Fiber Comparison of Luffa/Other Fibrous Fruits

Last year I grew the typical luffas that many of us know. The latin name for them is Luffa cylindrica. My purpose was to pour soap into them for gifts. Well, the fibers are just TOO tough on the skin unless you grind them up and add just a few to the soap recipe.

This Spring, I discovered several other varieties of Luffa and the Luffa operculata (luffa ball) caught my attention. I'm curious if the fibers in this variety of luffa are less tough and more suitable for use on the skin.

I'm not glued to Luffas for this project. It's just that it's the only thing that I am aware of that has fibers that can be dried and used like a sponge.

Does anyone happen to know anything about the Luffa ball fibers or any other possible fibrous plant that may make a softer scrub on the skin when dried?

Thanks!!!!

luffa is not use dried.

ok to avoid confusion. the fresh fruit is dried first. before u use the dried luffa, one is supposed to soaked them in water overnight. some people soak them in water with some bleach to whiten the fiber. i just soak it in water once. as u used the luffa, the fiber softens in use even though they dry out between use. hth.

Thanks, MaVie! Yes, using the luffa without soaking it first is just too rough on the skin. I was hoping that the ball luffas would have a thinner more gentle fiber since they are smaller. Then, maybe with the soap poured into them, they wouldn't need to be soaked first?

It's been hard to find out anything on the ball luffas also known as the Luffa operculata.

I've some seeds sprouting now, but I was hoping to learn more from anyone that has grown this particular variety.

Thanks again!

Have never grown the ball luffas...sounds pretty cool tho Morph. Guess you'll hafta be the informant here and let us know about them.

I've soaked the cyl luffa in bleach before and it softens it up, almost to the point of making the fibers weak. (Maybe I soaked it too long, or added too much bleach and it broke the tissue down further than I wanted.)

Mmmmmmmm.... Shoe, I'll try some more bleaching then perhaps? Do you soak your luffas before using them? If so, how long? It would be hard for me to think in advance to soak a luffa for use. I just jump into get clean whenever I need it.

I'll share everything I learn about the ball luffas. I thought they were sprouting, but not yet. They are native to Mexico I believe so they are going to need some TLC from me if they are going to make it.

I didn't know about them ~ just happened across them on a gourd site and got REALLY excited :)

Nope...once the luffa's are in the bathroom I don't soak them. They'll get dry, but once they are wet they are "good to go".

Only soaking I do is when I either soak the green ones (to help get the skin off), or after they've been skint...and that was just one time (when I put them in a bucket of bleach water and let them sit there). (They were VERY soft...soaked over nite, but some of them nearly fell apart. The bleach may have been too strong, or the soaking too long.)