Revive an Old Sponge with Salt

Written by Amy Gordon (last updated June 14, 2021)

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.

Author Bio

Amy Gordon

Amy Gordon loves keeping things simple, natural, and safe so she can spend more time having fun. Every day she learns new things about making life at home easier and she loves to share it with you! ...

MORE FROM AMY

Clean and Care for Your Carpets

Instead of renting an expensive carpet-cleaning machine, try these simple and inexpensive methods to save your carpet. ...

Discover More

Cover Carpet Stains with Crayons

Since bleach stains don't come out of carpets, the only way to deal with them is to cover them up. For an inexpensive, ...

Discover More

Choosing the Right Lawn Fertilizer

Lawns need to have the right nutrients to grow property. If the lawn has either too much or too little of the wrong ...

Discover More

Keep Your Hardwood Floors Like New Bona's hardwood floor cleaner is the #1 choice of professionals. The no-residue formula is specially designed to be safe for floors, families, and the environment. Check out Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Refill today!

More Cleaning Tips

Use a Paint Brush to Clean Delicate Items

Tiny collectibles can gather dust in hard to reach places that you can't get to with a regular cloth. To completely clean ...

Discover More

Tile Cleaning Machines

Cleaning tile and grout can be a major pain in the rear end. It always seems like no matter how hard you scrub or what ...

Discover More

Duct Cleaning Equipment

The purpose of a duct system is to carry heated or cooled air to various parts of a home, office building or factory ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is one more than 5?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.