LUFFA
LOOFAH
GROURDS




WHAT IS A LOOFAH?

WHAT IS A SPONGE LOOFAH?

HOW TO SANITIZE A LOOFAH

HOW TO DISINFECT A LOOFAH

LOOFAH GOURDS LINKS



BACK TO TOP



SECTION 1



WHAT
IS A
LOOFAH?




A loofah is a fibrous plant seed pod. The luffa plant is a cucurbit,
a group of plants including gourds, pumpkins, and cucumbers. It grows
as a flowering annual vine. The pollinated flowers grow cylindrical
green fruits that eventually develop into a seed pod filled with many
intertwined cellulose fibers. The outer skin is removed to reveal the
"loofah" inside.

Sea sponges are members of the animal kingdom. They grow on the sea
floor and filter food out of the water. The word sponge is often used
to describe loofah and man made "sponges" with absorbent properties
like sea sponges.

Luffa sponge gourds have many names, both common and scientific. They
are known as loofah, smooth loofah, loofah sponge, loofa, luffa, loufa,
loufah, luffah, sponge gourd, Chinese okra, elephant okra, dishrag gourd,
towel gourd, and other common names in many different languages. The
scientific name for the plant I grow is Luffa aegyptiaca. It may also be
known as Luffa cylindrica.

There are other cultivated fiber-producing species within the Luffa genus
including Luffa acutangula and Luffa operculata. Angled luffa or ridged
luffa are common names for acutangula. Luffa operculata is known as the
ball luffa or sponge cucumber. Humans have propagated these cultivated
plants across the tropical to temperate regions of the earth.

Luffa fiber is a green renewable resource with many uses.



What is a Loofah
http://www.luffa.info/index.htm



LUFFA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luffa




BACK TO TOP



SECTION 2



WHAT IS
A
LOOFAH SPONGE?




A loofah is neither animal nor mineral -- it's the dried fruit of a
certain gourd plant. The rough, fibrous texture of a dried loofah
makes it an excellent beauty tool, facilitating exfoliation when you
use it with a body wash or soap in the shower or bath. You'll also
find plastic imitations called loofahs on the market, but the term
should be reserved for the actual plant-based product.



Origin of the Loofah

The loofah, technically speaking, is not a sponge -- sponges refer to
either a class of sea animal or a porous synthetic imitation. Rather,
it is a fruit, grown from a tropical vine. Loofah fruits, or gourds,
are edible when fresh. When dried, they're used as pot scrubbers as
well as beauty aids. To make a loofah scrubber, the gourd is dried and
peeled, and the seeds are shaken out. What's left is the rough-textured
cellulose fiber, almost like a skeleton.



Using the Loofah

A loofah skeleton can be cut into sections for easy handling. Use it to
exfoliate layers of dead cells from the surface of your skin. For best
results, add a dab of body wash to your loofah while in the bath or
shower, and then scrub up a good lather. Don't use an exfoliating cleanser
that's overkill -- and don't scrub too hard. Rinse clean and moisturize
after you towel off. Don't exfoliate over broken, sunburned or irritated
skin, and be extra gentle around your face and bikini area.



What Is a Loofah Sponge?
http://www.ehow.com/about_5137588_loofah-sponge.html



BACK TO TOP



SECTION 3



HOW TO
SANITIZE
A LOOFAH




Loofah sponges are actually the dried innards of a type of gourd that
comes from a plant in the cucumber family, and they are often used as
exfoliating body scrubbers to remove dead skin in the shower. If you
love the healthy glow you get from your loofah, don't forget to take
it out of the shower and disinfect it once a week -- fortunately, there
are a number of ways to do so. Neglecting your loofah could result in
your skin becoming irritated or infected from the bacteria that builds
up when you leave your loofah in a warm, damp environment.

Loofah sponges are actually the dried innards of a type of gourd that
comes from a plant in the cucumber family, and they are often used as
exfoliating body scrubbers to remove dead skin in the shower. If you
love the healthy glow you get from your loofah, don't forget to take
it out of the shower and disinfect it once a week -- fortunately,
there are a number of ways to do so. Neglecting your loofah could
result in your skin becoming irritated or infected from the bacteria
that builds up when you leave your loofah in a warm, damp environment.

