We consume this as a vegetable here in the Philippines. This plant can easily adapt to the tropical climate and is resistant to almost any disease. The only problem is that it grows really fast, that after a few months, you can find the vines climbing to other trees. 😂 Tips when having this plant: Plant them with their own climbing structure like in the video far from other plants or structures (electrical or telephone lines). This plant if left unchecked can easily overpower other plants/trees or its fruits hanging on those electrical lines.
My parents grow these, and every once in a while I visit them and they give me a LOAD of these! They’re really really nice and it’s pretty cool that Insider made a video of this!
@@davidcorodeanu4535 the point is, in many settings, these are nicer to use than the alternatives, so they absolutely make a difference to the person using them. Really nice to use on your body when covered in grime from gardening, much better than the plastic alternatives that scratch & itch skin imo
Ive used these all my life, my parents did too. My mother always tried to avoid plastic if possible, she was an environmentalist and we/she, didn’t even know it.😂 It was like she had a sixth sense and was way ahead of her time. I can imagine her being pretty disappointed with todays throw away society😢.
I am currently using a loofah for bathing bumped into them on a street last year, and thinking of planting them for sale on my ideal land. So glad to find a video about loofahs😊
My grandmother who used to live in Midnapore, WB, India had this plant in her garden. Every time she would come to visit, she brought a few of these with her. Much softer and better on the skin than plastic.
@Burger Pants It's actually not good to do that, because if you scrub all of the oil off your skin every day, you're probably more likely to get dry and itchy skin a lot.
I grew up using those to scrub in the shower... I'm so used to them that nothing else has the right texture, there are no replacements for it. They really last far longer than regular sponges, they dry faster, and if you store them the right way (a simple hook in a well ventilated area will do), they also don't get smelly, moldy or slimy. In fact, there is a curious thing about them that points out the time to replace... they start getting a bit darker, the fibers. Or when they become too flimsy, poking holes through. I also like how they are firmer than regular sponges... it kinda feels like you are cleaning yourself harder. xD It's a bit addictive. It's not even about environmentalism, it's all purely selfish reasons just because I like them over anything else. xD But I'm super happy to see it's a more environmentally friendly alternative, that it has a huge potential market to replace plastic crap, and that it's being promoted here. Never thought about using them for dishes though, will try it.
I never knew luffas were something you grew! I thought they were made from sea sponges. That's so cool and I definitely want to support this business ♥We've been trying to reduce our usage of plastic so this indeed is the right direction.
My wife and I grow them in New Orleans. We give them out as gifts during the holidays. They are very easy to grow if you get a lot of rain where you live. This past year we got close to 50 luffas out of two vines.
@@shoemakerleve9 no! I mean I guess if you had a big enough space you could, but the plants are huge! Growing season's really long too. I grow in Sydney Australia, so temperate climate, but into subtropical nowadays with global warming, but I struggle to get them done in the growing season & REALLY struggle to control where they go. You need at least 8 metres or so of full sun space for the vine to grow in to get even 2-3 luffas off the vine in my experience. Try sweet potato if you want to test indoor growing ability & if you can produce 20kgs of so of sweet potato, then the space used for that should be enough to grow one luffa plant in (I grow sweet potato too, that's about the space the luffa needs compared to sweet potato in my garden & temperature needs are similar too, but luffa needs a LOT more sun than sweet potato. Sweet potato is actually viable to grow indoors in small amounts, so good test plant if you're thinking of growing luffa)
I have seen them used as body scrubbers as well. In my experience the plastic scrubbers go soft and useless within less than a month. These ones are very rough at first but become comfortable after a few uses. I always thought it was just a thing in rural India. Cool seeing them in mainstream Haha
I do find them hard to stop going mouldy over time though - at least for my home grown ones, possible bought ones might have something added to stop that I guess, I don't know, might be how they're stored too, but I've tried lots of options
But wouldn't it be better to use a washcloth? You don't have to endure the torture of breaking in a new luffa, and you don't have to throw them away after a few uses.
@@mehere8038 From another user called XSportSeeker "I grew up using those to scrub in the shower... I'm so used to them that nothing else has the right texture, there are no replacements for it. They really last far longer than regular sponges, they dry faster, and if you store them the right way (a simple hook in a well ventilated area will do), they also don't get smelly, moldy or slimy. In fact, there is a curious thing about them that points out the time to replace... they start getting a bit darker, the fibers. Or when they become too flimsy, poking holes through. I also like how they are firmer than regular sponges... it kinda feels like you are cleaning yourself harder. xD It's a bit addictive. It's not even about environmentalism, it's all purely selfish reasons just because I like them over anything else. xD But I'm super happy to see it's a more environmentally friendly alternative, that it has a huge potential market to replace plastic crap, and that it's being promoted here. Never thought about using them for dishes though, will try it"
@@karakaaa3371 not sure it's cheap to grow you own, the space they need is pretty extreme, that's a LOT of alternative produce loss to grow them! I'd easily lose at least $200 worth of sweet potato if I swapped the space over & grew enough luffas to throw out so frequently
We've had these in Egypt since like forever, all the older people in my family use the raw plant (As in the entire lefah after peeling) for showers ...... wait , how on Earth do they "have the patent for luffahs in Europe" 🤨🤨🤨 , bruh , they didn't even invent it , it's a plant ???
