By design sponges don't last long

Ah capitalism. Why sell a product consumers rarely have to replace? But what if the gimmick isn't in the product but how people are conditioned to use it? And so it is with the simple kitchen sponge. Most people leave it out — and condemn it to a slow and painful death.

Enter the sponge fountain of youth. I was introduced to this miracle by a Japanese man named Shoji. After using and rinsing out the sponge, he put it in a tub of soapy water. He cleaned the tub and replaced the water daily.

Advantages

• The sponge is always clean and lasts weeks.

• You use way less dish soap.

• The sponge is always soaped up and ready to go.

Warning!

Don't ever put a dirty sponge in the clean soapy water. Doing so reduces both the cleaning power of the sponge and its usable life. When you need more soapy water, simply rinse out the sponge and then dip it in the clean soapy water.

Btw, there is nothing more disgusting than washing dishes in a sink with increasingly filthy water. Just the thought of this barbaric practice makes me cringe. I'll address the topic of cleaning with clean water in a post about the proper way to damp mop floors.

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