You may have thought all sponges are the same, but you were wrong. There’s a whole world of sponges out there. We’ve put together a list of every kind of sponge you could ever want and where they work best. Take a minute to brush up on your home cleaning game and it could save you the pain of ruined pans later.

 

Spiffy Sponges: 6 Home Cleaning Secrets

 

1. Cellulose Sponge

These are your run-of-the-mill sponges. You can buy them at the grocery store, a hardware shop or even the gas station. They come in more colors than crayons and are great for inexpensive, all-around home cleaning. Try cellulose on most chores before moving up to other sponges–it will never scratch or hurt pots and pans.

 

2. Abrasive Sponge

Congratulations, you’ve reached level two of home cleaning sponging options! Abrasive sponges come on their own as a thin layer of scratchy material, or in the form of an addition onto one side of a cellulose or nylon sponge. An abrasive sponge is your home cleaning solution when you run into that patch of food glued to a pan tighter than your kids are to their phones. Bring the elbow grease, and be careful about using this sponge on Teflon-coated pans (there’s a sponge for that) or softer surfaces.

 

3. Nylon Sponge

A home cleaning essential, nylon sponges are your answer to those picky Teflon pans. Nylon sponges are similar to abrasive sponges, but slightly softer and made from synthetic material which allows them to scrub Teflon and other sensitive surfaces scratch-free. Fun home cleaning fact: nylon shower sponges do a better job of exfoliating than normal washcloths and won’t end up growing moldy and smelly because they have larger air pockets allowing them to dry quickly, which prevents fungus growth.

 

4. Natural Sponge

An exotic kitchen dweller, natural sponges travel from the far reaches of the ocean floor, untouched by chemicals and processing. Natural sponges are a home cleaning super-cellulose, though a little harder to find and more expensive. Your basic cellulose will take care of most chores just fine–save the natural sponges for washing windows and cars, and they won’t leave a speck. A bit of insider knowledge: Home cleaning aficionados will tell you natural sponges can last up to a year and longer if you take good care of them.

 

5. Eraser Sponge

A fairly new arrival to the field of home cleaning are eraser sponges. Marker streaks, pen scribbles, crayon hieroglyphs (your child is a budding artist, they just need some paper) and practically any other wall marks can be conquered with eraser sponges.

 

6. Metal Sponge

When the going gets tough, metal sponges get going. Your final secret in the home cleaning toolbox, metal sponges should only be brought out on the toughest of home cleaning problems: grills, brick surfaces (inside a fireplace, perhaps) and other hard, cleaning resistant materials. Just be careful, metal sponges have a tendency to leave marks.

Want to know how to clean your sponge arsenal? Check out our sponge-cleaning tips.

Home cleaning is all about knowing the quickest, most effective way to spruce up your living space. We hope all these spiffy sponge secrets help! If your schedule gets to be too packed, a professional home cleaning company can always take care of things for you while you take a little time to relax. Oregon is getting sunnier every day, don’t forget to enjoy it! We almost can’t remember the rain. Happy cleaning!

Maids by Trade is a bonded, insured house cleaning business, offering a full list of services. We give back to the community and do our part for the environment by using only the EcoPink™ System. Contact Maids by Trade online or by telephone for high quality, professional home cleaning services in the Portland, Lake Oswego and Beaverton-Tigard area.