My best guess is maybe the method of which they prepare and cut the loofah to be more "effective" or something but who knows 🤷. Don't take my word on it as I'm not an expert by any means. I am thinking of something similar like chocolate, it's also a plant that was used by Indigenous people of the Americas but Europeans treated it differently and had a different method to produce what most us know as "chocolate", aka the sweetened, milky variety. *Even tobacco (and thus cigar(ette)s) is an example of a plant being patented, be it not for the better 😅
This American and European companies are thugs at times.. They try get patent of medicinal property of Turmeric who traditional medicinal values are known since thousands of years in India
Hi, yesterday an Egyptian girl came to my house and sat on the wall for 15 minutes before I noticed on the camera I went out and said hi . Seems it was first day on the sale's job and said she was feeling nervous . We sat and talked a while, she felt better. Very nice person, we don't see many Egyptians in Western Australia.
Yes agreed, they get so nasty so quickly. We bought a ton of synthetic sponges and are trying to work our way through them slowly but I made my partner stop using them for dishes because the moldy smell skeeves me out! We use them for other cleaning things and gave most of them away. I currently use a natural fiber scrubby thing but I'll have to try loofah sometime for dishes!
@@PerceptionVsReality333 yeh, I've gotta say, in my experience luffa sponges go mouldy FAR quicker than any others, so I really do have to wonder if people are treating both the same way in storage & care, I'm guessing very much NO. There's also a range of widths in synthetic ones, so people should choose one that suits how they use it & should also be putting them through the washing machine regularly if they have smell or mould issues & aren't willing to use stuff like bleach to manage that. I use "wettex" for my uses where thicker ones mould up quickly & have a few I hang on hooks & alternate between, letting each dry between use. Mine always wear out well before having mould issues. Now if I could just work out how to store my luffas so that they wouldn't mould up!
Put in dishwasher and squeeze dry after every use. I only use them for wiping surfaces and squeeze them out. I use handled brush for dishes. All go thru dishwasher when they need to.
In india we used this as bathing scrubber, I didnt knew that west people are actually paying for this and it has a market. I actually felt inferior sometimes that we are not using fashionable scrubbers,but now its changed👍👍
It's hilarious when you see normal household supplies like loofahs and coconut fibre scrubbing brushes being sold for eye-watering amounts of money in America. I saw some "lifestyle" website selling a scrub brush for $30.
They're very common in Brazil, more used than plastic ones for body scrubbing (with seeds and everything). It's great seeing they can also be used in the kitchen!
In India we have used it since ages. A smaller luffah from a pumpkin like vegetable. As a child (I am 65 yrs old now) we used this to scrub our body and also clean utensils. Plastic scrubs replaced it. Now, the time has come to use them again.
I discovered luffahs at a household sponge about 8 years ago from my neighbour. A number of people across the suburbs of Brisbane grow them. I grow them myself now in my back yard and always have enough for the kitchen, bathroom and laundry. I wouldn't use anything else now. This video has given me a few tips on improving the production process, so thanks. I share the knowledge and seeds and hope many more people use their spare space to grow them so they DON'T HAVE TO BUY THEM! They're so simple, it's really not necessary to rely on a producer unless you're living in an apartment.
In India we have two verities of sponge gourds. With ridges and without ridges. Both are used as kitchen and bathroom sponges after ripening and the tender ones are used as vegetable .
We of Dayak people of the Island if Borneo use it for the same reason as in the video. We call it Busut, some call it Ketola but that one is for dishes.
We've been using these luffas since ages in bathing and in washing utensils..😊 My mom grow's tori and many other vegetables in her kitchen garden, She also makes seed storage container from round bottle gourd by drying it and hollowing the inner part, it was a technique she learnt from our ancestors. Nice to see people from other part of the world practicing the age old techniques as, It is very sustainable and appreciatable which doesn't harm the mother earth, A perfect replacement for plastic luffas. ❤
I have grown these successfully in Vermont USA. You have to baby them at the cold ends of the growing season, start seeds indoors early, and they don't get as big, but I got half a dozen useable gourds. That's enough to keep us in kitchen scrunchies for a couple years.
In all Latin countries, especially in Guatemala, Luffas have always been used for household cleaning & as a natural bathing scrub. I’m glad people around the world, that never knew or used these, are now realizing that these are amazing & completely environmentally safe!! 👍🏻👍🏻🤗🤗👏🏻👏🏻Great video!!
I can't wait for iberluffa to expand to Canada. I want to buy a bunch to give to friends and family so they can see try it and give up synthetic sponges.
I also using this to reduce plastic use and plastic pollution . But it is expensive in my country & it is not easy to find in local market or even super shop . But it is a quite famous vegetable in our village . It's very delicious vegetable with eggs omelette and Rice . Everyone must try this food.
