The picks
Best Yarn for Scrubbies
The only project where you are buying a yarn specifically because it is unpleasant to touch.
By Sawyer V. · Published October 11, 2026
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The short answer
For dish scrubbies, use a scouring polyester yarn such as Red Heart Scrubby - the abrasive texture is manufactured into the yarn and no cotton can replicate it. Scrubby Sparkle is the better value at nearly double the yardage per ball. If you want one cloth that both wipes and scours, Lily Sugar'n Cream Scrub Off alternates cotton and scouring sections along a single strand. For FACE scrubbies the answer inverts completely: use plain soft cotton, because those are absorbent pads for skin, not scourers. Do not use chenille - it worms apart under scrubbing and holds water.
| # | Product | Best for | Fiber | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Heart ScrubbyA textured polyester made to scour - the whole product is the scratchiness, which no cotton yarn can give you. | Dish scrubbies that replace a store-bought sponge | 100% polyester | $10.49 - View on Amazon#ad disclosure - price as of October 11, 2026 |
| 2 |  Red Heart Scrubby SparkleThe same scouring polyester, finer and nearly twice the yardage - more scrubbies per ball. | A batch of scrubbies from one ball | 100% polyester | $8.29 - View on Amazon#ad disclosure - price as of October 11, 2026 |
| 3 |  Lily Sugar'n Cream Scrub OffCotton and scouring texture alternating along the same strand, so a single cloth wipes and scours without switching. | One cloth that both absorbs and scrubs | 100% cotton | $9.25 - View on Amazon#ad disclosure - price as of October 11, 2026 |
| 4 |  Lily Sugar'n CreamPlain cotton. For anything touching skin you want absorbency and softness, which is the opposite requirement. | Reusable facial rounds and makeup pads - not dishes | 100% cotton | $19.36 - View on Amazon#ad disclosure - price as of October 11, 2026 |
| 5 |  Bernat BlanketChenille soaks up water, holds it, and the pile pulls apart the first time you scrub anything with it. | Blankets | 100% polyester chenille | $20.96 - View on Amazon#ad disclosure - price as of October 11, 2026 |
Red Heart Scrubby
Red Heart · Best for dish scrubbies that replace a store-bought sponge
A textured polyester yarn built to scour - the whole point is that it is scratchy, which no cotton can be.
- Fiber
- 100% polyester
- Weight
- 4 Worsted (medium)
- Ball
- Solids 100g/3.5oz, 92yd (85m); prints 85g/3oz, 78yd (71m)
- Knit gauge
- 16 sts x 21 rows on 5mm (US 8)
- Crochet gauge
- 13 sc x 15 rows on 5.5mm (US I/9)
- Care
- Machine wash warm, gentle cycle; tumble dry low
- Designed for
- Knit or crochet dishcloths and scrubbers
Who it suits
Anyone who has made a cotton dishcloth and found it will not shift baked-on food.
Why it is here
100% polyester, worsted weight, 92yd per 100g solid ball, 13 sc x 15 rows on 5.5mm (US I/9). The yarn is manufactured with a looped, abrasive surface - Yarnspirations describes it as made for knit or crochet dishcloths and scrubbers. Polyester also does not absorb water into the fiber, so a scrubby wrings out nearly dry and does not sour between uses the way a damp cotton cloth does.
What you give up
It is genuinely unpleasant to crochet with - the texture catches on the hook and on your fingers, and a batch is hard going. Short yardage too, at 92 yards, though a scrubby is only about 20.
Specifications from Yarnspirations - Red Heart Scrubby specification. We have not handled this item - see how we pick.
Red Heart Scrubby Sparkle
Red Heart · Best for a batch of scrubbies from one ball
The same scouring polyester with a metallic strand through it - noticeably finer and longer per ball than plain Scrubby.
- Fiber
- 100% polyester
- Weight
- 4 Worsted (medium)
- Ball
- 85g (3oz), 174yd (159m)
- Knit gauge
- 18 sts x 24 rows on 5mm (US 8)
- Crochet gauge
- 14 sc x 13 rows on 5.5mm (US I/9)
- Care
- Machine wash cold, gentle cycle; tumble dry low
Who it suits
Anyone making six at once for the kitchen drawer or a gift basket.
