Fun scrubby yarns – they are so hard to resist! And now you don’t have to! The Ultimate Scrub Yarn Guide will help you choose the best scrubby yarn for your next knit project!

Knitting dishcloths is one of my favorite pastimes. In fact, I believe it’s the perfect way for beginners to learn how to knit. Despite my many dishcloth patterns, one thing has been missing: scrubby yarn. Not a single pattern of mine features it—and there’s a good reason. If you’re just learning to knit, scrubby yarn isn’t your friend. It’s tricky to work with and best left for when you’ve mastered the basics.

But for seasoned knitters curious about tackling scrubby yarn—whether it’s classic or even sparkly scrubby yarn—this guide is for you. I’ve done the hard work of digging through the many scrubby yarn options out there so you don’t have to. And believe me, there’s a surprising variety. To keep things manageable, I’ve limited this guide to 14 yarns, but if you love it and want more, let me know by leaving a comment saying, “More scrub yarn!”

Let’s dive into the ultimate guide to finding the best scrubby yarn for your next project.

Why create an ultimate guide of scrub yarns? 

One post that I have had for a couple years now, “3 Cotton Yarns Explained” features a couple scrub yarns. It is one of my most popular posts to date. So, I felt like there was a real need out there for a deeper look at scrubby yarns. 

And if you landed on this page, one thing is certain… You want a yarn you can scrub with, a scrub yarn, if you will. But which one is best? What is actually available out there? 

Welcome to the ultimate guide to selecting the best for your next scrubby yarn project!

Disclaimers

• This post is not affiliated or sponsored by any of the products reviewed and presented. 
• All yarn was purchased and used by me, and me alone. These rankings represent my opinions. 

This guide is going to walk you through 14 different scrubby yarns. First, we’ll take a look at all the yarns included in the guide, do a quick review on scrub yarn variations, next up the OzzyLosi Official Rankings of Scrub Yarn, The Academy Award Winners. 

Be sure to pre-register for the Summer of Scrubbies KAL!  May – August 2025! Sixteen weeks, eight different scrubby patterns knit-a-long to your heart’s content! KAL groups will be available on Facebook, Instagram and Ravelry – so you can knit and have fun wherever you choose! Click here to register

In depth reviews are available for each yarn mentioned, simply click the yarn to go see more. 

You can use this guide however it suits you best:

• Browse the Table of Contents to jump to specific sections.
• Scroll through the whole guide to soak up every detail.
• Download the FREE two-page PDF summary, which includes all the highlights in a convenient, printable format.

Scrubby Yarn Included in the Guide

Here’s a brief overview of all 14 yarns included in this guide listed in alphabetical order by brand. Click on each yarn to read an in-depth review.

• Herrschner’s Suds & Scrub Yarn
• Jubilee Yarn’s Sparkle Dish Yarn
• Jubilee Yarn’s Spongy Dish Yarn
• Jubilee Yarn’s Scrubby Dish Yarn
• Lily Sugar’n Cream Scrub Off
• Lion Brand’s Stitch Soap Scrub
• Loops & Threads Squeaky Clean Prints and Solids
• Loops & Threads Squeaky Clean Sparkle
• Red Heart’s Scrubby Sparkle
• Red Heart’s Scrubby Solids & Stripes Yarn
• Rico Design’s Creative Bubble Solids & Prints
• Yarn Bee Scrub-ology 2.0
• Yarn Bee Scrub-ology Cotton
• Yarn Bee Scrub-ology Scrub It!

Did I miss a scrubby yarn? Let me know in the comments so I can add it!

Variations in Scrub Yarns

Maybe you are not a noob into scrub yarn like I was. But if you are, let me just tell you all scrub yarn is  NOT created equal. Not all scrub yarns are created equal. Here are the main categories I’ve identified:

Rubbery with Threads

Sparkly

Foamy Tubes

Something altogether different!

It is important to note these differences when ranking the yarns because the truth is we are not truly comparing apples to apples.

The Academy Awards for Scrubby Yarns

Just like the Oscars, every yarn has its moment to shine. Here are the award categories and winners:

• Easiest to knit
• Most Durable Scrubby
• Best Looking Finished Object
• Most Bang for Your Buck
• Most Variety
• Easiest to Care For
• Best Natural Fiber

Easiest to Knit Scrubby Yarn

Knitting with scrubby yarn is not necessarily easy. In fact, sometimes it can be a real challenge. There are three yarns that stand out as being easy to knit with, despite their scrubby dispositions. 

The nominees for easiest to knit with are …

• Rico’s Creative Bubble
• Herrschner’s Suds & Scrub 
• Red Heart Scrubby

And the award for Easiest to Knit goes to …

I absolutely love this yarn for knitting. The textures did not set me on edge, and I did not struggle at all to maneuver the yarn or have any awkwardness. The stitches glide easily on the needles. 