Add 1/4 cup of liquid chlorine bleach to 1 gallon of hot water in a
clean sink or bucket. Allow the loofah to soak in the solution for 10
minutes. Rinse thoroughly with running water.

Wash your loofah with your dishes by placing the loofah on the top rack
of the dishwasher. You can also wash it in the washing machine with your
white clothes. Use hot water for either method and add bleach when doing
laundry for extra disinfecting power.

Place your thoroughly wet loofah in the microwave and microwave on high
for one to three minutes. You'll know it's done when the loofah starts
to steam.

Dry your loofah in the bright sun after washing for extra freshening power.

Rinse your loofah thoroughly after every shower. Keep a bottle of white
vinegar in the shower and pour it over the loofah once every few days.
Rinse the vinegar from the loofah and store it outside the shower so it
has time to dry thoroughly between uses.



How to Sanitize a Loofah
https://oureverydaylife.com/sanitize-loofah-27828.html



BACK TO TOP



SECTION 4



HOW TO
DISINFECT
A LOOFAH




You shower to get your body clean, but your loofah can spread germs
across your body. Before using loofahs, many people used washcloths
to cleanse their bodies and then cleaned the washcloth in the washing
machine. This makes sense since, during a shower, you are using the
cloth to remove dirt and grime from dirty parts of your body. People
have neglected to follow the same logic with their loofahs. Since a
loofah shouldn't be put in the washing machine, it's important to use
another method for disinfecting your loofah. There a number of ways to
disinfect.

You shower to get your body clean, but your loofah can spread germs
across your body. Before using loofahs, many people used washcloths
to cleanse their bodies and then cleaned the washcloth in the washing
machine. This makes sense since, during a shower, you are using the
cloth to remove dirt and grime from dirty parts of your body. People
have neglected to follow the same logic with their loofahs. Since a
loofah shouldn't be put in the washing machine, it's important to use
another method for disinfecting your loofah. There a number of ways to
disinfect a loofah.

Mix 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide and 1/4 cup of water in a bowl. Place
the loofah in the solution for 6 minutes. Rinse the loofah in fresh water.

Mix 3 to 4 drops of tea tree oil and 1 cup of warm water in a bowl.
According to Natural Bath and Body Shop, “Tea tree oil is a very
effective germicide and has been proven to inhibit up to 60 strains
of bacteria, including S.Aureus.This will also eliminate any odor on
your sponge.” Place the loofah in the bowl and submerge it into the
solution for 6 minutes. Rinse with fresh water.

Mix 1 tbsp. of apple cider or white vinegar and 1 cup of warm water in
a bowl. Place the loofah in the bowl and submerge it into the solution
for 6 minutes before rinsing.

Mix 1 tbsp. of baking soda and 1 cup of warm water in a bowl. Submerge
the loofah in the bowl for six minutes, and then rinse.

Mix 1 tsp. colloidal silver in a bowl with 1 cup of warm water. Soak the
loofah in this solution for 6 minutes. Rinse the mixture out of the loofah.



How to Disinfect a Loofah
https://oureverydaylife.com/how-to-disinfect-a-loofah-12602725.html



How to Grow Gourds
http://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Gourds




Handmade 100%
Natural Shower Loofah

http://www.instructables.com/id/Handmade-100-Natural-Shower-Loofah/




BACK TO TOP



SECTION 5



LUFFA
LOOFAH
SPONGES
LINKS




8 Easy Steps to Grow Your Own Luffa Sponge
https://www.gardenamerica.com/store/information/science/tip/growluffa

American Gourd Society
http://www.americangourdsociety.org/

Commercial Luffa Sponge Gourd Production
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/commercial-luffa-sponge-gourd-production

Dishcloth or Luffa Gourd Seeds
https://www.rareseeds.com/dishcloth-or-luffa-gourd/

Growing luffa gourds
http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/vegetables/growing-luffa-gourds/

Harvesting and drying Luffas
https://www.houzz.com/discussions/1925026/harvesting-and-drying-luffas

Harvesting loofahs
https://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/2007/06/harvesting-loofahs.html

The Highly Versatile Luffa Plant
http://www.motherearthnews.com/natural-health/luffa-plant-zmaz81mazraw.aspx#axzz3PrVQ838H

