How to make a Zokin (Japanese reusable cleaning cloths)

Zokin is a very familiar item for Japanese household.
We use them for wiping dining tables and kitchen surfaces (technically speaking, they are called Dai-Fukin when they are used for those places) and floors.
As you can throw them into a washing machine and wash them clean, you can use them many many times.
In this video, I will make Zokin using old tea towels.
Those cleaning cloths are often made from worn out towels so that you can still keep using them but for different purposes.
By stitching layers of worn out fabric together, you can strengthen them and extend their lives.
Originally this was done more for economic reasons but it's also useful to reduce waste by repurposing old items and using reusable cleaning cloths instead of disposable ones.
I like add some colourful stitches when I give them more strength. Even if they have some holes and stains, they will look something new!
If you have worn out materials, please try it!
Thank you for watching and please subscribe!

[@marijkeschellenbach2680]

Love, love this! I am still using the old cloth diapers I used when my daughter, now 57 years old, was a baby!!!

[@thegreenwrapper]

57 years!😻 You’re amazing!!

[@lizpowell1363]

I am still using "Muslin" Diaper Squares that my father used, and they were fresh for each babe, to line the Baby Weigh Scales in his Pharmacy well over 60 years ago. Mum used to take the dirty ones home and wash them each night! Tea Towels; some of mine came from the shop, and I have Linen Sheets that date back to 1848 when a relative was wed! I still use them in high summer! My gran cut the most worn ones up and crochet fancy lace edgings onto the pieces sewn into Pillowcases! We are thrifty folks!

[@dagibachmann7378]

Schöne Idee. Auch Putzlappen dürfen schön sein! Ich besticke sie als Uebungsstück.,um bessere, gleichmässige Stiche zu machen. Und alte Tücher sind so gut zum putzen. Danke für die schöne Idee.

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you so much😊❤️

[@minimalist279]

knew there was a reason for holding on worn out items.🙏

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you😊

[@junkabella6324]

I have been sewing little baby zokins from old, worn down burp cloths! They are perfect for cleaning baby hands after eating ❤

[@thegreenwrapper]

I used to make small towels for my kids using some layers of gauze too😊 We still use some as handkerchiefs💕💕

[@elfchild9]

These look beautiful! I use old clothes as rags, but I don't normally sew the edges. This seems like it will help them survive washing better. Thank you!

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you❤️

[@seaweedeater3104]

I love these. It’s a great way to just play with your stitches too

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you💕💕🧵🪡

[@kashigata]

Beautiful idea and fabulous music! Meditate with craft!

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you😊❤️🧵🪡

[@littlehouseinthecity]

This is great! I am just picking up supplies next week for visible mending as well as Sashiko. I am so looking forward to learning all about this beautiful hobby in my spare time. Love this idea! Thank you. ❤

[@thegreenwrapper]

How exciting! It’s so nice to share the fun of Sashiko with so many people😊 Thank you for your comment❤️

[@coolthinghere6853]

ooh an excellent beginner project

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you😊 Zokin is so useful. Highly recommended!❤️

[@chokko4912]

Good job! They look so pretty!

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you❤️

[@deborahmeyer-y4m]

Thank you for the link to come here. I love this idea, too! Can't wait to try them.

[@thegreenwrapper]

I’m glad the link was helpful💕💕

[@kimberlyvelasquez2352]

wow! thank you. i was about to go rent a machine so i can do this. Thank you for showing how easy this can be done by hand. i have many clothing that needs to be repurposed.

[@thegreenwrapper]

That’s great😊 Thank you so much for watching❤️🪡🧵

[@kava2021]

I have some washcloths that are ready to be thrown out. But it seems so wasteful. Now I can recycled the old washcloth with sashiko!! Thanks for such a great video

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you! I’m glad that this video was helpful for you💕💕

[@JoyfulJennalain]

Brilliant! Thank you so much.

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you for watching!

[@luisez.5888]

What a great idea!

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you💕💕

[@sharonbelieves]

Thank you! I hope to try this. I'm just learning about Sashiko and slow stitching. Yours is one of the first channels I found. Many people also make what is called Family Cloth. I've made many of them and used for years. They can be used as washable toilet paper. But I only use them for pee. I've saved so much money.

[@thegreenwrapper]

That’s really interesting😊 Thank you for sharing the information👍

[@ah5721]

I wish I'd known about this before I cut some ragged tea towels into stuffing ! thank you for this though ! I had a tee shirt that got a hole and had some cooking stains on it . I didn't want to donate it , instead I just turned it into a quilted hot pad/ cleaning rag thing with my sewing machine in 10 min. thank you for this low waste hack! #0waste #slowliving #upcycle !

[@thegreenwrapper]

Oh you have a lot of wonderful ideas about repurposing old materials😍😍

[@spicybrown75]

I cut up old tshirt sweatshirt worn out absorbent clothes to clean after my kitties accidents like throw up or pee or occasional poop. 😊

[@thegreenwrapper]

That’s very clever😊🐈🐈 We also have some Zokins for our cats😸 I love that people have a lot of ideas for reusing old materials!💕💕Thank you for sharing!

[@vohol6158]

This is so inspiring! Plus, it seems like the perfect opportunity to start trying out sashiko since I'm a total beginner. I do have one question though -- what type of thread would be best? I imagine it has to be on the stronger side since the cloth will be worked hard. Is cotton thread or cotton embroidery thread fine?

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you for the question😊 Sashiko threads are generally made strong enough for mending. Zokin gets squeezed and rubbed very often, so I would recommend stitching with double threads if you’re concerned. Still, I often use embroidery threads for Zokin as well. In that case, I’d recommend stitching with 4 strands. When I made this video, I also made a Zokin with 2 strands of embroidery threads. I’ve been using it constantly for more than a year now, and some of the threads have snapped. So, actually last week, I added some stitches along the snapped threads and now it’s as good as new👍 If you don’t have Sashiko threads, you don’t have to buy them yet. You can try with something you’ve already got too. If you are interested in threads for Sashiko, this may be interesting for you too⬇️ What is the best Sashiko thread? I stitched with 5 different types of threads to compare them kzbin.info/www/bejne/eavHdX96d7uDoc0

[@vohol6158]

@@thegreenwrapper Thank you so much for the explanation and tips! And I will certainly watch this video as well. Happy stitching!

[@lizpowell1363]

Would thinner "Crochet Cotton" work? I see balls of that cheap in the thrifts all the time.

[@thegreenwrapper]

@lizpowell1363 Hi! I haven’t tried yet but some viewers seem to use it😊

[@susansobon]

I am just stitching straight across and then back. How do you go to a new line?

[@thegreenwrapper]

If the next line is close to where you are at the moment, I would run the needle between the layers to the next line. If the next line is too far to do it, I would finish and cut the thread there, then start the new line. Here’s one of the videos I showed how I start and finish without knots. SASHIKO How to start and finish stitches without making knots - Sashiko for beginners Part2 kzbin.info/www/bejne/a53PiYyjaJ2lrbM

[@user-ro7jg6hh1h]

Это очень прекрасно: из хлама создавать красоту.

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you so much❤️😊

[@freezo244]

The captions are really hard to read at times - 4:17 7:20 etc. These are lovely tho!

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you so much for your feedback! Though I’m not able to fix the issue for this particular video, I will keep it in mind for new videos.😊❤️