Most Durable Scrubby Yarn

If you would have told me that scrubby yarns were not durable, I wouldn’t have believed you. But through all my knitting I have found that a durable scrubby yarn is not always easy to find. 

Here are the nominees for most durable scrubby yarn

• Loops & Threads Squeaky Clean Sparkle
• Jubilee Sparkle Dish
• Yarn Bee Scrub-ology Cotton
• Yarn Bee Scrub-ology 2.0
• Herrschner’s Suds & Scrub
• Red Heart Scrubby Sparkle 
• Jubilee Spongy Dish
• Lily Sugar’n Cream Scrub Off 

The award for Most Durable goes to … 

There were many many contender’s in this section, and it was difficult to pick. I want to mention that nearly all of the scrubby “sparkle” yarns are incredibly durable as well. In the end, I chose this one for its natural fibers and durability. 

Best Looking Finished Object

So many of these scrubbies are lovely. I absolutely love each and every one of them. Of course, “best looking” is completely in the eye of the beholder. 

Here are the nominees for best looking finished object … 

• Jubilee Scrubby Dish
• Jubilee Sparkle Dish
• Yarn Bee Scrub-ology Cotton
• Yarn Bee Scrub-ology 2.0
• Yarn Bee Scrub-ology Scrub It!
• Herrschner’s Suds & Scrub

And the award for Best Looking Finished Object (FO) goes to …

Jubilee Sparkle Dish is a gorgeous yarn! The sparkle, the colors, this yarn has it all! I can’t wait to knit up more scrubbies with it. They are real crowd pleasers.

Most Bang for Your Buck

Though price is not everything, who doesn’t enjoy a bargain? Thinking of knitting scrubbies for the family as gifts? You definitely want the best price. All nominees are under 4 cents per yard! 

The nominees for Most Bang for Your Buck are … 

• Loops & Threads Squeaky Clean Sparkle
• Yarn Bee Scrub-ology Cotton
• Yarn Bee Scrub-ology 2.0
• Herrschner’s Suds & Scrub 
• Red Heart Scrubby Sparkle

The award for Most Bang for Your Buck goes to …

At just 2.3 cents per yard, Yarn Bee Scrub-ology 2.0 blows the competition out of the water! And with 174 yards per skein, this is a bargain any day. Most scrubbies take less than 30 yards to knit, which means you can knit 5-6 scrubbies per skein. 

Most Variety

Knitters, let’s be honest, we LOVE variety! We absolutely thrive on the fact that we can choose so many different colors. Solids, tonals, variegated, speckled, prints, on and on the list goes. 

The nominees for Most Variety are 

• Rico Creative Bubble
• Herrschner’s Suds & Scrubs
• Red Heart Scrubby
• Jubilee Scrubby
• Jubilee Spongy Dish 

Finally, the award for most varieties goes to …

With 38 solids and 7 prints you will not be short on options! Pick your favorites or grab one of each. It’ll be a scrub fest! 

Honorable mention to Red Heart Scrubby who offers solids, multis and stripes which is the most variety of color types. 

Easiest to Care For

Let’s be real a minute, who wants a scrubby that you have to care for gently? Hello? I am not one to be precious with my scrubbies. They need to be easy to use and easy to clean. All the yarn nominees can be machine washed and dried. 

The nominees for Easiest to Care for are … 

• Loops & Threads Squeaky Clean Sparkle
• Loops & Threads Squeaky Clean
• Yarn Bee Scrub-ology Cotton
• Lily & Cream Scrub Off
• Red Heart Scrubby
• Red Heart Scrubby Sparkle
• Jubilee Sparkle Dish

Finally, the award for Easiest to Care for goes to …

In addition to being safe for machine wash and dry, red heart scrubby is easy to knit with and durable. 

Best Natural Fiber

And finally, the Best Natural Fiber scrubby. There are sadly not many natural fiber scrubby yarns. More companies need to develop all natural fiber scrubby yarns. It is possible! The nominees for Best Natural Fiber scrubby yarn are

• Lily Sugar’n Cream Scrub Off
• Yarn Bee Scrub-ology Cotton

And the winner for Best Natural Fiber is 

If you read the detailed review of Yarn Bee Scrub-ology Cotton, you may be surprised to see they are the winner. And while it is difficult to knit with, the scrub can not be denied!

Final Thoughts on Scrubby Yarns

Testing these yarns has been an absolute joy. While I wish there were more natural fiber options, the sheer variety of scrubby yarns available is exciting. I encourage you to step outside the big-box brands and explore smaller, lesser-known options—you might just find a new favorite.

If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line. Don’t forget to sign up for the FREE PDF guide and pre-register for the Summer of Scrubbies Knit-A-Long (KAL) 2025!

Hugs & Happy scrubby knitting!
Lois