Replacing a Beloved Sponge

[weinoo]

I don't know if it's what I remember from when I was growing up, but I think I keep sponges longer than I should. I mean, they're not falling apart or anything (like my grandmother's were before getting tossed), but still - they cost under 50 cents a pop, so what am I waiting for?

How often do you replace your kitchen sponges?

[Crouton]

I keep mine usually until food, grease and other gunk doesn't seem to be rinsing out... I've heard you can boil them for 10 minutes to bring them back to life but I've never taken the time.

[Mjx]

I use a sponge until it stops working, but I've switched from actual spongy scrubbers to the Goodby Detergent scrubbers, which last forever (can't even remember when I got the one currently in use, but I think it's about a year). Partly out of curiosity, I'm trying to determine the smallest amount of garbage I can produce without living like a nut case, and these are part of my project (but I still use detergent). They rinse clean very easily, and handle the occasional dousing of boiling water I use to keep them sanitary.

[weinoo]

Wow, those are way cool looking and I must have some now. Ordering!

Edited: To delete a non-functioning link.

[Darienne]

We sterilize our dish sponges in the microwave every other day when we are being good...which sometimes we are not...like in the dead of winter because we keep the microwave in the garage.

When the sponge is retired from sanitary-type duty, one corner is cut off very noticeably, said mutilated sponge is then kept in a different place and does floor duty, etc. We have dogs. Say no more.

And so it goes as we buy new ones for the sink duty. Ed likes big ones...I like smaller ones.

However, I am looking for one of those soap filled scrub brushes to use. No luck so far in our local kitchen stores, etc.

[Crouton]

However, I am looking for one of those soap filled scrub brushes to use. No luck so far in our local kitchen stores, etc.

I love, love, love these... Oxo and Kitchenaid both make excellent ones.

[Mjx]

. . . .

However, I am looking for one of those soap filled scrub brushes to use. No luck so far in our local kitchen stores, etc.

I've got a couple of the Oxo ones laying about, you can find them in quite a few supermarkets, if I remember correctly.

[Darienne]

No super market yet in Peterpatch, ON. We have a chain of Kitchen Stuff Plus about one hour from home. I'll try there next time I have to go that far for something. The joys and sorrows of living in a small city area.

[andiesenji]

Mine are all the type that have sponge on one side and scrubber on the other. Mine go into the dishwasher every day - I have a couple of these little dishwasher baskets in which I place the sponges and other little things that tend to fly around if not secured.

You can sterilize wet sponges in the microwave but for me this is easier.

I use them until they look a bit tattered.

Edited January 23, 2011 by andiesenji (log)

[Anna N]

No super market yet in Peterpatch, ON. We have a chain of Kitchen Stuff Plus about one hour from home. I'll try there next time I have to go that far for something. The joys and sorrows of living in a small city area.

Check out Canadian Tire in Peterborough - they carry an amazing amount of kitchen/cleaning stuff. Find the largest CT - I can't remember what street it is on but there's a Sobey's next door or very near if I remember correctly.

[Kerry Beal]

Dollar stores often have the soap in the handle brushes too.

[xxchef]

I keep my scrubby sponge in a 200ppm bleach solution when not actively in use and throw it out when it first starts to degrade from the chemical. Usually 4-5 days.

[Darienne]

No super market yet in Peterpatch, ON. We have a chain of Kitchen Stuff Plus about one hour from home. I'll try there next time I have to go that far for something. The joys and sorrows of living in a small city area.

Check out Canadian Tire in Peterborough - they carry an amazing amount of kitchen/cleaning stuff. Find the largest CT - I can't remember what street it is on but there's a Sobey's next door or very near if I remember correctly.

CTC is on Lansdowne and I'll try it next time. Sobey's didn't have one or the Superstore or HH or the local kitchenware store. Should have looked at CTC first.

[rooftop1000]

I use a double sided scrubby/sponge and do run it through the dishwasher occasionally. I probabley keep them in use 2 months but I have had this purple scrubby for a few years, maybe more it hasn't started to degrade and nothing sticks in it. This also goes into the dishwasher often.

http://www2.shopping.com/3M-3M-Scotch-Brite-Purple-Scouring-Pad/info

tracey

[Shel_B]

Mine are all the type that have sponge on one side and scrubber on the other.

You can sterilize wet sponges in the microwave but for me this is easier.

Today I went to buy some sponges of the type described above, and for the first time I read the instructions on the package. They said not to put the sponges in a microwave (no reason given). I use the Scotch Brite sponges, both the pink ones and the blue ones. I've been putting mine in the microwave for quite some time, since someone on this forum suggested it was a good thing to do. Once one of the sponges separated at the point where the scrubber and the sponge joined, but other than that, I've not noticed any problems.

[chezcherie]

Mine are all the type that have sponge on one side and scrubber on the other.

