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mybest US' editing team consists of experienced members who have backgrounds in writing, editing, translation, and more. We are dedicated to researching what makes a product or service the best to users in the US in order to create top-quality articles. From skincare, to kitchen appliances, and to DIY supplies, our mission is to find the best ones for you.
We recommend considering the following points when buying a sponge for washing dishes.
Different materials will accomplish different things, so it's important to consider what kind of washing you require when choosing a sponge.
Urethane foam sponges are resilient and flexible. They are usually made of different layers, one that has small holes, and another with coarser material. The finer material will produce a good foam, while the other adds strength.
Cellulose sponges are soft and absorb a large amount of water. They're recommended for washing delicate dishes and wiping tables and counters. They don't produce quite as much foam as the urethane sponges, but they'll get the job done.
One advantage is that they are made of fibers derived from pulp and natural materials, so they don't produce toxic gas when burned in a garbage incinerator, making them a bit more environmentally friendly.
Both kinds of sponges often come with a scouring side made from non-woven fabric. Some contain abrasives for removing caked-on grime, while others are soft enough to tackle tough dirt without scratching delicate surfaces.
Microfiber cloths can wash delicate dishes while using very little soap. We didn't evaluate them this time, but they are good if you want to save on detergent. However, some have a disadvantage of themselves getting dirty and stained easily, and there not very durable because they're made from such extra fine fibers.
Some sponges are more like nets and are made of polyester, acrylic, nylon or aluminized polyester. The nylon ones are good at foaming, and acrylic types can remove dirt using just water. Polyester and aluminized polyester are very effective at removing tough grime. They are all the same in that they have a bumpy surface, so make sure you rinse them thoroughly to keep them clean.
Think of all the thing you need to wash daily: plates, bowls, glasses, mugs, silverware, plastic containers, pots and pans... now imagine what kind of sponge would be best for most of them!
Sponges with moderate elasticity are great for things with curves and irregular shapes. Abrasive products are needed for removing stains on mugs and teapots or scrubbing off burnt food (hey, it happens to all of us).
Some even have features that allow them to stick or hang on the sink for convenient storage. You also want something that drains water and dries quickly.
Under normal usage, you should probably plan on changing your sponge at least once a month. You may want to buy something cheap knowing that it doesn't last very long if that suits your hygienic needs.
But, if you don't want to replace them often, check our durability ratings and be prepared to spend a little more in general. However, you'll save money and be a bit more eco-friendly in the long run because you won't be using up so many non-recyclable products.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Price | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Marna Fish Sponge|BK170B | $2.32 High Mid | mybest's Top Choice! This Cute Fish Is Perfect For All Washing Needs! | ||
2 | Asahi Kasei Water Only OK! Acrylic Sponge | $1.34 Mid | Save Detergent and Get Dishes Sparkling Clean! | ||
3 | Marna POCO Kitchen Sponge | $4.00 High Mid | A Sponge Plus Suction Cup Holder Create a Hygienic Design | ||
4 | TopValu Scouring Pad Sponge | Excellent Performance for a Great Price | |||
5 | Kamenoko-Tawashi Kitchen Sponge Do (Rectangular) | $10.40 High | An Antibacterial Sponge with Great Foaming Power | ||
6 | Lec Gekiochi-kun Kitchen Sponge | Easy-to-use Shape and Good Durability | |||
7 | Ohe Awa Qutto Soft Sponge | A Very Good Sponge...if Only it Cleaned a Bit Better | |||
8 | Ohe Sheepy Sponge | $1.13 Mid | A Great Choice if You Change Your Sponges Frequently | ||
9 | Kikuron Revo Soft | $1.01 Mid | It Washes Gently without the Need to Scrub |
This fish sponge from Marna got A+ or A grades across the board! In addition to these high marks, it has several features which will convince you that it's worthy of a place in your kitchen.
First, the adorable shape is also highly functional. The elongated fish fits easily into long and narrow glasses, and the tail and mouth can be used to get into small or hard-to-reach areas like lunchbox or Tupperware corners.
The sponge has three layers and can be used on all sides. It's gentle to the touch, and the foam it produces has very fine bubbles that last a long time. We recommend this sponge without hesitation for all your kitchen washing!
This sponge is advertised as only needing water to wipe away grime, and it's true! It uses non-woven acrylic fabric with an uneven texture to efficiently remove leftover food from dishes even without soap.
The special pointy shape gets into corners easily, and the size and shape overall is a good fit to your hand. The three-layer structure is also non-abrasive. A great, eco-friendly choice!
This is a circular sponge with a hole in the center that is used to attach it to the sink via an included holder. Sponge-only refills are available after you buy the first set with the suction cup holder.
The three-layer structure consists of a scourer and two types of sponge material. It gets tableware squeaky clean. The only demerit is that the round shape makes it hard to get into corners, but we can forgive that because it's so easy to use.
A simple sponge available at Aeon grocery stores, this is a urethane sponge on one side and a scouring pad on the other. It removed stuck-on food easily with the scrubbie, and the sponge took care of any remaining oil and grime.
