18 Best Tried and True Japanese Kitchen Sponges in 2022 (Marna, Lec, and More)

We picked out some of the most popular products and tested them for how well they cleaned, how they were to use, how well they produced foam, how long the foam lasted, and durability. Then, based on our tests and with the advice of our experts, we ranked the top 18 Japanese kitchen sponges available online.

Japanese prices for some of the products are given, but they've been converted into US dollars to make it easy for you.

And why they didn't quite make it.

These no-frills, basic sponges from Daiso come in a 6-pack for only 100 yen  in Japan. They are not very durable - they'll discolor quickly and lose their shape easily, but if you want a disposable product, they do their job well for the price.

As you may be able to tell from the retro packaging, these Kikuron A sponges have been around for 50 years. However, they apparently haven't kept up with modern advances in spongy technology. 

The high-density urethane does tackle dirt well in curves, but these are just too big for most uses in the kitchen. They may be better for larger washing jobs, or choose the mini size.

Ohe's Awa Qutto Net Sponge is advertised as creating a dense foam, and that part is true. In fact, the foam was just about spilling out of our hands! But the net doesn't help it clean, and the food remained after scrubbing several times. The net also discolors and frays easily.

Muji's 3-layer Urethane Sponge is white, which matches Muji's design ethos, but is just not a good choice for sponges. As soon as you wash something with turmeric or tomatoes, it's gross-looking. Also, the outer layers are both coarse, and it didn't clean well as a result.

Dainichi Corporation's Sun-Sun Sponge foamed well, and it has a soft side and coarse scrubbie side. But both sides are too soft, and it didn't transmit power to the dish surface. We had to push too hard and it still didn't clean well, especially when washing smaller things.

This sponge from Duskin doesn't foam well. It has a coarse surface and a fine surface, but we don't see the difference in performance. It just doesn't clean well.

This sponge from Marna is has the catchphrase "You can get a lot of use out of this!" but we probably won't; at least, not for oily dishes. It spread oil around and never got plates clean. However, it can be folded and is very durable, and it's good at removing stubborn stains like from tea or coffee.

Asahi Kasei's 3D Zubizuba Sponge is a net-like cloth which is perfect for washing cups and lightly-soiled dishes quickly, but it doesn't work on oily grime. Dirt passes through the holes and your hands get sticky. If you like the feel of washing with a cloth, it could be good (but get a different one for scrubbing).

This sponge from Daiso is designed to stick to your sink, which would be a really cool idea if it worked. If you stick it when it's wet, it will slowly slide down to the bottom of the sink anyway. And it means there is only one side usable for scrubbing. In addition, the sticky side deteriorates and affects the function overall. This technology clearly needs more development...

We put each product through tests to determine the following:

1. How well does it wash dishes?
2. Is it comfortable and efficient to use?
3. Does it produce a good foam?
4. Does the foam last, or do we need more soap?
5. Is it well-made and durable?
   

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.

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.

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.

Author: Nao Kondo/Translation: Susan Lucier-Ogawa/Photos: Taisei Hoshino, Koichi Miura

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