Revive an Old Sponge with Salt

Sponges make a really good cleaning tool, especially in the bathroom and the kitchen sink. Even though the sponges look great when they come out of the packages, after only a little bit of use, they become useless little items. If you are tired of going through sponges quickly, or if you have that favorite little sponge that you wish you could keep around for just a little longer, this trick is for you.

If you have a sponge that has seen better days, you can revive it back to its old self. All you have to do is rinse it out thoroughly and soak it in cold salt water. You will be amazed at how the sponge will come back to life. Please be aware that this tip is for real sponges that have come from the sea. If you have a man made sponge, this trick will not work. It only works for real sponges because the cold salt water imitates the ocean water where the sponge came from. The sponge, in its natural setting, will be rejuvenated.

Man made sponges can also be made to live just a little bit longer, but not quite as successfully as real sponges. Try putting the sponge in the dishwasher and through a cycle. This will sterilize the sponge. It may not bring it back to life, but it will kill off all the bacteria and germs living in the sponge. Even if the sponge does look a little worse for wear both going in and coming out of the dishwasher, it will be clean, and will work well in those areas that need a little bit more scrubbing. It is probably a good idea to put the man made sponges through the dishwasher every now and then, even if they look fine, just to kill of the bacteria that could be growing.