Why it is here
100% polyester, worsted weight, 174yd per 85g ball, 14 sc x 13 rows on 5.5mm (US I/9). That is almost double the yardage of plain Scrubby in a lighter ball, which is the practical difference: one ball makes a stack rather than a few. The metallic strand is cosmetic but it also reads as deliberate rather than homemade in a gift.
What you give up
Finer than plain Scrubby, so the fabric is slightly less aggressive - a little worse on baked-on food. The sparkle strand can also feel scratchy on hands if you use it for anything body-facing.
Specifications from Yarnspirations - Red Heart Scrubby Sparkle specification. We have not handled this item - see how we pick.
Lily Sugar'n Cream Scrub Off
Lily Sugar'n Cream · Best for one cloth that both absorbs and scrubs
Cotton and scouring texture alternating along one strand, so a single cloth both absorbs and scrubs.
- Fiber
- 100% cotton
- Weight
- 4 Worsted (medium)
- Ball
- 75g (2.6oz), 106yd (97m)
- Construction
- Alternating sections of scouring texture and plain cotton
- Knit gauge
- 18 sts x 25 rows on 4.5mm (US 7)
- Crochet gauge
- 13 sc x 16 rows on 5mm (US H/8)
- Care
- Wash colors separately, max 30C/86F delicate, no bleach, tumble dry low
Who it suits
Anyone who wants one cloth rather than a cloth and a scrubby, and anyone who finds pure polyester too harsh.
Why it is here
100% cotton, worsted weight, 106yd per 75g ball, 13 sc x 16 rows on 5mm (US H/8). Yarnspirations describes it as alternating sections of scouring texture and classic cotton. That construction is the product: the cotton stretches absorb, the textured stretches scour, and you get banded stripes as a side effect.
What you give up
It is a compromise in both directions - less absorbent than plain cotton and less abrasive than pure Scrubby. The alternating sections also mean you cannot control where the texture lands in the finished cloth.
Specifications from Yarnspirations - Lily Sugar'n Cream Scrub Off specification. We have not handled this item - see how we pick.
Lily Sugar'n Cream
Lily · Best for reusable facial rounds and makeup pads - not dishes
Unmercerized cotton in a small 2.5oz ball. Absorbent, hard-wearing, and the reason every dishcloth pattern ever written specifies it.
- Fiber
- 100% cotton
- Weight
- 4 Medium / worsted
- Ball
- 2.5oz / 71g, 120yd / 109m
- Gauge
- 20 sts x 26 rows on 4.5mm (US 7)
- Hook
- 5mm (US H/8), 13 sc x 14 rows
- Care
- Machine wash not above 86F delicate, tumble dry low
Who it suits
Anyone making reusable facial rounds, baby washcloths or body scrubbies.
Why it is here
100% cotton, worsted weight. The autocomplete for 'scrubbies' splits into two completely different products and this is the other one. A face scrubby is a small absorbent cotton round; using a scouring polyester on facial skin would be unpleasant and unwise. Plain cotton also boil-washes, which matters for anything used on a face.
What you give up
On dishes it does almost nothing against baked-on food - that is what the polyester options are for. Cotton also stays damp and will sour if it is not dried between uses.
Specifications from Yarnspirations product page. We have not handled this item - see how we pick.
Bernat Blanket
Bernat · Best for blankets
Polyester chenille at 108 yards to a 150g ball. Fast, warm, machine washable, and it will shed and worm if the tension is loose.
- Fiber
- 100% polyester (chenille)
- Weight
- 6 Super Bulky
- Ball
- 5.3oz / 150g, 108yd / 98m
- Gauge
- 8 sts x 13 rows on 8mm (US 11)
- Hook
- 8mm (US L/11), 7 sc x 8 rows
- Care
- Machine wash delicate, tumble dry gentle
Who it suits
Nobody. It is soft, which is the single thing a scrubby must not be.
Why it is here
100% polyester chenille. The pile that makes chenille pleasant is held in a twist, and scrubbing is exactly the abrasion that pulls it out - the fabric worms and sheds within a few uses. It also holds a great deal of water and dries slowly, which is how a kitchen cloth starts to smell.
What you give up
None. Make the blanket - [best yarn for a blanket](/yarn-by-project/best-yarn-for-a-blanket) covers it.
