When my sponge for washing dishes gets grungy, I put it under the sink and use it for wiping spots on the floor or on the balcony. I don't throw them away unless they tear.

I change mine once it starts to fall apart. To keep germs out I either boil it, pour boiling water over it or leave it overnight in a cup with vinegar and water - takes germs and funky smell out ;-)

After the sponge is done doing dishes, I use it in the bathroom to clean the shower. It gets another 2-3 weeks use out of it!

Don't use sponges.

Tried 'em, but always felt that they were kind of slimy..... so I use dishcloths, that get tossed into the laundry every other day.

I use a fresh dishcloth daily

No sponges in my house! I use a clean rag for every job. Go through several rags a day. I love doing laundry. I get a kick out of how serious we can be over a sponge question. lol.

A while back, I discovered Clorox Clean-up Cleaner + Bleach. Now I spritz the sponge every time I use it and every night, I spritz the sponge and any plastic scrubbies and leave then in an air drying rack in the sink. This is hard on the sponges, they get eaten away in under three weeks, but that's my signal to toss it. I also wipe down all surfaces with that product and have finally won the battle of the goop on the stove vent...One spray and wipe it away.

Yuck sponges are a cesspool for bacteria.

Anything becomes a cesspool for bacteria if not cleaned properly and regularly.

I wash them every few days with hot water in the washing machine. Don't use bleach that will make them fall apart. You can microwave them to kill the germs ,but that doesn't stop the odor. For me the odor is almost more of an issue than the germs.

I don't use a sponge. My kitchen cloths, tea towel, get changed every day maybe two.

I use these and toss them in the laundry every day or two. I keep 5 or 6 of them in rotation (only do laundry weekly-ish) and throw them away when they become too damaged to use. (I think they're cheaper at TJ's but can't really remember; it's been over a year since I last had to buy a pack.)

Same as many above.... microwave sponges and put in the dishwasher.... but still throw them away every couple weeks :)

I throw mine out and start a fresh one every 2 weeks

I kinda hate a sponge.

I prefer a long- handled dish brush to clean dishes pre- dishwasher, then i add it to the load when i run it. A nylon brush doesnt break up in the dishwasher, like a sponge can, and since it isnt porous, it completely sanitizes. The long handle saves your nails, and hands, too.

For scrubbing, i use a plastic chore boy type scrubber.

If i do use scotch brite type sponge scrubbers, they tend to be for single messy-job use. i just use and toss!

Forgot to say: for counters etc., i prefer Kirkland brand antibacterial wipes, because they're large, textured, and single- use.

No sponges in my house. When I did use them years ago I put them in the dishwasher. Then I figured out that the dishwasher soap was never rinsed out or off of them. The wash water or rinse water never gets squeezed out of the sponges in between each cycle so the soap stays in them. We use a clean dish rag each time the dishes are done.

Beware if you use cleaning wipes on your counters and don't rinse them. Most people do not read the instructions on cleaning wipe containers. The instructions say to rinse the item after a wipe is used. The only ones I found they do not say that are the botanical ones.

SPONGES=GROSS!!!!
NEVER-EVER!!!! UGH!!!

Sponges are gross but sometimes the ones with the scrubby side are a necessity- I cut mine into halves - each half is used once a week and then thrown out . I also nuke or throw into dishwasher daily. Prefer using micro cloths for most uses. Use about two a day for the kitchen clean up and dump in the washing machine each nite.

Use Micro cloths for drying dishes especially thin stemmed wine glasses...

Do Not use softener in the washing machine nor dryer sheets with the micro cloths ..negates the effect of the micro fiber.

I don't use sponges in the kitchen except to clean the sink itself. I use one sponge per sink, and they are kept separately.

I don't use the sponge for wiping the floors or any other cross-purpose.

The sink gets cleaned 4 or 5 times a week when I'm busy (if not daily), and it's only used for food and mild handwashing--not for paint, garden chemicals, greasy/filthy hands, pets, etc. (That's what the laundry sink is for...)

I always clean the sinks before thawing meat, turkey, etc., or preparing fresh meat for cooking, and then I immediately clean the sink when done or before switching tasks (washing berries, veggies, etc.)

The sponges are probably replaced weekly at least.

For everything else I use cotton dishcloths with bleach, and they get switched out when I clean the sink. So at least 4-5 times a week or more. I have never been a fan of sponges for dishwashing and if I go visit somewhere and see a sponge?