It can be locally grown very easily! I've seen people growing them ornamentally around their houses' doors/ entrances!... They extend horizently and vertically for several meters, and can give more than 50 gourds! You can grow them on trellises also--and that's the best way!! All what you need is a single seed! By the way, it's English name (luffa) is derived from Arabic (leefah = ليفة)! 🥰
I really admire their commitment to no waste and no plastics. I hope their business continues to do well. If only corporations cared as much, but that would cut into their profits and they would rather trash the earth than have a profit reduction.
Today, I learned that loofas can actually be organic. Holy crap, I always thought they were synthetic, this is really interesting! Happy to have learned something new. I use these for bathing, as a body scrubber, but woulf be happy to switch to them for the dishes as well.
What a perfect combination of price, effectiveness, and totally green! Definitely going to buy some since it seems like a great product and company to support.
@Karan Raj hahaha brooo.. come on... like Mexico didn't exist thuosands of years ago. It's called estropajo. It used to be sold in every street by people who wandered the cities selling them. Now people prefer the synthetic versions for some reason. learn history before claiming stu... sh...
@@tigrehermano pues la mayoria de personas prefieren la vercion sintetica porque es muy facil de conseguir. Aparte ya no hay muchas personas que vendan estropajos...
@@tigrehermano soy de España, la palabra estropajo viene de aquí, no es que la hayáis inventado vosotros jajaja así que eso no le da veracidad a lo que estás diciendo en absoluto
the statement that plastic ones can go bad in 2-3 weeks is not at all afair claim. I can get 3 plastic ones for the price of one of these, and it will probably last me longer. Yes it is not as good for the environment but unless I grow it myself I will probably keep using plastic for a couple years.
I love the idea of using luffa instead of plastic based products but I’m even more thrilled that his plan for global expansion is basically franchising the business!
Right? I like that instead of trying to ship everything from Spain, they’re going to try and make shipping possible from other places and new farms mean for opportunities for other people
wow, I'm impressed! I struggle to grow to maturity in the available growing season in Sydney. I wouldn't have thought it would be possible in Canada, well done managing it!!!! & yeh, is a great feeling isn't it :)
I grew up with loofah bath sponges and I've been using loofah kitchen sponges for a few years. They last forever, don't trap food, dry quickly, are great for scrubbing (while being easy on dishes), and are compostable at the end of their useful lives. I won't go back to synthetic sponges.
I bought a natural luffa from a local flower and stationary stall a year ago. I use it every day and it is still as awesome as ever. One thing I do is to make sure it's always submerged in clean water to keep it from drying out and becoming too tough.
Indian raw loofas are two types, one with a little sharp edges/ridges and one without. It's very tasty though when raw stir fried with or without shrimp and make curry 😋. We use the dried ones as shower sponge 🧽
Luffas are very common in Chinese culture. If he extends the business to Taiwan, he might notice that luffas are widely used in Taiwan. We usually buy luffas in a whole one. Cut it by ourself so as to lower the waste, it’s environmental friendly.
Was gonna say that. I hope they are planning to manufacture in Taiwan and not sell, because at $3 a pop this is easily 3x the price of what is already available in Taiwan.
I am from Assam , Northeast INDIA. Here we call it BHULOR JIM. Apart from eating we use it as scrubber while taking bath. We also use it for washing utensils. As far as record's here it is used from Ancient time.
Now we all know that LOOFAH is very good and environmentally friendly❤. The harm of plastics is also increasingly understood by people. The current problem is how to make people use it at a low cost, so as to change the already formed consumption habits. From a business😊😊 perspective, I believe that solving this problem is the greatest contribution to protecting the Earth.
My grandmother was a farmer I remember her planting them letting them dry up... Taking out the seeds and replanting the seeds... And using the dried up lufus for bathing
In assamese language, the vegetable is called BHOL and the natural scrubber of the dried out vegetable is an excellent thing to rub the body during shower.... I have been using these natural scrubbers since childhood... And of course, it is readily available in rural areas and nobody charges for it...🙂🙂🙂
India has used this thing for many decades., our village people use it for cleaning their bodies. Now other countries are very late to understand the importance 😂
Or the product has just never been really exported outside of India and it's neighboring countries like most products that comes from poor or developing countries
The holy Ganges river is top five most polluted river in the world. That is something to be proud of for Indian. A holy river that has been turned to sewage and toxic waste disposal channel.
I was using these while showering one day, thinking they're some faux-veggie plastic 'thing', but then I noticed that mine still had its black seed inside it and that's when I realized this thing used to be part of an actual plant 😂
Oh that is cool to see and know that they're grown. I always try to replace my luffas every couple months but I'm not sure if they're synthetic or not but I'll have to check these out :)
In India a loofa of this size is 1dollar. I mean that big loofa without any cut. And sometimes you can get if for free as well if we buy some vegetables 😜
For thousands of years, my ancestors used this natural loofa for scrubbing & rinsing but Insider Business started to use that natural loofa just today 😂
Growing up in the 80s in Delhi india, my mom had a squad vine and she used to the luffahs made through that. Although she still preferred her jute luffah over this. That jute luffah can scratch the skins easily. My mom used to say the jute one removes the dead skins better than the other one. RIP momma
We eat the vegetable (called patola in Ph), great with sardines. My grandma (maynshe rest in peace) makes these luffa, just for hobby. She did say it would take so much time to produce them.