It is not particularly durable, and loses its shape easily, but five sponges for less than a dollar can't be beat.
This sponge has copper particles mixed into the material, which protect it against bacteria and microbes. Since kitchen sponges have many holes which can attract germs, this is a nice feature. It also produced great foam that lasted a long time, so you can save detergent.
Because the material is consistent throughout, it's soft yet elastic. However, it was hard to remove some dirt. We recommend the leaf-shaped sponge from the same manufacturer for smaller dishes.
The curved shape is very easy to hold, and the protruding corners make getting into tight places a breeze. The scouring pad side is a special non-woven acrylic, but in fact, it didn't live up to its reputation.
Food got stuck in the sponge, and then was pushed around the plate with each wipe. But it is very durable and a good price.
This one got A grades in every category except washing power. Here it was lacking in its ability to efficiently remove food and grease. But it has three holes which give it excellent drainage, and is antibacterial.
The elongated shape is easy for even small hands to hold securely. The scouring pad with sponge in the middle create a large amount of fine bubbles.
This cute sponge (other animals are also available!) got our lowest score for durability, but it cleaned really, really well. So, it could be perfect for you, depending on your habits - some people like to replace sponges often to avoid bacteria and mildew growth.
It contains aluminum particles to help with scrubbing, but it's soft to the touch. It does get stained easily, but it's cheap to replace.
This sponge does not make a lot of foam even if you squeeze it again and again, so you may need more detergent when you use it, but it cleans dishes well.
It has a bumpy texture which removes food gently without scrubbing; and it's soft and elastic, so it's quite durable. The reason it didn't place higher was its poor foaming ability.
We put each product through tests to determine the following:
We started our testing by smearing Japanese curry on a flat white plate to replicate tough-to-wash, oily dishes. We counted how many times the sponge needed to wipe in order to remove all the food residue.
We found that soft materials with fine pores were better at removing all of the oil. Products that were rough or scratchy to the touch didn't work as well. Tiny holes absorbed the debris and removed it from the dishes thoroughly.
But that doesn't mean that all coarse sponges are bad; when used in the right way, they will remove burnt or caked-on grime well.
For this test, we put two drops of dishwashing liquid on each sponge and squeezed it 20 times to make it foam. We judged how many times it took to get a good foam, and what the quality of the foam was.
We found that thicker sponges usually produced more foam. Sponges that were at least one inch thick were ideal. Those with large openings produced foam with loose bubbles, and smaller pores made tiny, dense bubbles.
We were surprised that the shape of the sponge seems to affect foaming, too. Sponges that were too large for our hands or had a shape that was difficult to hold didn't produce good foam. Also, if they were too hard, our hands got tired trying to use them.
After we checked how much foam the sponge could produce, we left the foam on the sponge for one minute and checked how much the foam density had changed. Then we tried to use the sponge again to see if it could still produce more bubbles. We wanted to know if we could save dish soap by using these products.
We found that products which had produced a good foam in the first place also had a long-lasting foam. In other words, the more bubbles the sponge could produce the longer it took for the bubbles in the soap to disappear.
The key seems to be the size of the holes in the material. Even with sponges that had a coarse texture on the outside, if one of the layers was a fine mesh, it was able to produce good results.
We wanted to know if the sponges would be good for everything from large plates to silverware. Could it get the edge of plates or glasses well? If it had a special function or feature, we tested that to see if it was actually worth it.
We found the products which had invested money in design were usually good at what they were designed for. Certain features made it very useful to clean small tableware and get into corners.
We wondered at first whether the cute designs of some of the products actually served any function. But, in general, they did work better than the standard rectangular kitchen sponges. The protrusions and depressions could fit into the unevenness and gaps of certain dishes.
When it came to regularly-shaped sponges, the thinner ones could bend more easily to fit in more areas and around edges; but this meant that they were not as durable. The thick ones are more durable, and if they can bend easily, they're a good choice.
Speaking of durability, that was our final test. We wanted to check if there is any part that was likely to fray, lose its shape, or discolor easily.
We found the price and material made a big difference as far as durability. We also found the importance of choosing the right color to avoid having a stained sponge.
Products with a net generally didn't score high in this category. When used to wash sharp things such as graters or chopsticks, the net gets caught, frays, and eventually becomes useless. They don't hold up under intense scrubbing.
Urethane products tended to be more durable, but the cheaper ones were more likely to lose their shape. If a long-lasting product is important for you, we recommend spending a little more money and getting a dark color so that you won't have to replace your sponges so often.
You'll probably need more than sponges to keep your kitchen clean and fresh, or maybe you've got more eco-friendly plans in mind. Here are some other options to consider.
No. 1: Marna|Fish Sponge|BK170B
No. 2: Asahi Kasei|Water Only OK! Acrylic Sponge
No. 3: Marna|POCO Kitchen Sponge
No. 4: TopValu|Scouring Pad Sponge
No. 5: Kamenoko-Tawashi|Kitchen Sponge Do (Rectangular)
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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