***I smell it. If I smell anything? I'm outta there!*** "Thanks so much for the lunch offer. I can't make it today!"

I'm fussy with eating at other people's places, sponges, buying from bake sales, etc. I learned long ago to never buy anything from a bake sale that is in support of a pet agency. I got tired of finding dog or cat hair in cookies, no joke. Now I stick to commercial baked goods with a meticulously kept set-up, or bake my own things.

There are way too many people that don't wash their hands after using the restroom, before eating, after touching their hair/nose/face, etc. that kitchen sponges are just another ick in the equation!!

Ask people how often they wash their hands-now there's a poll....

I do not use sponges. We use bar mops to do our kitchen cleaning and when we are done using them for the day, we throw them in the wash. I do not have to worry about them getting nasty!

Never use a sponge. Every day use clean dish cloth and towel.

I let the sponge speak to me. When it is tired, out it goes.

ben is that before or after it has had a nap?

I don't use sponges either! Not only do I think they get nasty and smelly, I just hate putting my hands into the combined water and leftover food...Seriously, that is just gross! I use a brush with a handle that keeps my hands out of that gunk for cleaning off dishes before they go in the DW. For cleaning sinks and counters daily, I use paper towels. For a weekly cleaning, sinks especially, I have another scrub brush!

You people microwaving your sponges or running them through the dishwasher are making me SICK! That's so gross! So now you have germs and bacteria in your microwave or all over your dishes?! Do you run the sponge through the dishwasher all by it itself?? I just don't get it.

i don't use sponges, but i have read where health experts say to do one of those 2 things. the heat kills the little aliens inside.

Come to think of it, sponges are pretty gross. Soft wire brushes are the way to go!

i can clean anything without resulting to metal bristles they make everything worse.

We use dishcloths and wash them after each use. Less waste.

Never use them.

always run it through the dishwasher

If I ever use a sponge I throw it out fairly soon. I much rather use rags I wash frequently or soft brushes.

I've used sponges in the kitchen for all my life, I microwave once a day or so, put it in the dishwasher when I run it but eventually it goes in the trash - about once a month. I do not have a busy kitchen.

I usually wait until it walks out on it's own.

a little green hair sprouting from its chest perhaps?

Don't use them. I use paper towels and microfiber cloths and wash those after every use.

Every two to three days

I don't use sponges, except that kind with that scrubbing material on the other side (to wash the bathtub and bathroom sink, with Ajax, Comet, or such). I let it dry afterward, and maybe use it a few times.

If I lived alone, I might use sponges in the kitchen, but in a house full of people, I never know where they've been.

I like using stainless steel pot scrubbers (see the picture) and dish wands (not the ones with sponges, but the bristly ones; see the other picture) to wash dishes. Wash cloths or rags (see the other picture) are nice, too. I used to be afraid of using scouring pads, but now they're like the easiest thing for me to use sometimes. I must have had tender skin. Maybe handling all those hot peppers helped. The receptors they activate aren't just for heat, but also for things like abraision (e.g. probably some of the same kinds of pain activated by rug burns and/or such). It would stand to reason that your body might think it needs to develop stronger skin if it thinks you're rubbing it against stuff much.

About once ever 6 weeks or so, it hits the garbage. It’s used a couple of times a week and goes in the dishwasher regularly.

Actually, it depends on what sponge I use. I replace regular sponge once a week but silicone sponge once a month. In general, the porous strutrue sponge need to be changed frequently but compact structure sponge like silicone scrubber has longer use span.

here we go again...

I can't even stand the thought of having a sponge for cleaning in any area of the house. Too gross!

I'm not quite the opposite of that. I love the idea of using sponges, but when it comes down to it, I only want to use them if I'm the only person who has ever used them, and then only for the same purpose it was initially used for, and then only if it hasn't been contaminated somehow between uses. So, yeah, I don't really use sponges much. I like those scrubber sponges with Ajax to clean the bathtub, though, but I don't know where to store them after use (people move stuff and do things with it).

To prevent waste and filling up landfills, you can clean sponges as many have mentioned here. Rags and cloths are a great and eco-friendly alternative as well.

Seriously, this is a discussion? Get rid of those nasty things already. There is no cleaning them!!!!

I put them in the dishwasher after a few uses. Don't like to throw anything out that still can be used.

When it looks like it's been cut up too much from washing knives, which usually happens within 2-3 weeks. Most of the heavy washing is handled by the dishwasher so only knives and wooden spoons are washed with the sponge.

I also have a scrub daddy which I replace when it falls apart (somewhere around 1-2 months I'd say). This is the one that's used to scrub dishes (like pots) before putting them in the dishwasher. The rest is just rinsed and put in the dishwasher.

One for counters and one for glasses. If its dirty I bleach it and use it outside or in the bathroom. till it dies..