I have also seen the shammy cloth in Aveda stores - not sure what it is made of, but Aveda seems to follow the notion of all-natural, green products.

http://www.aveda.com/templates/products/sp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY10573&PRODUCT_ID=PROD5885

I clean my sea sponges/loofahs by boiling them in a white vinegar solution (1 part white vinegar to 2 parts water), which was recommended to me as an alternative to bleach.

I wonder if throwing a damp loofah into the microwave for a minute or two would do the trick? Or would the heat deteriorate the fibers? It would certainly disenfect.

oooh, my first post. I find the Ayate cloths better than loofahs, not as abrasive but still exfoliate. They are easier to handle as they are woven into the shape of a cloth, they're mildew resistant and come from a plant. Superfab, give them a try. You can find them a href="http://www.ecobathroom.com/shop/ayatewashcloth.html">here but I buy them from mothernature.com, they're cheaper here ;).

i use ayate cloths too. one of them will last me for a year (best use of $7 ever!). i hang it up in the shower and it's never needed disinfecting. they're much softer than loofah, but scrubbier than a wash cloth. they're great.

jamjaree, the trouble with disinfecting things in the microwave is that the waves don't hit every part of the item evenly, so you can end up with big non-disinfected patches that can then just reinfect the whole item and everything it touches. (Am I a bit paranoid about germs? Yes....)

Also, vinegar is not a disinfectant.