Best Kitchen and Dishwashing Sponges of 2022

We’ve all made those meals that wind up baked onto our pans or casserole dishes, and we all know it’s a tough task removing that grime. If you’re using the wrong type of dish sponge to rid your precious pots and pans of cooked-on food, you’ll need a lot more than elbow grease to get the job done. But, where do you start?

There are so many options, choosing the best dish sponge for your kitchen cleaning needs can be overwhelming. What kind of sponge works for which task? What if you want an eco-friendly sponge? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We are breaking down some of the best dishwashing sponges available. Here is our round-up of some of the top-rated dish and kitchen sponges available on the market.

Best Kitchen Sponges For Tough Messes

Sometimes your simple dishwashing sponge just won’t take care of the mess left behind from dinner. You’re going to need a heavy-duty scrubber that can cut through any baked-on mess. These sponges are also excellent for cleaning other parts of your home like the bathroom; removing hard water stains and soap scum is a breeze with these scrubbing wonders.

Scrub Daddy Color Sponge

Fans of Shark Tank are familiar with this gem of a scrubbing sponge thanks to its hugely successful debut on the tv show. More than that, Scrub Daddy has become one of the top-selling companies featured on the show. Over a decade after its debut, Scrub Daddy is still praised as one of the best scrubbing sponges on the market. This sponge is a must-have for any household to tackle tough messes, grime, and caked-on food.

Why We Love Them:

• One of the best multi-use sponges on the market
• Cuts through tough messes with ease
• They’re adorable and come in a variety of colors to keep your bathroom and kitchen sponges separate

Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrub Sponge

This sponge is great because it’s tough on pots and pans that need a rough scrubbing while also being scratch-resistant. No one wants their precious cookware damaged, but you need the right tool to get the dirty job done. These non-scratch scrubbers are the perfect combination of being gentle enough to be used on your favorite pans while also tough enough to remove any gunk.

Why We Love Them:

• Scratch-resistant, safe for pots and pans

O-Cedar Multi-Use Scrunge Scrub Sponge

This multi-use scrubber from O-Cedar is another great scrubbing sponge for when you’ve got a mess to clean up. It features two sides: one for gentle cleaning and one for scrubbing. We love that these sponges are scratch-resistant while also being tough enough to make cleaning a breeze.

Why We Love Them:

• Two-sided cleaning power; a gentle cleaning side and a scrubbing side

Best Eco-Friendly Dishwashing Sponges

Eco-friendly dishwashing sponges are made from sustainable materials that reduce the amount and frequency of waste being put into the environment. Bonus: these sponges do not contain plastics and are biodegradable.

SkoyScrub Non-Scratching, Reusable Scrub

This scrubbing sponge is made from “leftover remnants from the toweling industry”, instead of chemical-filled plastics typically found in popular scrubbing sponges. These dishwashing sponges are gentle enough to be used on porcelain and wine glasses, while also having an organic coarse coating that cuts through baked-on food, or even soap scum.

Why We Love Them:

• Colorful, fun patterns and colors to brighten up the boring task of dishwashing
• They’re sustainable, made from remnants from the toweling industry that’d otherwise be thrown away

Two Acre Farm Eco Sponge (2-pack)

These dishwashing sponges are dual-sided to provide both a gentle cleaning on one side and a scrubber on the other. One side is made from upcycled fair-trade coffee sacks and the other side is made from organic cotton. You can easily clean these sponges in the dishwasher, and once they need replacing you can safely throw these sponges in the compost.

Why We Love Them:

• Two sides for both gentle and tough cleaning
• These sponges are compostable and made from fair-trade coffee sacks and cotton

Public Goods Walnut Scrubber Sponge

The walnut scrubber from Public Goods is made from plant-based materials and is free of the harmful chemicals found in typical sponges. The scrubbing component of the sponge is made from walnuts and has all the stubborn debris fighting power of plastic scrubbers without the nasty chemicals.

Why We Love Them:

• Made from plant-based materials including walnuts
• Free of harmful chemicals found in traditional sponges

Best Silicone Scrubbers

Silicone sponges are a great, eco-friendly alternative to traditional sponges. Silicone sponges tend to last longer, and they don’t contain the plastics found in disposable sponges. These sponges are typically BPA-free and food-grade so they can be used for washing produce as well as cleaning and scrubbing.

