Cleaning out your microwave is never a fun job to do, but sometimes we forget to put that paper towel over the food we are re-heating and the result is some splatter on the walls of the microwave. We even sometimes put off cleaning it up because we say we’ll clean it the next day. But in reality, this usually gets put off for a week or two, and it becomes the dirtiest place in the kitchen. No one wants to heat up food in the microwave if it’s dirty.
A Dirty Microwave Can Cause Health Issues
We should be cleaning our microwave after each time we use it but most of us don’t. Sponge Outlet’seraser sponges are the perfect tool to use to clean out a dirty microwave. Using our eraser sponge, scrub out any food splatters from walls, rotating tray, and door. This will help get all of the tough spots cleared out first. Some food may be hard to remove but the eraser sponge can handle tough grit, grime, and dirt.
After, Steam Clean the Microwave
Using a microwave-safe bowl, vinegar, water, and a sponge, you can get your microwave looking brand new. Pour an equal amount of water and vinegar into a bowl, usually half a cup of each works well.
Put a toothpick into the solution before you start. You’ll notice that bubbles form on the toothpick allowing it to boil without exploding.
Leave the bowl in your microwave for about 5 to 10 minutes depending on how dirty it is. When the minutes are over, let the microwave stand with the door closed for several minutes allowing steam to penetrate the microwave.
Be sure to have oven mitts on hand in order to take the bowl out which will be extremely hot.
After you remove the bowl, stick the eraser sponge into the bowl when the solution is still hot and scrub the rest of your microwave.
Make sure you wipe down corners, windows, walls, and the outside of the microwave as well.
Our eraser sponges are also disposable so once it cools down, it can be thrown out. Visit Sponge Outlet or call 877-776-6430 to find out about more of our cleaning products!
Your boat spent all winter in storage, waiting for sun and warm weather to appear. Now that summer is finally here, it’s time to get your boat back on the water. But before you get too excited, there are some things that need to be checked off on your checklist.
Check your boat
Before gathering the family and jumping in the boat for a fun-filled day on the water, you should check all of the basics: check the fuel and hoses for leaks or cracks, look at the cables and belts and inspect electrical connections to ensure they are working properly and safely. Are the fluid levels such as engine oil and coolant correct? Is the boat equipped with life jackets and a first aid kit?
Clean your boat
Now that you’ve inspected your boat thoroughly, it’s time to clean the interior and exterior. After all, you spend thousands on your boat so don’t you want it in tip-top shape? To help remove musty odors and to preserve the value of your boat, you should really take the time and clean it. Grab your kids or grandkids and have them help you! It can be an easy and simple process if you use these products from Spongeoutlet.
The Super S Detail Sponge is perfect for big jobs such as cleaning your boat. Simply wet the sponge, squeeze out any excess water and gently rub the dirt, stain, scuff or even mold mark on your boat. Rinse, squeeze and store the sponge so you can reuse it many times.
Are your kids having a blast with the sponge, soap and water? Use our Large Shammy Cloth to clean up spills fast. The Shammy is both a sponge and a towel and can wash, dry and polish your boat without leaving any scratches. Hoping to use the Shammy again next year? No worries, you’ll be able to throw it in the washing machine and use it again and again.
If you are planning on cleaning your boat before putting it in the water this summer, take a look at Spongeoutlet’s auto and boat cleaning products and get started today!
With the warm summer months quickly approaching, now is the perfect time to experiment with different ways of planting, specifically planting seeds in a sponge. Although this may not be the most practical method of growing a large number of seeds, it works well for planting a few flower seeds or fast-growing seeds. Planting seeds in a sponge is also a great hands-on learning opportunity for young gardeners because they can learn how plants grow with only water, air and sunlight.
To take part in this fun hands-on opportunity, you’ll need the following materials:
Sponge
Seed packet (Try choosing fast growing seeds such as chia, grass or broccoli seeds)
Water mister
Shallow plate
Marker
Scissors
After you have gathered the materials, follow these simple instructions:
Take your sponge and trace a shape on it with your marker.
Cut your shape from the sponge. (It might be easier to cut through the sponge if it’s wet.)
Next, soak the sponge again and make sure it’s damp but not dripping wet. Put the sponge on your plate and scatter the seeds you chose across the top of the sponge and gently poke them into the holes of the sponge.
Mist the sponge often to keep it moist and make sure the seeds don’t dry out. To help keep the moisture in, try putting a clear plastic container over the plate at night.
