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

The lady who did the 12 months self sufficiency thing, (Lintressa?) just pushed the ends of soap into the loofah without bothering to melt them.

Yep Lintressa…she was an inspiration but she got stroppy after a while and that was the last we heard from her…

I don’t remember that.

She moved with her family to Tassy.

bubba louie said:

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

The lady who did the 12 months self sufficiency thing, (Lintressa?) just pushed the ends of soap into the loofah without bothering to melt them.

Yep Lintressa…she was an inspiration but she got stroppy after a while and that was the last we heard from her…

I don’t remember that.

She moved with her family to Tassy.

she writes articles for Organic Gardener

bubba louie said:

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

The lady who did the 12 months self sufficiency thing, (Lintressa?) just pushed the ends of soap into the loofah without bothering to melt them.

Yep Lintressa…she was an inspiration but she got stroppy after a while and that was the last we heard from her…

I don’t remember that.

She moved with her family to Tassy.

Yes, she got into a snit with somebody (hopefully Hardacre) and then she never posted much…this was after she got my attention by reporting that by only walking into town (instead of driving) their clothes were starting to fall off them (they’d walked a lot of weight off)…Did you follow her Blog?

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

Dinetta said:

Yep Lintressa…she was an inspiration but she got stroppy after a while and that was the last we heard from her…

I don’t remember that.

She moved with her family to Tassy.

Yes, she got into a snit with somebody (hopefully Hardacre) and then she never posted much…this was after she got my attention by reporting that by only walking into town (instead of driving) their clothes were starting to fall off them (they’d walked a lot of weight off)…Did you follow her Blog?

For a while. I read her book though.

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

Dinetta said:

Yep Lintressa…she was an inspiration but she got stroppy after a while and that was the last we heard from her…

I don’t remember that.

She moved with her family to Tassy.

Yes, she got into a snit with somebody (hopefully Hardacre) and then she never posted much…this was after she got my attention by reporting that by only walking into town (instead of driving) their clothes were starting to fall off them (they’d walked a lot of weight off)…Did you follow her Blog?

which forum was this on?

Must have been either before I arrived or .. when I was away.

roughbarked said:

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

I don’t remember that.

She moved with her family to Tassy.

Yes, she got into a snit with somebody (hopefully Hardacre) and then she never posted much…this was after she got my attention by reporting that by only walking into town (instead of driving) their clothes were starting to fall off them (they’d walked a lot of weight off)…Did you follow her Blog?

which forum was this on?

Must have been either before I arrived or .. when I was away.

It was years ago. On the original GA Forum.

bubba louie said:

roughbarked said:

Dinetta said:

Yes, she got into a snit with somebody (hopefully Hardacre) and then she never posted much…this was after she got my attention by reporting that by only walking into town (instead of driving) their clothes were starting to fall off them (they’d walked a lot of weight off)…Did you follow her Blog?

which forum was this on?

Must have been either before I arrived or .. when I was away.

It was years ago. On the original GA Forum.

About 2005.

bubba louie said:

bubba louie said:

roughbarked said:

which forum was this on?

Must have been either before I arrived or .. when I was away.

It was years ago. On the original GA Forum.

About 2005.

http://www.lintrezza.com/book.html

bubba louie said:

http://www.lintrezza.com/book.html

Something wrong with me, I can’t warm to her…

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

http://www.lintrezza.com/book.html

Something wrong with me, I can’t warm to her…

That’s OK. I wouldn’t get upset about it.

roughbarked said:

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

http://www.lintrezza.com/book.html

Something wrong with me, I can’t warm to her…

That’s OK. I wouldn’t get upset about it.

I concur. If we all loved each other and did everything that appealed then perhaps the forum and the world would be a weirder place?

painmaster said:

roughbarked said:

Dinetta said:

Something wrong with me, I can’t warm to her…

That’s OK. I wouldn’t get upset about it.

I concur. If we all loved each other and did everything that appealed then perhaps the forum and the world would be a weirder place?

True.

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

http://www.lintrezza.com/book.html

Something wrong with me, I can’t warm to her…

I was indifferent..