Are there germs living in loofas / bath sponges??

I have used the same one for years!! I call them 'poofs' because thats what they look like to me!! I will literally use it until it falls apart! Not long ago, my mother-in-law mentioned the fact that she washes hers. I was shocked to hear that!! It is something that regularly gets covered in soap, so as it cleans you, it also cleans itself! I dont know what it would need to be washed, but she does! I dont think I will change my ways, though. I see throwing it away every few months as wasteful. I also dont see a reason to wash it! Perhaps some people think it is gross but it works for me!! I dont have to spend money on new ones and I get clean every time I shower!

I don't use loofah, just my hands. But I remember, when we were young, my parents would use a stone to clean us better and faster in the bath. They rubbed it to our skin to scrape the dirt from our bodies. The stone was black, mineral-rich, heavy, with an uneven but dull surface. It was part of our bathing paraphernalia, together with the soap. When some of the laundry was heavy, like blankets, the stone was also used to beat the blanket to remove the dirt. I think they still use stones like loofah in the hinterlands in the Philippines.

Yes, sponges and loofahs can be ideal places for bacteria and mould to grow. They should be boiled once a week at least (that is, natural sponges - many plastic sponges might not survive boiling) and they will last longer.