"He's perfected his whacking method over the past 3 years." That's dedication. Still, I hope he eventually makes a whacking machine, maybe like a wheel or belt he can attach the luffa to and have it repeatedly hit that screen with controlled force, and further expand his production.
We grow the smooth luffa variety. Last year we got 89 luffa off of ONE PLANT! We could have got a lot more as we can grow it all year long here, but it was taking over and going onto the roof
Sponges were originally made of sea sponges... Obviously. Some are still made that way, some are made this way, but most are just cheap synthetic materials.
We consume this as a vegetable here in the Philippines. This plant can easily adapt to the tropical climate and is resistant to almost any disease. The only problem is that it grows really fast, that after a few months, you can find the vines climbing to other trees. 😂
Tips when having this plant:
Plant them with their own climbing structure like in the video far from other plants or structures (electrical or telephone lines). This plant if left unchecked can easily overpower other plants/trees or its fruits hanging on those electrical lines.
not resistant to powdery mildew! I wish it was!
What's the local name? Makatanim nga.
@@ianhomerpura8937 Patola local name :)
@@realry329 eeeehh?! Nice!
Same here in India as well.
My parents grow these, and every once in a while I visit them and they give me a LOAD of these! They’re really really nice and it’s pretty cool that Insider made a video of this!
yea...we don't fking care if they are more expensive we have enough stuff to buy anyway don't need to add more this legit will make 0 difference
@@davidcorodeanu4535 no, it will make a difference-slowly people can change the world. Plus, we need to make up for all this damage
@@davidcorodeanu4535 the point is, in many settings, these are nicer to use than the alternatives, so they absolutely make a difference to the person using them. Really nice to use on your body when covered in grime from gardening, much better than the plastic alternatives that scratch & itch skin imo
Ive used these all my life, my parents did too. My mother always tried to avoid plastic if possible, she was an environmentalist and we/she, didn’t even know it.😂 It was like she had a sixth sense and was way ahead of her time. I can imagine her being pretty disappointed with todays throw away society😢.
I am currently using a loofah for bathing bumped into them on a street last year, and thinking of planting them for sale on my ideal land. So glad to find a video about loofahs😊
My grandmother who used to live in Midnapore, WB, India had this plant in her garden. Every time she would come to visit, she brought a few of these with her. Much softer and better on the skin than plastic.
Medinipur er konkhane
who uses a sponge in the shower tho lets be real. were they good for dish washing?
Poorol jali
Yeah it feels good. Better than the plastic one
@Burger Pants It's actually not good to do that, because if you scrub all of the oil off your skin every day, you're probably more likely to get dry and itchy skin a lot.
I grew up using those to scrub in the shower... I'm so used to them that nothing else has the right texture, there are no replacements for it. They really last far longer than regular sponges, they dry faster, and if you store them the right way (a simple hook in a well ventilated area will do), they also don't get smelly, moldy or slimy.
In fact, there is a curious thing about them that points out the time to replace... they start getting a bit darker, the fibers. Or when they become too flimsy, poking holes through.
I also like how they are firmer than regular sponges... it kinda feels like you are cleaning yourself harder. xD It's a bit addictive.
It's not even about environmentalism, it's all purely selfish reasons just because I like them over anything else. xD
But I'm super happy to see it's a more environmentally friendly alternative, that it has a huge potential market to replace plastic crap, and that it's being promoted here.
Never thought about using them for dishes though, will try it.
Smaller, more frequent farming helps prevent monoculture, loss of local biodiversity. Don't let the corporations run one big huge farm
I never knew luffas were something you grew! I thought they were made from sea sponges. That's so cool and I definitely want to support this business ♥We've been trying to reduce our usage of plastic so this indeed is the right direction.
Same here ☺️👍🏻👏🏻👌🏻👍🏻👍🏻
My wife and I grow them in New Orleans. We give them out as gifts during the holidays. They are very easy to grow if you get a lot of rain where you live. This past year we got close to 50 luffas out of two vines.
Can they be grown indoors?
They can be both.
@@shoemakerleve9 no! I mean I guess if you had a big enough space you could, but the plants are huge! Growing season's really long too. I grow in Sydney Australia, so temperate climate, but into subtropical nowadays with global warming, but I struggle to get them done in the growing season & REALLY struggle to control where they go. You need at least 8 metres or so of full sun space for the vine to grow in to get even 2-3 luffas off the vine in my experience. Try sweet potato if you want to test indoor growing ability & if you can produce 20kgs of so of sweet potato, then the space used for that should be enough to grow one luffa plant in (I grow sweet potato too, that's about the space the luffa needs compared to sweet potato in my garden & temperature needs are similar too, but luffa needs a LOT more sun than sweet potato. Sweet potato is actually viable to grow indoors in small amounts, so good test plant if you're thinking of growing luffa)
I have seen them used as body scrubbers as well. In my experience the plastic scrubbers go soft and useless within less than a month. These ones are very rough at first but become comfortable after a few uses.
