Do You Use Sponges?
By villageanne
@villageanne (8553)
United States
February 28, 2007 7:00pm CST
I use sponges to wash my car with and sometimes to clean my home with but that is about it. However, I know many people who use a sponge for everything from dishes to walls. I read an article today that said "Almost every sponge now sold in U.S. supermarkets is impregnated with a synthetic disinfectant—usually triclosan— that has been registered as a pesticide with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)." Have you ever heard about this? I have never heard anything about this. I do not have any sponges to look at the package but I am going to be looking the next time I go to the store.
If you know anything about this could you please post it so the rest of us can be made aware of the dangers. This is scary to me. I dont like thinking that something as simple as a sponge can harm my family.
If this is true then we should be concerned about washing our dishes and counter tops with triclosan. What do you think?
4 people like this
30 responses
@brokentia (10389)
• United States
1 Mar 07
Actually, I buy the big stack of wash cloths from WalMart to use in the kitchen.
We have two drawers full of wash cloths that we use for dishes, counters, and stoves. LOL They are also used to dry hands and sometimes as napkins.
We are not big on paper products or the sponges.
Sponges wear out quickly and start to smell. And I have so many kids...we go through paper towels like crazy when we used them.
Now, we just use lots of wash cloths. LOL
I have never heard of a chemical being injected into the sponges. That is very interesting. I will have to see if I can find anything on the web about that. :)
1 person likes this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
1 Mar 07
You may want to read this
http://www.seventhgeneration.com/living_green/toxic_cleaning/cleaning_tips.html
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
1 Mar 07
according to the above article, the info above is true. interesting
@MissMo (170)
• United States
1 Mar 07
I use sponges. Although this information makes me a little uneasy, I honestly don't think it's something to be worried about. I'm sure the amount of whatever pesticide it is is so minute that it doesn't even matter. The bacteria that collects on the sponge over time is probably more harmful than anything, I would think.
Thanks for posting this though, it's good to know!
@GardenGerty (160612)
• United States
1 Mar 07
Triclosan is a commonly used antibacterial agent. It is in a lot of the germicidal hand soaps and body washes. And dish soaps. It will not hurt you, in and of itself. My biggest concern is that they are already saying that we are growing bacteria that are resistant to triclosan. I will look at sponge packages, too, out of curiousity. I seldom use them. The sponges and scrubbers I do have I periodically put through the dishwasher to sanitize them. I have also heard that you can just microwave them everyday to kill any bacteria in them. I do not think we need the triclosan, and I will look to make sure I am not getting it. Maybe sponges at Dollar Stores, etc, will be free of it, as I am sure it adds to the expense.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
1 Mar 07
I use sponges, and when they get dirty I wash them in the washing machine. I have been doing that for years. I don't like paper towels it is wasting trees.
1 person likes this
@Willowlady (10658)
• United States
1 Mar 07
Time to grow your own sponges. Luffa gourds. They dry and become great sponges. A vining plant that could be grown in a pot or container. You then have the control back on cleaning with more natural better products. Good luck with this one.
1 person likes this
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
1 Mar 07
I am not a big sponge user, but as a decorative painting instructor I use them a lot.
I did buy a batch about a year ago that we used in class, I rinsed them, threw then in a plastic bag and forgot all about them, for several weeks.
I opened the bag and they did not smell at all I have no idea what they were treated with, but I was shocked that there was no smell.
I must admit, I did not think about the potential dangers of what the sponges were treated with but it does sound like triclosan, which is the same thing that is in antibacterial soaps.
As an EMT, we were told NOT to use them. That they do more harm then good. If we want to use something at all, we should use antimicrobial soaps.
@princess07031980 (5412)
• United States
23 Mar 07
Wow, that is interesting news. I use the Scotchbrite pads always for doing my dishes. With the green scratchy side, I don't need anything else to do my dishes. However I didn't know they contained and chemicals. I guess I have been using them for years now, I don't see any reason to stop. LOL Unless of course there was a recall involved.
@margieanneart (26423)
• United States
1 Mar 07
I didn't know about this. But, I did know that a lot of bacteria stays in the sponges. I always keep disenfecting mine, or dump it if it smells. Clorax does the trick.
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
1 Mar 07
Great! I just bought a package of sponges for my DIL to put into her birthday package. I guess I should tell her to wash them first before she uses them. I also put mine in the microwave and cook it up for 2 minutes after I have washed it out with soap and hot water. This kills the germs.
@jsh177 (23)
• United States
1 Mar 07
I do not use sponges with dishes for the very reason that you describe. I do use a sponge for washing my car and cleaning the walls, bathroom, etc. But I try to keep it away from dishes and use alternatives for that very reason.
@crazylady (470)
• United States
2 Mar 07
I hate sponges, and having a big family they get nasty quickly. I would rather use the nylon netting scrubbers which can be washed in dishwasher or washing machine and rags that can also be machine washed. Sponges fill with germs, and since its beyond anyone in my family how to rinse a sponge out- I find sponges disgusting.
@babystar1 (4233)
• United States
1 Mar 07
I don't use sponges,I always use dish cloths. But I never heard of this before. I have to let my daughter know she uses sponges all the time. Thanks for the warning.
@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
1 Mar 07
I have several sponges at home- I love them- I use them only a few times and then throw them out... So it's not cost effective for me- but I think sponges do a better job at cleaning. I work for a company that sells sponges.. I'm going to inquire about this- I actually have brochures and stuff on the sponges we sell.. I'll let you know what I find out- I hope this isn't the case-- As I have tons of them at home (get them at an employee discount) and I truly do love cleaning with them.
@gharinder (2044)
• India
1 Mar 07
i do use sponges to wash my wash basins and other likely things in bathroom and we had one to in our research lab that we used to wipe out the spills we had on our tiles, as for triclosan, it is quite commonly used in many products, previously i was using a face wash , in which wheat germ oil and triclosan (as an antibacterial agent) were used, it was the first time i came across with this word "triclosan"
@chaygylmommy (2470)
• United States
1 Mar 07
I don't use sponges only because they just suck in the germs. I know it's not very cost worthy, but I buy the Lysol wipes and use them on my counters and I just use a dish rag for dishes and as soon as I am finished, it goes in the dirty clothes hamper for wash. I am very germ-phobic. :)
@yinghui88 (31)
• Singapore
1 Mar 07
For me, sponges are used for alot of purposes. One would be for cleaning dishes after meals. Soft sponges are often the best since they do not scratch the glass plates. The second would be to act as a printing template in art. Example, cutting the sponge into flower shape and using it to stamp. As for the last use, sponges can act as water absorbents for plants.
Ying Hui
http://www.wecaretuition.com
@JediSkipdogg (169)
• United States
1 Mar 07
I use sponges for evertyhing. I use them all the time for washing my car and actually have quite a collection of different ones for that.
The same applies to when I do dishes. It all depends on how much dirt is on the item I am cleaning why type of sponge I use.
