A sponge is a household item that serves a useful purpose in houses and even eateries. Most people use it for washing dishes, however, the sponge is also helpful for other things too. The water-absorbent items have various purposes and can be used in different ways.
Knowing sponge hacks are exciting; it would be a great idea if you decide to try out some of them. These hacks are also affordable, hence, you don’t have to spend money learning or practicing them.
One of the advantages of re-purposing a particular item is that you save some cash. By the end of this article, you should know and be able to use some of these hacks anytime.
So here are some fun hacks;
You can clean your microwave
No one would have thought that their microwaves can be clean, with the help of the sponge. Because of the food particles that get stuck on the microwave, you avoid using it to heat up your leftovers.
Someone, however, thought of an idea to help remove the particles from the microwave so that you can enjoy the microwave. So how does this hack work? Simple.
Put the sponge in water, and then, you place it inside the microwave. Let it sit in the microwave for about 3 minutes. Switch the microwave on. Once the three minutes are up, turn of the microwave, but don’t take the sponge out of the oven. Let it sit for some more minutes so the steam can loosen the particles, making it easier to clean off. With this method of cleaning, you end up doing a spectacular job.
You can also clean blades and shutters
From experience, many would agree that the fan blades and window shutters, and even the blinds, are hard to clean. Yes, there are ways you can clean these surfaces efficiently, but most times, their cleaning comes at a high cost. Using the sponge to clean these surfaces can save you a lot of money. What you need are a pair of tongs and two sponges. Under the scrubber of the sponge, make a deep but narrow cut. Don’t make the cut too narrow or wide; make it the right size. The right hole size would mean the edge of the tong can fit in it perfectly. Place the sponge on the edge of the tong; ensure that the scrubbing part faces outside.
Hold the blades, or the glass surface then move the tong in a vertical motion, along their surface. It picks up any dirt and dust on the surface.
You can also use the sponge to clean grill plates and oven racks
One of the most efficient sponge hacks yet. It can be very annoying when you think about cleaning the grill plate. It becomes even more so when you don’t have the right tools to clean it. It is difficult to clean and also time-consuming, which is why most persons may not like using their grill plates. However, after some discovery, someone found an easy to clean the grill, using the sponge. The simple steps are as follows;
Cut the sponges vertically and horizontally, to various shapes, using the paper cut. Don’t cut so deep that it shows on the other side. Next, split the sponge along the path you have cut, so it can effectively go through the oily grill plates. You can also use it for oven racks. Using this method, you can even get dirt that was in areas you couldn’t reach before.
You could as well use the sponge as a polish remover
For most ladies, trying this hack may not sound intriguing, until you see how excellently well the hack works. This hack works well, and it might even spur you to use nail polish again. First off, find a sponge without a scrubbing surface, fold it up, then put it into an airtight glass jar. Put all the content of the nail polish into the container with the sponge. Stick your fingers, one by one, into the jar, and swirl the fingers, and watch how it polishes the nail. When you’re done with the process, cover the jar and keep it in a safe place. Only use it open the jar when you’re ready to use it again.
Sponges are also great as ice packs
One amazing thing about sponge hacks is that they are easy to do, and they save a lot of money. For this reason (among others), the few people who already know about the hack use it for their numerous purpose.
For the sportsmen and gym persons, there are also ways you can utilize the sponge to meet your sporting needs. For instance, for persons under this ambit, ice packs usually would come in handy after an intense workout. The good news is, you can use the kitchen sponge as an ice pack, and here’s how;
Put the sponge in a large bowl of water. Let it absorb the water for some minutes then take it out of the water. Squeeze the sponge a little, put it in a ziplock bag, then put it in the freezer. Take it out of the freezer after 2 hours, then place it on the aching muscle, and get instant relief. This hack comes in handy on a rainy day, when there is no other alternative.
Turning your sponges to dryer sheets yourself
Rather than go to a store to get dryer sheets, you could as well make one yourself. Using the sponges you have at home, you can make dryer sheets for your laundry. The things you’d need includes, some thin sponges, fabric softener and water, and you’re good. How to make it;
Put a cup of water into an airtight container, then add ½ a cup of fabric softener into the water. Stir the water gently, till the solution dissolves. Put the thin sponges into the mixture and close it, keep it in a safe place; preferably the laundry room. While you’re doing your laundry, take one of the sponges and put it into the dryer with the wet clothes. Let it run in the dryer machine with the wet cloth. Once you’re done, take it out and put it back into the container, till you’re ready to use it again.
You now know that the kitchen sponge has many other functions other than for washing dishes. You can use any of the hacks as often as you want, and as easy as it looks and sounds. it gives you expedient results.