I always thought it was just a thing in rural India. Cool seeing them in mainstream Haha
I do find them hard to stop going mouldy over time though - at least for my home grown ones, possible bought ones might have something added to stop that I guess, I don't know, might be how they're stored too, but I've tried lots of options
But wouldn't it be better to use a washcloth? You don't have to endure the torture of breaking in a new luffa, and you don't have to throw them away after a few uses.
@@mehere8038 Yeah they only really work if you grow your own (so it's cheap) and dispose of them after a week or two.
@@mehere8038 From another user called XSportSeeker "I grew up using those to scrub in the shower... I'm so used to them that nothing else has the right texture, there are no replacements for it. They really last far longer than regular sponges, they dry faster, and if you store them the right way (a simple hook in a well ventilated area will do), they also don't get smelly, moldy or slimy.
In fact, there is a curious thing about them that points out the time to replace... they start getting a bit darker, the fibers. Or when they become too flimsy, poking holes through.
I also like how they are firmer than regular sponges... it kinda feels like you are cleaning yourself harder. xD It's a bit addictive.
It's not even about environmentalism, it's all purely selfish reasons just because I like them over anything else. xD
But I'm super happy to see it's a more environmentally friendly alternative, that it has a huge potential market to replace plastic crap, and that it's being promoted here.
Never thought about using them for dishes though, will try it"
@@karakaaa3371 not sure it's cheap to grow you own, the space they need is pretty extreme, that's a LOT of alternative produce loss to grow them! I'd easily lose at least $200 worth of sweet potato if I swapped the space over & grew enough luffas to throw out so frequently
We've had these in Egypt since like forever, all the older people in my family use the raw plant (As in the entire lefah after peeling) for showers ...... wait , how on Earth do they "have the patent for luffahs in Europe" 🤨🤨🤨 , bruh , they didn't even invent it , it's a plant ???
My best guess is maybe the method of which they prepare and cut the loofah to be more "effective" or something but who knows 🤷. Don't take my word on it as I'm not an expert by any means.
I am thinking of something similar like chocolate, it's also a plant that was used by Indigenous people of the Americas but Europeans treated it differently and had a different method to produce what most us know as "chocolate", aka the sweetened, milky variety.
*Even tobacco (and thus cigar(ette)s) is an example of a plant being patented, be it not for the better 😅
This American and European companies are thugs at times.. They try get patent of medicinal property of Turmeric who traditional medicinal values are known since thousands of years in India
Apart from that I dom't think patenting is the way to go when it's about doing good for the environment, animals and people...
I think they meant the kitchen sponges.
Hi, yesterday an Egyptian girl came to my house and sat on the wall for 15 minutes before I noticed on the camera
I went out and said hi . Seems it was first day on the sale's job and said she was feeling nervous . We sat and talked a while, she felt better. Very nice person, we don't see many Egyptians in Western Australia.
Growing up as an Asian (Nepalese) , we used this as our body scrub always , never thought this would hit this big now ❤️ ...
Here in India too..
We still use to these days as body scrubber or like that one dish scrubber
Ghiraula
Ummm k
beauty of ghiraula.
I love luffa sponges for doing the dishes, they work so well. Those synthetic sponges start to smell after a few uses.
Yes agreed, they get so nasty so quickly. We bought a ton of synthetic sponges and are trying to work our way through them slowly but I made my partner stop using them for dishes because the moldy smell skeeves me out! We use them for other cleaning things and gave most of them away. I currently use a natural fiber scrubby thing but I'll have to try loofah sometime for dishes!
Pour hot water whenever possible
Because you're supposed to squeeze them dry as soon as you're done washing the dishes.
@@PerceptionVsReality333 yeh, I've gotta say, in my experience luffa sponges go mouldy FAR quicker than any others, so I really do have to wonder if people are treating both the same way in storage & care, I'm guessing very much NO.
There's also a range of widths in synthetic ones, so people should choose one that suits how they use it & should also be putting them through the washing machine regularly if they have smell or mould issues & aren't willing to use stuff like bleach to manage that. I use "wettex" for my uses where thicker ones mould up quickly & have a few I hang on hooks & alternate between, letting each dry between use. Mine always wear out well before having mould issues. Now if I could just work out how to store my luffas so that they wouldn't mould up!
Put in dishwasher and squeeze dry after every use. I only use them for wiping surfaces and squeeze them out. I use handled brush for dishes. All go thru dishwasher when they need to.
In india we used this as bathing scrubber, I didnt knew that west people are actually paying for this and it has a market.
I actually felt inferior sometimes that we are not using fashionable scrubbers,but now its changed👍👍
Mai app se bilkul shamat hu because I am Indian 😊😊😊
It's hilarious when you see normal household supplies like loofahs and coconut fibre scrubbing brushes being sold for eye-watering amounts of money in America. I saw some "lifestyle" website selling a scrub brush for $30.
Yes we were using all natural products that turned to dirt before the west invented the polluting materials. Now such things are not widely available.
Στην ελλαδα ειναι πολυ ακριβο !
I actually like it because I have used it before as my bathing sponge. Sometimes, we don't value the good stuff we have 😂.
They're very common in Brazil, more used than plastic ones for body scrubbing (with seeds and everything). It's great seeing they can also be used in the kitchen!
