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What is a “Swedish” dishcloth you may ask? Well, as its name implies, it comes from Sweden and was invented there in 1949.
These dish cloths are a special blend of 70% cellulose (from wood, usually) and 30% cotton. The natural materials and processing mean they are 100% compostable! One cloth can replace up to 17 rolls of paper towels, and each one can generally last about 6 to 12 months. They are super absorbent but dry quickly too, so there is less opportunity for bacterial or mold growth. They can be rewashed 200-300 times (either in the dishwasher or in the clothes washer), but they must be air-dried. Authentic Swedish dishcloths nowadays are imported from Sweden or Germany.
Best Swedish Dishcloths
Three Blue Birds is top-of-the-line for this type of dishcloth. The wood cellulose is harvested from FSC-certified sustainable forests. The organic cotton portion is certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and by OEKO-TEX Standard 100. The factory where the cloths are manufactured is Fair-Trade certified, and it is also certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF International). The designs for these cloths are hand-drawn by the co-founder and are screen-printed in the U.S., using 100% natural, biodegradable, water-based inks. Three Blue Birds donates 1% of its annual sales to water and habitat restoration projects around the U.S. Cloths are about 7 dollars each.
Shop at Three Blue Birds for Swedish dishcloths.
SKOY is a woman-owned business with a lot of social and environmental focus. They employ people with disabilities to package their products. And the factory where the cloths are made implements energy and water-saving strategies and recycles/purifies leftover by-products to prevent pollution. Their flower pattern and basic colors come in packs of 10; the cloths are about 2 dollars each.
Superscandi is a Swedish company that sources its wood from FSC-certified forests. Their packaging is either recyclable or compostable. They offer multi-packs in a variety of sizes, colors, and patterns ranging from 2 to 5 dollars per cloth.
Shop Amazon for Superscandi cloths.
SWEDEdishcloths have one of the largest selections of Swedish dishcloths; you can find practically any kind of pattern or theme to match your kitchen décor. Their patterns are designed and printed in Colorado with eco-friendly inks. Their wood pulp is also FSC-certified, and they donate a percentage of their profits to planting trees around the world. You can find a pack of cloths for about 3 to 5 dollars per cloth.
Keep reading and join me for the next post where we examine two of the oldest plant-based fabrics in the world.