With its absorbent nature and versatile assemble, sponges can do loads of heavy lifting throughout the cleaning and customary home division if we permit them to. We spoke with a cleaning skilled about some strategies to repurpose a sponge and start seeing it in a definite light.
Listed under are eight of his biggest concepts for tips about how you can use a sponge spherical the house—cleaning or in every other case.
Meet the Expert
- Jacek Kazmierzewski is the proprietor of Precise Office Cleaning industrial cleaning service.
- Nishant Prasad is co-founder of Clear Fanatics and an expert cleaning expert.
Defend Hardwood Flooring
In case you’re tired of listening to chairs scrape and scratch your gorgeous hardwood flooring, try using a sponge as a buffer.
“Scale back a sponge into small squares and stick them to the bottoms of your chair legs with sturdy adhesive,” Jacek Kazmierzewski, proprietor of Precise Office Cleaning, says. “It’s like giving your chairs sneakers—silent and scratch-free.”
These can operate a quick or eternal reply, counting on the adhesive and your private personal want. If it’s solely a pinch restore until you may discover felt pads within the right dimension, try using a a lot much less extremely efficient glue.
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Stabilize Picture Frames
Picture frames are acknowledged to tilt or rattle, significantly if there are doorways being shut or drafts coming in from the window. Luckily, sponges current a easy restore.
Merely slide a small piece behind the physique and it’ll maintain each half cosy in the direction of the wall.
Take away Scuffs From Partitions
It’s solely pure for partitions to get scuffed over time, nevertheless it absolutely’s not so good to depart the marks there if they’re usually eradicated. Luckily, sponges have an answer.
Nishant Prasad, co-founder of Clear Fanatics, recommends gently rubbing a sponge over scuffs to boost them off. It’s a protected method to utilize significantly you most likely have any pets of kids as a result of it doesn’t require any harsh chemical compounds.
“It actually works significantly properly on painted partitions that are nonetheless in good state of affairs,” Prasad says.
DIY an Ice Pack
In case you’ve got little ones working spherical, bumping, and bruising themselves, don’t waste your frozen peas every time they arrive crying. As a substitute, try using a sponge.
“Soak a sponge in water, seal it in a plastic bag, and freeze it,” Kazmierzewski says. “The frozen sponge stays versatile and gained’t leak when it thaws, making it a super reusable risk.”
Create a Nail Polish Remover Instrument
In case you’re sometimes painting and altering your nail color at home, add a sponge to your routine.
Take a small jar and fill it with a sponge by each chopping or folding it, guaranteeing that it stays pressed in the direction of the partitions of the jar with a small gap throughout the middle. Now, saturate it with nail polish remover to stay away from dealing with cotton balls and pads that stick to the polish.
Clear the Microwave
Actually you’ve used a sponge to scrub a microwave sooner than, nevertheless not like this. Harness the sponge’s full potential by using it as a steamer and a cleaner.
“Soak a sponge in water and just a bit vinegar, then pop it throughout the microwave for one to 2 minutes,” Kazmierzewski says. “The steam will loosen grime, and the sponge will most likely have the ability to wipe all of it away.”
Freshen Up Footwear
All people’s ft sweat, nevertheless it absolutely’s not at all a pleasing feeling to have smelly sneakers.
“A dry sponge works wonders at absorbing additional moisture in sneakers which have gotten a bit too soggy, like after a moist day,” Prasad says. “It may help maintain the shape intact whereas moreover reducing any musty smells.”
Cease Cleansing cleaning soap Bar Deterioration
Cleansing cleaning soap bars sometimes get tender and deteriorate when left to sit in water for prolonged durations of time, dropping useful cleaning merchandise and making a sensory nightmare .
Kazmierzewski recommends inserting a sponge beneath a cleansing cleaning soap dish to help counteract the mushy future of your cleansing cleaning soap. It could actually take up the whole water, preserving your cleansing cleaning soap dry and making it final extra.
Make a Paint Blotter
In case you’re in a clever mood or simply should entertain friends’ children in a pinch, flip a sponge proper right into a DIY paint blotter in a short time. With solely a palette of paints and in one other manner textured sponges (that you’d have the ability to scale back into shapes in the event you want to go the extra mile), the work will definitely pop off the online web page.
Go for a Door Stop
This one is as simple as a result of it sounds and could also be increased than an precise doorstop as a result of it gained’t set off any hurt and can most likely be simple to scrub the mud and dirt off of.
“Scale back a sponge proper right into a wedge kind, and in addition you’ve obtained your self a makeshift door stop,” Kazmierzewski says. “It’s lightweight, simple to utilize, and gained’t scratch your flooring.”
Maintain Vegetation
There’s nothing worse than letting vegetation sit of their very personal water; this leads to root rot and should kill your plant in a short while.
In case you’re accountable of forgetting to empty out the catch dish, or just overwatering normally, place the plant on a sponge that will take up this water. This gives you with just a bit bit additional leeway in your care timeline, merely don’t neglect to scrub it out typically.