In India we have used it since ages. A smaller luffah from a pumpkin like vegetable. As a child (I am 65 yrs old now) we used this to scrub our body and also clean utensils. Plastic scrubs replaced it. Now, the time has come to use them again.
I discovered luffahs at a household sponge about 8 years ago from my neighbour. A number of people across the suburbs of Brisbane grow them. I grow them myself now in my back yard and always have enough for the kitchen, bathroom and laundry. I wouldn't use anything else now. This video has given me a few tips on improving the production process, so thanks. I share the knowledge and seeds and hope many more people use their spare space to grow them so they DON'T HAVE TO BUY THEM! They're so simple, it's really not necessary to rely on a producer unless you're living in an apartment.
In India we have two verities of sponge gourds. With ridges and without ridges. Both are used as kitchen and bathroom sponges after ripening and the tender ones are used as vegetable .
same here in Malaysia! 😂 never thought this home garden vegetables could become a big industry ... we eat the young one as vege too
@@JangLiBa2107 same here in Pakistan
What are they called in your regional language?
@@daakevinee touri in North of India
We of Dayak people of the Island if Borneo use it for the same reason as in the video. We call it Busut, some call it Ketola but that one is for dishes.
We've been using these luffas since ages in bathing and in washing utensils..😊
My mom grow's tori and many other vegetables in her kitchen garden, She also makes seed storage container from round bottle gourd by drying it and hollowing the inner part, it was a technique she learnt from our ancestors.
Nice to see people from other part of the world practicing the age old techniques as, It is very sustainable and appreciatable which doesn't harm the mother earth,
A perfect replacement for plastic luffas. ❤
Same in Mexico. Coincidence? A signal? 😌😉
Wow! Really a very nice, genuine, real fact, most important & ever memorable, great motivational feedback.
@@tigrehermano bro trying to hit😂
I love luffa sponges. They exfoliate really well when they're still new.
I had no idea this is where Luffa came from! 🤯🤩
Does it exist?
I have grown these successfully in Vermont USA. You have to baby them at the cold ends of the growing season, start seeds indoors early, and they don't get as big, but I got half a dozen useable gourds. That's enough to keep us in kitchen scrunchies for a couple years.
50 years ago, when I was a kid, we only had kitchen sponges made by loofah. Even now, we still can buy it at some shops selling vintage products.
In all Latin countries, especially in Guatemala, Luffas have always been used for household cleaning & as a natural bathing scrub.
I’m glad people around the world, that never knew or used these, are now realizing that these are amazing & completely environmentally safe!!
👍🏻👍🏻🤗🤗👏🏻👏🏻Great video!!
I don’t know if many people in Britain use these but I grew up using them and had no idea these were plants
Wow! What a very nice, genuine, real fact, most important & ever memorable, great motivational feedback.
They are also common in Asia
I can't wait for iberluffa to expand to Canada. I want to buy a bunch to give to friends and family so they can see try it and give up synthetic sponges.
presumably you'll need to buy from the US, Canada's too cold for commercial operations growing them
I also using this to reduce plastic use and plastic pollution . But it is expensive in my country & it is not easy to find in local market or even super shop . But it is a quite famous vegetable in our village . It's very delicious vegetable with eggs omelette and Rice . Everyone must try this food.
It can be locally grown very easily! I've seen people growing them ornamentally around their houses' doors/ entrances!... They extend horizently and vertically for several meters, and can give more than 50 gourds! You can grow them on trellises also--and that's the best way!! All what you need is a single seed!
By the way, it's English name (luffa) is derived from Arabic (leefah = ليفة)! 🥰
I had these all over the trees back home. We used them to wash dishes and scrub our body. I could have been rich they are so easy to grow.
I used them for bathing 1 year ago and never looked back on the plastic alternatives, such a great and cheap solution
I really admire their commitment to no waste and no plastics. I hope their business continues to do well. If only corporations cared as much, but that would cut into their profits and they would rather trash the earth than have a profit reduction.
This is such a perfect product. Zero waste, biodegradable.
Pretty common in India since millennia.
Today, I learned that loofas can actually be organic. Holy crap, I always thought they were synthetic, this is really interesting! Happy to have learned something new. I use these for bathing, as a body scrubber, but woulf be happy to switch to them for the dishes as well.
I've used one of these for my body. It feels so good after every bath.
What a perfect combination of price, effectiveness, and totally green! Definitely going to buy some since it seems like a great product and company to support.
Lol Mexico been using those for thousands of years
@Karan Raj hahaha brooo.. come on... like Mexico didn't exist thuosands of years ago. It's called estropajo. It used to be sold in every street by people who wandered the cities selling them. Now people prefer the synthetic versions for some reason. learn history before claiming stu... sh...
@@tigrehermano pues la mayoria de personas prefieren la vercion sintetica porque es muy facil de conseguir. Aparte ya no hay muchas personas que vendan estropajos...
