Table Scrubbing Set
A table scrubbing set is the kit a child of about 3 to 5.5 uses to wash a table: basin, pitcher, small scrub brush, sponge, soap and drying cloth on a tray. On October 5, 2026 a full kit cost $35.00 at Alison's Montessori, on back order, and a single brush $6.30 at Nienhuis. Kitchen and hardware-shop pieces make a full set.
The first lesson with it is Table Scrubbing. Not sure your child is ready for it? Two minutes of questions place your child on the sequence.
| Area | Practical Life |
|---|---|
| Used in | |
| From age | 3 to 5.5 years |
| Make it | Easy to make at home |
| Buy it | About $6 to $35 (noted ) |
What the table scrubbing set is for
Each piece has one job in the sequence: the pitcher carries water, the basin holds it, the sponge wets and rinses, the brush scrubs, the cloth dries. Laid out left to right on the tray, the tools remind the child of the order.
Montessori's children dusted and washed the furniture in the Children's House. In 1917 she asked for pieces of soap that fit the hollow of a child's hand and basins small enough to empty.
| Part | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Basin | Small enough for the child to carry and empty; Alison's is stainless with a non-slip base |
| Pitcher | For carrying water from the sink; Alison's is 2 quarts, shatterproof |
| Scrub brush | Small; Nienhuis's is 6.5 cm across |
| Sponge, soap and cloth | Half a sponge, a small bar of soap in a dish, a towel |
| Apron and bucket | Not in the kits we checked; add your own |
The lessons that use the table scrubbing set
Table Scrubbing
3 to 5.5 yearsWashing a small table with a soapy brush, then rinsing, drying and putting every piece away: one of the longest practical life sequences.
Buying one: 3 listings checked October 5, 2026
| Seller and set | Made of | Price |
|---|---|---|
| NienhuisTable Washing Brush (405000)The brush only, 6.5 cm across. US store price. | Union fibre, untreated beech | $6.30 |
| Alison's MontessoriTable Washing Activity (P191)Stainless bowl, scrub brush, 2 quart pitcher, towel, sponge and plastic tray. On back order when checked. | Stainless steel, polycarbonate, plastic | $35.00 |
| The Montessori RoomMetal Pail and BowlCanadian store. Reduced from $49.99 CAD. Pail and bowl only, no brush or sponge. | Metal, food-grade paint, wooden pail handle | $29.99 CAD |
- Alison's $35.00 kit was the only complete set we found, and it was on back order.
- Most of the kit is already in a kitchen. A small brush is the one piece worth buying; Nienhuis's is $6.30.
- Add an apron the child can put on alone and a bucket for dirty water. Neither came in the kits we checked.
- Montessori Services' table washing page no longer loaded, and Montessori Outlet sold only furniture.
Making the table scrubbing set at home
What to gather
- A small washing-up bowl or basin
- A small jug that holds about 500 ml
- A nail brush or small scrub brush
- Half a sponge, a small bar of mild soap in a dish, a tea towel
- A tray big enough for everything, plus an apron and a bucket
| Piece | Size and marking | How many |
|---|---|---|
| Sponge | Half a kitchen sponge, to fit a child's hand | 1 |
| Soap | A small bar, or a large bar cut in half | 1 |
- 1Check that the child can carry the jug when it's full of water.
- 2Arrange the pieces on the tray left to right in the order they're used: basin, jug, sponge, brush, soap, cloth.
- 3Hang the apron and set the bucket near the shelf.
- 4Keep the kit on a low shelf near the sink.
Keeping a full set on the shelf
- Rinse and dry everything after each use, and hang the cloth and sponge to dry. A damp kit smells within a day.
- Replace the sponge often.
Questions parents ask about the table scrubbing set
What is in a Montessori table washing set?
A basin, a pitcher, a scrub brush, a sponge, soap and a drying cloth on a tray, plus an apron and a bucket. Alison's kit includes everything on the tray except the soap.
Can I make a table scrubbing set?
Yes, from a kitchen and a hardware shop: a washing-up bowl, a small jug, a nail brush, half a sponge, a bar of soap and a tea towel.
What size pitcher should a child use?
One they can carry full without sloshing, around 500 ml for a 3-year-old. A larger one is fine if you fill it only halfway.
Before the table scrubbing set, make sure the work before it is solid. The wet pouring between two pitchers lesson lists the signs that a child is ready to move on.