Specifications from Yarnspirations product page. We have not handled this item - see how we pick.
Two different products share one word
Search for scrubby yarn and you get two groups of people who want opposite things, which is why generic advice on this is so unhelpful.
| Dish scrubby | Face scrubby | |
|---|---|---|
| Job | Scour baked-on food | Remove makeup, absorb |
| Wanted texture | Abrasive | Soft |
| Fiber | Scouring polyester | Cotton or bamboo |
| Absorbency | Low is fine - dries fast | High |
| Washing | Hot, often | Hot, often |
| Size | Palm-sized, dense | Small round, 3in |
| Yardage each | About 20yd | About 10yd |
If you are making the facial kind, the answer is simply soft cotton and the rest of this page does not apply to you - best yarn for dishcloths covers the absorbent-cotton reasoning in full.
Is it safe on your pans?
- Not on nonstick. A scouring polyester scrubby will mark a nonstick coating, same as a green scouring pad. Use a plain cotton cloth on those.
- Fine on stainless, enamel, glass and ceramic. This is what the yarn is for.
- Careful on cast iron seasoning. It will strip seasoning if you lean on it. A light touch is fine; scrubbing hard is not.
- Fine on worktops and sinks, and genuinely good on a shower screen.
- Never on a car or on glasses. It is abrasive enough to leave fine scratches on soft surfaces.
Making them last
- Work tight. Go down a hook size from the ball band. A dense scrubby holds its shape and scours harder; a loose one goes floppy when wet.
- Keep them small. Palm-sized, about 4 inches. Bigger ones are harder to wring and stay damp in the middle.
- Double the fabric - work a flat round and fold it, or make a two-layer pocket. It gives you something to grip and doubles the life.
- Machine wash hot and tumble dry. Red Heart Scrubby's care instruction is machine wash warm on gentle and tumble dry low; polyester tolerates this indefinitely, which is the fiber's main advantage over cotton here.
- Replace them when they flatten. The texture does wear down eventually. At roughly 20 yards each, that is a cheap replacement.
The same yarns make good pot scourers and shower scrubbers. For the absorbent half of a kitchen set, best yarn for dishcloths and best yarn for potholders and trivets cover the cotton side.
Questions people actually ask
What is the best yarn for scrubbies?
For dish scrubbies, a scouring polyester such as Red Heart Scrubby - the abrasive texture is built into the yarn and cotton cannot replicate it. Scrubby Sparkle gives nearly double the yardage per ball if you are making a batch. For face scrubbies, use plain soft cotton instead.
Can you use cotton yarn for scrubbies?
For facial rounds and body scrubbies, yes - soft absorbent cotton is exactly right. For dishes it does not work: cotton softens as it wets out, so a cloth that feels textured when dry is soft and ineffective against baked-on food.
What is the difference between Scrubby and Scrubby Sparkle?
Scrubby Sparkle is finer and much longer per ball - 174 yards in 85g against 92 yards in a 100g ball of plain Scrubby - with a metallic strand added. The trade is that the finer yarn makes a slightly less aggressive fabric, so plain Scrubby is better on baked-on food.
How much yarn does one scrubby take?
About 20 yards for a palm-sized dish scrubby and around 10 for a facial round. One ball of Scrubby Sparkle therefore makes roughly eight, which is why it is the better buy for a batch.
Will a scrubby scratch my nonstick pans?
Yes. Scouring polyester is abrasive by design and will mark a nonstick coating the same way a green scouring pad does. Use it on stainless, enamel, glass and ceramic, and keep a plain cotton cloth for nonstick.
Do scrubbies smell after a while?
Polyester ones are much less prone to it than cotton, because the fiber does not absorb water into itself and wrings out nearly dry. Keep them small so the middle is not permanently damp, and machine wash hot - Red Heart Scrubby's care instruction allows warm machine washing and tumble drying low.
Sources
- Craft Yarn Council - Standard Yarn Weight System
- Yarnspirations - Red Heart Scrubby specification
- Yarnspirations - Red Heart Scrubby Sparkle specification
- Yarnspirations - Lily Sugar'n Cream Scrub Off specification
- Yarnspirations - Lily Sugar'n Cream specification
- Yarnspirations - Bernat Blanket specification