Crochet dishcloths are unique because not only are they beautiful but they also get the job done very well if you go for the right yarn choice. To get the most out of your crochet dishcloth, it’s recommended to go for the right type of yarn and not just any type of yarn.
If you’re a crocheter and want to know if acrylic yarn can be used to crochet dishcloths as most crochet dishcloth patterns require cotton yarn, this question and many others will be answered below for you to know the ideal yarn for your crochet dishcloths, keep reading to find out.
Can You Crochet Dishcloths With Acrylic Yarn?
The type of yarn that will perfectly suit your crochet dishcloth will typically depend on how you use the dishcloth but you can use acrylic yarn for your dishcloth. The most ideal types of yarn to use for dishcloth includes cotton, acrylic, bamboo, and polyester but the ultimate choice of the crocheter will depend on the everyday use you have for the dishcloth because people use their dishcloths slightly differently from one another.
While you plan to use your dishcloth only as dishes, someone else plans to use their dishcloth to handle hot cookware, clean up spills, wipe down countertops, and other things like that. Furthermore, even if you plan to use your dishcloth to wash dishes only, the type of yarn you will go for will also be based on how you wash your dishes. Get the answers to the following questions to make picking the right yarn choice easier.
Are you the type that fills up the sink with soap and water halfway before you start washing plates or you’re the type that prefers to use an empty sink soapy cloth?
Are you the type that soaks your dishes so you won’t have to deal with food stuck on the dishes or you’re the type that doesn’t soak your dish before washing so food gets stuck on it?
Are you the type that air dry your dishes or do you use a fresh clean dishcloth to dry your dishes?
With all the above factors in mind, it will be easier for you to choose the most ideal type of yarn when you read through the properties of the different yarn materials you can use to crochet dishcloths.
– Acrylic Yarn
Acrylic yarn is ideal to remove food sticks on plates as it’s rougher than the cotton material, so it’s very good for scrubbing but still gentle enough to not damage your dishes. You can also use it to wipe even kitchen surfaces and countertops because it gets rid of dust easily. It is also known to be very durable so it can last for a while and comes in a variety of colors that don’t bleed out nor fade after multiple washes.
The acrylic yarn has a poor absorbent property which can be good and bad. Good in the sense that it dries on time and bacteria and mildew won’t grow on it easily but bad in the sense that you can’t use an acrylic dishcloth to dry dishes or clean spills.
With this type of yarn, your dishcloth stretches and loses shape over time and you can use it to handle hot cookware as it melts under high heat. A major concern with this yarn is that it sheds a lot of microplastic which ends up in the ocean, thus making it environmentally unfriendly. So you might want to stay away from acrylic if you’re environmentally conscious.
– Polyester Yarn
Polyester yarn is scrubbier and more absorbent than acrylic yarn to wash dishes and with its coarseness, it gets rid of the food stuck on your dishes and pots without any scratches. It also dries on time after washing thus minimizing mildew growth, it comes with a wide range of color that doesn’t fade. It can clean spills very well because it’s not as absorbent as cotton nor can it dust dirt properly or be used to handle hot pots.
One major thing you should know before using polyester yarn for your crochet dishcloth is that it’s coarse and mostly ends up feeling like sandpaper after a few items of washing and is also prone to losing shape with time. It is all an expensive option for crochet dishcloths but if you need a dishcloth for scrubbing without scratches, then it’s your go-to.
– Cotton Yarn
This is another type of yarn that’s suitable for making crochet dishcloths. It has a very absorbent property making it good to clean spills and dry washed dishes in another hand making it require more soap while washing and takes time to dry, unlike acrylic yarn. It’s also heat resistant, so you won’t have any problems handling your hot cookware with a cotton dishcloth. Cotton is environmentally friendly as it’s a natural fiber and biodegradable. You can also expect your cotton crochet dishcloth to last you for years since it’s very durable.
Before opting for this yarn you should know that although it’s more expensive than an acrylic yarn, its color fades sooner with wash than acrylic and it shrinks with the wash so size it a bit bigger than the intended final size while crocheting. And it is so soft that if you’re the type that needs a bit of scrubbing power to get rid of the food stuck in your dishes, it might not be the best option for you.
– Bamboo Yarn
This is another yarn option to use for your crochet dishcloth. This yarn is more absorbent than cotton, it’s perfect for cleaning spills and wiping countertops, and surprisingly it also dries faster than cotton does which makes it even better as you won’t need to worry about mildew growth.
In addition, it also helps that it’s natural, antibacterial, and soft. When you use bamboo yarn for your dishcloth you don’t need to worry about fading as it’s fade resistant and coupled with the fact that it’s durable and strong be rest assured that you will use the dishcloth for a very long period. You should also know that bamboo yarn tends to lose its shape.
Can You Crochet Dishcloths With Wool Yarn?
Wool is not an ideal choice of yarn for crocheting dishcloths. This is so because wool felt easy in water and when used for too much scrubbing. Wet wool also has this unpleasant kind of odor and tends to shrink when washed.
Wool is quite expensive and doesn’t have the properties of a yarn that will make a good crochet dishcloth so, don’t think about using wool for your dishcloth when there are more affordable and way better options.
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Conclusion
Using acrylic yarn to crochet your dishcloth will work well for you depending on your usage of the dishcloth. While you can use it to wash dishes very well and even scrub stuck food on dishes as well as clean countertops, it might not be the best to manually dry your cleaned dish or carry hot pots or clean spills as it has poor absorbent.
And apart from acrylic yarn, you can also use cotton, polyester, or bamboo yarn to make your crochet dishcloth and cotton yarn is still the most recommended yarn for crochet dishcloths.