Peachy Clean Antimicrobial Silicone Scrubber (3-pack)

This silicone sponge is not only great for its scrubbing and rinsing, but it also helps fight kitchen odors with its peach scent. Although it can be a bit intense at first, eventually the sponge’s peachy scent becomes a subtle, pleasant scent in your sink.

Why We Love Them:

• Silicone is more eco-friendly than plastics
• The peach smell helps cover up lingering odors from cooking

STK Heavy Duty Silicone Scrubber Sponges (10-pack)

These incredible heavy-duty silicone scrubbing sponges are designed to remove gunk and grime on pots and pans. The texture feels a bit rough and they’re firm like a traditional sponge, but they are also easy to hold and use.

Why We Love Them:

• Designed to tackle tough messes, while still being gentle

TOPHOME Cleaning Brush Multipurpose Scrubber

TOPHOME’s silicone cleaning brush sponge is food grade and BPA-free, so it can be used to scrub fruits and veggies clean. We love the versatility of this sponge as it can be used for gentle cleaning of glass or a more in-depth cleaning of stubborn pans.

Why We Love Them:

• Made from BPA-free, food-grade silicone
• Can be used for cleaning a kitchen, bathroom, or even scrubbing produce

Best Dishwashing Sponges

Most of the time, gentle cleaning is all your dishes and glassware need. These dish sponges are some of the best for everyday cleaning. We also like these sponges for their durability and that they last longer than most in this category.

Mr. Siga Non-Scratch Dishwashing Sponge

This sponge is perfect for the everyday dishwashing task. It’s non-scratch and easy to hold in your hand, while also featuring a scrubbing side if you need it. Its absorbency allows for easy dish cleaning without streaks.

Why We Love Them:

• Streak-free cleaning result thanks to its high absorbency
• Comes in a multi-pack for value

Delaware Durables Dish Wand

Who doesn’t love a good dishwashing wand? It’s a sponge, scrubber and soap dispenser all in one convenient wand. This dish wand from Delaware Durables is great with a leak-proof wand tube to hold your dishwashing soap. Even better, this dish wand is made from sponges consisting of Thermoplastic Rubber (TPR) which is chemical-resistant and is made from an eco-friendly manufacturing process.

Why We Love Them:

• Made from Thermoplastic Rubber making them chemical-resistant
• Made in an eco-friendly manufacturing plant

ARCLIBER Cellulose Sponges

One of the best dish sponges for everyday cleaning, these kitchen sponges are a gentle way to clean your favorite dishes and wine glasses. The best part about them is they are biodegradable and can be tossed in your compost when they’re ready to be replaced.

Why We Love Them:

• Gentle cleaning power but still gets the job done
• Made from biodegradable materials

How To Maintain and Clean Your Sponges

Sponges are an excellent tool for getting dishes clean, but they can also absorb some of the odors from the grime they remove. Sponges can also harbor bacteria, so it’s important to regularly clean your dishwashing sponges and replace them when necessary. Here are a few of the best ways to effectively clean and sanitize your sponges:

Dishwasher

Many sponges can be cleaned in a dishwasher. You can simply throw your dish sponge in the dishwasher on the top shelf and choose a “heated dry” setting. Not all dishwashing sponges can be cleaned this way, so make sure to check the label or package.

Microwave

One of the most effective ways to clean your sponges is to zap them in the microwave. To do this, soak your sponge lightly in water and place it in the microwave on the high setting for about one minute.

Vinegar

A tried and true method to clean your kitchen sponges is to soak them in full-strength vinegar for 5 minutes and rinse them off.

Bleach

Bleach is the most effective means of killing germs on sponges. To clean your sponges with bleach, add ¾ cup of bleach in one gallon of water. Soak the sponge for 5 minutes and then rinse off to get rid of germs and bacteria.

Remember to clean your sponge at least once a week and replace them after two or three weeks or when you see any wear or tear.

Conclusion

Now that you’re ready to stock up on some of the best kitchen sponges, check out our post on the 10 Best Natural Dish Soap Brands to help kick grime to the curb.