How to Grow Loofah Sponges
http://www.gardenguides.com/101170-grow-loofah-sponges.html

How To Grow Luffa Gourds And Get Natural Sponges Too!
https://www.backyardgardenlover.com/how-to-grow-luffa-gourds/

How To Grow Your Natural Sponge and Eat It too
https://www.apieceofrainbow.com/grow-natural-sponge-luffa/



BACK TO TOP



How To Grow Your Own Loofah Sponge
https://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/how-to-grow-your-own-loofah-sponge

How to make luffa gourd sponges
http://www.greenishthumb.net/2010/01/how-to-make-luffa-gourd-sponges.html

How to Pick and Dry Loofah Sponges
https://www.hunker.com/13427505/how-to-pick-and-dry-loofah-sponges

Growing Angled Luffa
http://stevespeonygarden.blogspot.com/2012/09/growing-angled-luffa-loofah-gourds-from.html

Growing luffa gourds
http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/vegetables/growing-luffa-gourds/

Grow Your Own Loofah Sponge
https://draxe.com/loofah-sponge/

Grow Your Own Loofah Sponge
http://www.gardeninghelpinformation.com/grow-loofah-sponges/

Loofah and Chicken Stir-Fry
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/loofah-and-chicken-stir-fry-106268

Luffa
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-194-LUFFA.aspx?activeIngredientId=194&activeIngredientName=LUFFA

luffa
http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Luffa.html

luffa
http://www.vegetabledirectory.com/luffa/



BACK TO TOP



luffa
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/CropOp/en/spec_veg/cucurbits/luffa.html

Luffa
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1993/v2-560.html

Luffa aegyptiaca at Floridata
http://www.floridata.com/ref/l/luff_aeg.cfm

Luffa Breeding at NC State
http://plantsdatabase.com/go/712/

Luffa Cylindrica
http://www.motherherbs.com/luffa-cylindrica.html

The Luffa Farm
http://www.theluffafarm.com/

Luffa Gourds Cooking Tips
http://www.cooksinfo.com/luffa-gourds

Luffa.info
http://www.luffa.info/

Luffa Plant Care
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/gourd/luffa-gourd-planting.htm

Luffa Plant Uses
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Natural-Health/1981-03-01/Luffa-Plant-Uses.aspx

Luffa Recipe
https://noobcook.com/luffa/



BACK TO TOP



Loofah—The sponge gourd
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02859814?no-access=true

LUFFA THE VEGETABLE SPONGE
http://www.backyardnature.net/yucatan/luffa.htm

Luffa with egg recipe
simplymommie.com/2010/01/luffa-with-egg-recipe.html

Making Homemade Luffa Soap
http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2012/01/making-homemade-luffa-soap.html

Patola/Luffa acutangula
http://www.stuartxchange.org/Patola.html

Recipes, demystifying angled luffa and smooth luffa (loofah)
http://www.jonisare.com/recipes-demystifying-angled-luffa-and-smooth-luffa/

Sorting Luffa names
http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Luffa.html

Stir-Fried Luffa Gourds with Eggs Recipe
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/12/stir-fried-luffa-gourds-eggs-recipe.html

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SUCCESSFULLY GROWING LUFFA SPONGES
https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/growing-luffa-sponges/

USDA Luffa Plant Profile
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LUAE



BACK TO TOP



Fruits
&
Veggies Resources

State Programs and Resources
https://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/state-programs-and-resources




Make
soil
loose

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/make-soil-loose-23694.html




World
Crops
Database

https://world-crops.com/home/




CROP
INDEX

https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/Indices/index_ab.html




BACK TO TOP



Types of
Vegetables

https://3thanwong.com/types-of-vegetables/




Plants Database
National Gardening Association
http://garden.org/plants/




The Plant
Encyclopedia

http://theplantencyclopedia.org/wiki/Main_Page




The Big
Bug Hunt

https://bigbughunt.com/




BACK TO TOP




GOURDS SQUASH PUMPKINS INDEX


VEGETABLE INDEX


CROP INDEX


COMMUNITY INDEX


FOOD INDEX


HOME


LAND TRUST


RURAL INDEX


E-MAIL




BACK TO TOP