@@Shrimps- es que la industria se acabó toda la tierra, y los plantíos, que muchas veces están ahi abandonadas las cosechas
@@tigrehermano soy de España, la palabra estropajo viene de aquí, no es que la hayáis inventado vosotros jajaja así que eso no le da veracidad a lo que estás diciendo en absoluto
I had no idea that luffas were a gourd and it’s amazing how little processing it takes to go from vine to market.
It is spongy gourd
I had no idea luffas were organic and grown, I figured they were just a fancy sponge
The beginning music was exactly what I’d expect to accompany loofahs if they had a theme song 🎶
Grew up with them in abundance. Threw away the extra. Didn’t know I was throwing away money. Thought only Africans use these
Lol same here in India
I'm mexican we used them
Waste not
the statement that plastic ones can go bad in 2-3 weeks is not at all afair claim. I can get 3 plastic ones for the price of one of these, and it will probably last me longer. Yes it is not as good for the environment but unless I grow it myself I will probably keep using plastic for a couple years.
Send me some seeds. Im in NJ lol.
They should be proud of the size of their luffas! I grow my own luffas in my garden, but never have I had any even close to that size! Those are HUGE!
definitely, as said at 2:30, they deserve to be proud, those things as ginormous!
We use those in Brazil as well, great for a shower scrub, never seen them used as dish sponges tho
"He's perfected his whacking method over the past three years"... 😅
Me too bro, me too.
In my village, we use them during bathing as a scrubber and also in dish washing. It has anti-bacterial properties, it's good for skin.
I love the idea of using luffa instead of plastic based products but I’m even more thrilled that his plan for global expansion is basically franchising the business!
Right? I like that instead of trying to ship everything from Spain, they’re going to try and make shipping possible from other places and new farms mean for opportunities for other people
If the business goes to a spot in the Southern U.S. that has a lot of rain, than cool. But that may be hard to find.
I grow luffas in canada. Ours don't get as big and we have to harvest them earlier, but it's amazing growing your own spounges at home!
wow, I'm impressed! I struggle to grow to maturity in the available growing season in Sydney. I wouldn't have thought it would be possible in Canada, well done managing it!!!! & yeh, is a great feeling isn't it :)
I grew up with loofah bath sponges and I've been using loofah kitchen sponges for a few years. They last forever, don't trap food, dry quickly, are great for scrubbing (while being easy on dishes), and are compostable at the end of their useful lives. I won't go back to synthetic sponges.
This plants grow naturally in my grandmother's backyard, we use them like sponges for bathing and washing, here they are called "estropajos" 😅
When young they’re good to eat in stews and such. My mum grows them almost every year.
Really a very nice, genuine, real fact, most important & ever memorable, great motivational feedback.
These grow in abundance in Dominican Republic. Always had fresh ones in the house.
His wacking method 😂😂😂
3:33
Farmer: We use a special mesh, so that sponges are not demaged.
Special mesh: *Old piece of metal fence*
I always thought these things were some sort of ocean sponge lol.
I bought a natural luffa from a local flower and stationary stall a year ago. I use it every day and it is still as awesome as ever. One thing I do is to make sure it's always submerged in clean water to keep it from drying out and becoming too tough.
I bought a few Luffa sponges in a Dutch zero waste shop and I will never go back. I love these!
producing in a BIG way can be sustainable. This man is living proof of it. I love it!
Indian raw loofas are two types, one with a little sharp edges/ridges and one without. It's very tasty though when raw stir fried with or without shrimp and make curry 😋. We use the dried ones as shower sponge 🧽
I have grown luffas and love the texture. Plus they are easier to clean and sanitize than plastic sponges.
I feel like such an idiot.... I had no idea that there is a plant that makes sponges. Learn something new every day!
my wife grow these in our backyard and we use them as sdishes and shower sponge
Luffas are very common in Chinese culture. If he extends the business to Taiwan, he might notice that luffas are widely used in Taiwan. We usually buy luffas in a whole one. Cut it by ourself so as to lower the waste, it’s environmental friendly.
Was gonna say that. I hope they are planning to manufacture in Taiwan and not sell, because at $3 a pop this is easily 3x the price of what is already available in Taiwan.
So much better than using plastic or actual sea sponges
We have this here in the backyard, they grow in the wild and just everywhere
In Indian villages it's so common,you find it everywhere,we plant luffas bottle guard spinach bitter melon and so on.
This is actually used a lot on my region nobody sells them but they grow around us and we use them mostly for bathing
I am from Assam , Northeast INDIA. Here we call it BHULOR JIM. Apart from eating we use it as scrubber while taking bath. We also use it for washing utensils. As far as record's here it is used from Ancient time.
i think it is same for whole India. In MP we also use this as bath scrubber
Yaa these are small size
Can you help me with seeds to plant
In India also we are using these from ages. Mainly in villages they are still using,its cheap ,natural
Now we all know that LOOFAH is very good and environmentally friendly❤. The harm of plastics is also increasingly understood by people. The current problem is how to make people use it at a low cost, so as to change the already formed consumption habits. From a business😊😊 perspective, I believe that solving this problem is the greatest contribution to protecting the Earth.
I also like to beat it to get as many seeds as possible.