You can sterilize wet sponges in the microwave but for me this is easier.

Today I went to buy some sponges of the type described above, and for the first time I read the instructions on the package. They said not to put the sponges in a microwave (no reason given). I use the Scotch Brite sponges, both the pink ones and the blue ones. I've been putting mine in the microwave for quite some time, since someone on this forum suggested it was a good thing to do. Once one of the sponges separated at the point where the scrubber and the sponge joined, but other than that, I've not noticed any problems.

shel, my guess is that the "no microwave" admonition has to do with fire hazard. as the ever-wise andisenji noted above, the sponge should be wet when it goes in. iirc, it was cook's illustrated that did an expose on sponge cleanliness a few years back, and suggested microwaving them to kill bacteria, failing to note that a dry sponge will ignite faster than one would apparently think. many kitchen fires later, and ensuing letters to the editor, they printed the very important errata. (also, sometimes it loosens the bond between the sponge and scrubber, as you noted.)

[SylviaLovegren]

I use a sponge until it stops working, but I've switched from actual spongy scrubbers to the Goodby Detergent scrubbers, which last forever (can't even remember when I got the one currently in use, but I think it's about a year). Partly out of curiosity, I'm trying to determine the smallest amount of garbage I can produce without living like a nut case, and these are part of my project (but I still use detergent). They rinse clean very easily, and handle the occasional dousing of boiling water I use to keep them sanitary.

Those seem very cool -- but why would they do one in a color that makes it look like ground beef hanging on your faucet?

[Panaderia Canadiense]

I use scrubby-sponge pads with cream detergent (in a tub, formulated for cold water systems), and replace weekly. In the meantime, they sit in a little soap-dish-drainer-type thingie that's suction-cupped to the wall. I sterilize them with 10 w/v hydrogen peroxide nightly.

[dcarch]

I have 300 years supply of sponges. :-)

I was trying to throw away a foam rubber cushion. It occurred to me that the foam would be perfect for the kitchen. So with an electric knife (yes, that's what they use to cut foam rubber) I cut the cushion into various small blocks.

Using the vacuum (Foodsaver type) bags, the foam blocks were reduced to 5% size for storage.

dcarch

[lindag]

Darienne,

Love your idea to cut off the corner of the old sponge so it doesn't get mixed up with the new one)s)! Very clever.

I do put my sponges in the m/w every so often because they develop an off chemical-like odor after a while.

The m/w takes care of that.

[Alex]

I know what weinoo means. Despite having inexpensively laid in a huge supply of the blue Scotch Brite soft/scrubby sponges, thanks to Costco coupons, I still wonder if I'm being extravagant when I throw one out.

So, I do the microwave thing when I notice an odor. The second time I notice an odor, I either toss it or nuke it again and save it for sink and tub scrubbing.

When I read the topic title, my twisted little mind wondered if weinoo had been keeping a live sponge as a pet. I was going to advise waiting to replace it until after the normal grieving period.

Edited January 18, 2014 by Alex (log)

[Franci]

I use a sponge until it stops working, but I've switched from actual spongy scrubbers to the Goodby Detergent scrubbers, which last forever (can't even remember when I got the one currently in use, but I think it's about a year). Partly out of curiosity, I'm trying to determine the smallest amount of garbage I can produce without living like a nut case, and these are part of my project (but I still use detergent). They rinse clean very easily, and handle the occasional dousing of boiling water I use to keep them sanitary.

I was looking at Korin store some time ago and so something similar

http://korin.com/Kitchenware_2/Cleaning-Utensils_2

Anybody tried?

[Jaymes]

Another fan here of scrubby-sponges that I microwave at least a couple of times a week. The reason for being sure that they're good and wet when you do is because you're basically boiling the water that's inside of them. Been doing this for years with no negative results.

I "demote" the kitchen sponge as soon as it looks ratty enough that I wouldn't want to see it sitting next to the kitchen sink at someone's home to which I've been invited for dinner.

Never thought about snipping a corner to indicate said demotion, however.

Brilliant.

[Blether]

I use 3M green-scrubber-yellow-sponge dish sponges and despite always being sure to have the next one or two ready under the sinkm I use them till several chunks have fallen off and they're getting thin and not holding enough soap any more.

The in-use sponge sits on it's own suction-cup drainer rack and dries out daily or every couple of days. That's it for the hygiene routine.

[Meredith380]

The moment I get even a hint of sponge stink I throw it out, no second chances. It is a sponge. I am hardly cheap nor am I one to throw money all over, but this is a bacteria happy sponge and it isn't getting some second chance when I can easy toss an replace it. My inlaws always leave ours in the sink to happily absorb all sorts of crap and I happily throw them away.

ETA- I'm fat fingering this on my iPad but to me a sponge is the same as a paper plate. It's dirty and easily replaced.

Edited January 19, 2014 by Meredith380 (log)