I planted it in my garden over ten years ago and it grows very quickly
I plant one or two seeds a year in California because some years it doesn't grow and other years due to weather it can take over my whole property
Well, we have been using this for various household purposes for ages now!! Should have uploaded one earlier 😂
Indeed a great business
My grandmother was a farmer I remember her planting them letting them dry up... Taking out the seeds and replanting the seeds... And using the dried up lufus for bathing
These are fantastic to use and very easy to grow your own - no need to transport them across the globe!
I stupidly thought a luffa was a sea animal of some sort. Every day is a school day...
There are sea sponges too, tarpon springs in florida is famous for them.
Tapping the plant to see if it’s ready is how to pick good watermelon and whacking it to get the seeds out is like peppers. Looks fun!
In assamese language, the vegetable is called BHOL and the natural scrubber of the dried out vegetable is an excellent thing to rub the body during shower....
I have been using these natural scrubbers since childhood...
And of course, it is readily available in rural areas and nobody charges for it...🙂🙂🙂
India has used this thing for many decades., our village people use it for cleaning their bodies. Now other countries are very late to understand the importance 😂
Or the product has just never been really exported outside of India and it's neighboring countries like most products that comes from poor or developing countries
The holy Ganges river is top five most polluted river in the world. That is something to be proud of for Indian. A holy river that has been turned to sewage and toxic waste disposal channel.
I use these....they are very good!
Fake news.
The young edible ones, slice thin, sauté with garlic and fish sauce. Serve with freshly cooked jasmine rice. Perfection.
My grandma also use this to clean everything including her body to take shower.
My parents know where to buy these for about $1 and they are quality.
Que hermoso negocio. Felicitaciones.
It tastes good when they are young. Good fiber food and tasty too🤤
I was using these while showering one day, thinking they're some faux-veggie plastic 'thing', but then I noticed that mine still had its black seed inside it and that's when I realized this thing used to be part of an actual plant 😂
I ❤ (natural) vegetable luffas.
Oh that is cool to see and know that they're grown. I always try to replace my luffas every couple months but I'm not sure if they're synthetic or not but I'll have to check these out :)
The natural ones can be used for a very long time. If they are dry after use, they will last well.
i planted this to have luffa for body scrubbing its more soothing than plastic
”perfected his whacking method” ... ”we beat it to get as many of its seeds as possible”
We have them in abundance. In India we eat them as well😊
I have been using these since last year!!!!!!! They do wonders for exfoliating the body
You can use them to wash some of dishes and pots that can handle the scrubbing. They can wash all kinds of stuff.
Fake news.
@@angelad.8944 Fake news.
we grow loofahs on our farm in Canada, so amazing to see this wide scale outdoor production and the values behind the company!!
I think I'm gonna get some Luffa seeds and start farming it. Such a nice information. Thank you!
In India a loofa of this size is 1dollar. I mean that big loofa without any cut. And sometimes you can get if for free as well if we buy some vegetables 😜
I have never seen this big in my here. Only the small ones selling for 10rs
For thousands of years, my ancestors used this natural loofa for scrubbing & rinsing but Insider Business started to use that natural loofa just today 😂
Hahaha..i feel u
"He must not hit it too hard"
*proceeds to beat the sh*t out of it*
Growing up in the 80s in Delhi india, my mom had a squad vine and she used to the luffahs made through that. Although she still preferred her jute luffah over this. That jute luffah can scratch the skins easily. My mom used to say the jute one removes the dead skins better than the other one. RIP momma
In Bangladesh village people use it to have a bath and clean the body with soap.
Here in Nepal we use as natural brush and in local it's called 'tutuaa' be usually use during bath time as a drush. That's great business man
We eat the vegetable (called patola in Ph), great with sardines. My grandma (maynshe rest in peace) makes these luffa, just for hobby. She did say it would take so much time to produce them.
In India we are using this since 5000BC
before Christ
bC
🙏
@@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536 The big question is.....Did he use luffa too? 🤔😁
Fake news.
All over the world people are adopting our sanatani culture 🚩🚩
I remember the first time I learned that loofahs grew on trees!! I was so shocked....
its also shocking when we found out water used to be free too..
They are not trees. They are vining plants
"He's perfected his whacking method over the past 3 years." That's dedication. Still, I hope he eventually makes a whacking machine, maybe like a wheel or belt he can attach the luffa to and have it repeatedly hit that screen with controlled force, and further expand his production.
This is one of my favorite vegetable to eat. They are abundant here in India during the summers.
Such a very informative videos !! Btw i am 1st
GREAT NEWS. I'VE USED THEM FOR DECADES. SO HEALTHY.
Fake news.
@@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536 Like you. Fake person. Rotten heart.
I remember having them in our garden when I was a kid, and I remember them being very slimy inside.
We grow the smooth luffa variety. Last year we got 89 luffa off of ONE PLANT! We could have got a lot more as we can grow it all year long here, but it was taking over and going onto the roof
I thought they were like a sea sponge
Ummm that would be a SPONGE
Sponges were originally made of sea sponges... Obviously. Some are still made that way, some are made this way, but most are just cheap synthetic materials.
@@samsonsoturian6013 You are a sponge human being.
@@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536 what?
Oma.
Oh my Allah.