That’s it! Just remember to mist it often and enjoy your new growing sprout garden from the comfort of your home. If you do this experiment with children, they will love watching the sprouts grow and will probably be amazed that seeds can grow without soil.
Spongeoutlet has a variety of sponges available at great prices for all of your cleaning and crafting needs. Take a look at our products and give us a call today at 877-776-6430.
With summer right around the corner and the school year wrapping up,, it’s going to be important to keep children busy and cool in upcoming months.
While sponges are best used to help with cleaning up messes, they can also be used as a reusable and creative activity for kids.
Hosting a Sponge Relay Race
Forget the complicated activity; let’s grab two large bowls, one sponge (or two depending on how many kids are involved – the more children, the better) and some cool water.
Step 1: If preschoolers or kindergarteners are involved, measure out how many cups of water it takes to fill your bowl to make bowls about ½ to ¾ full. Draw out a simple table on a scrap sheet of paper. Include a “before” and an “after” column, with one row labeled “cups of water.” If it takes eight cups of water to fill the bowl, write eight under the “before” column. By doing so, you’re adding a unique cognitive dimension to this fun-filled activity.
Step 2: Take all of the needed materials outside and place the two bowls a good distance apart.
Step 3: Have your child soak the sponge in the water and run to the other bowl as fast as they can. If there are several children, create two teams and have the team’s race against one another.
Step 4: Encourage the children to squeeze the water out of the sponge and into the second bowl. This entices fine motor practice as well, which helps children better perform crucial tasks such as grasping, writing, and moving.
Step 5: After all of the water is gone from the first bowl, you should measure the water left in the second bowl and record it onto the table that you created in the beginning.
Step 6: Explain to the children why there isn’t as much water in the second bowl. Perhaps it dripped while they were running or some of the water was left in the sponge. This discussion helps children to learn cause-and-effect.
This simple activity is fun and allows children to learn while keeping cool this summer. In need of some cleaning supplies to get through a summer with the kids home? Visit Spongeoutlet.
Let’s face it. Kids can be pretty messy creatures when it comes down to it, which is why it’s even more vital that parents effectively clean their child’s bedroom.
In order to make sure your children is living in a clean space, you must give the room a thorough cleanse from top to bottom.
The idea of tackling this chore may seem tasking, but it’s a necessary evil. And it doesn’t have to be that bad. We’ve compiled some advice to help make it less overwhelming.
Here are some tips on effectively cleaning your child’s bedroom:
Scrub the Walls
A child’s bedroom walls are sometimes one of the most challenging tasks on your chore list to tackle. With any combination of crayon, pen, dirt, food and who knows what else, walls can be particularly challenging to clean. To tackle these tough spots, try using a microfiber cloth with water and a smidge of baking soda, or opt for one of Spongeoutlet’s eraser sponges, which make getting tough stains out easy.
Don’t Forget the Furniture
It can be easy to overlook that bedroom furniture needs some cleaning love, too. However, this is a key area not to pass up as your child touches the furniture often. For simple dusting, a microfiber cloth will do the trick. For tougher spots, an eraser sponge will be your go-to best bet – just be mindful to not harm the furniture’s material.
Spotlight on Bedding
Give your child’s bed a refresh by washing the bedding every two weeks. But the bedding isn’t the only part of your child’s bed that needs to be cleaned. Don’t forget to also give the bed’s frame a good wipe down as well using a microfiber cloth.
Make it a Family Affair
Even though you may be the adult in this situation doesn’t mean all of the cleaning should be all you responsibility. Get your little one involved. This will not only teach him or her how to pick up after themselves, but it’s also just plain nice to have some help.
For more information about cleaning supplies and the benefits of cleaning with quality sponges, visit Spongeoutlet.
Let’s face it. Life is full of little messes and you need the proper tools for cleaning them up. But with so many cleaning products to choose from, how do you know which will work best for your particular situation?
We’ve highlighted a few of our best-selling products below to help you narrow it down.
Microfiber Cloths- Gentle and Versatile
Made from synthetic materials, microfiber cloths can be used for many different applications including cleaning smooth and delicate surfaces. They are tough enough to soak up dirt and oil yet they are soft enough that they can be used forcefully without creating scratches.
When you aren’t using them for dirty messes, microfiber cloths are great for dusting because they naturally attract dust with their electrostatic properties. They can also do great things for stainless steel surfaces, windows, antiques, and other sensitive surfaces. They are also great for polishing mirrored or reflective surface and can really make them shine.
To remove and capture dust, try slightly dampening them with water before dusting to make sure that dust is collected by the cloth and not just disturbed on the surface or moved into the air.
According to experts, microfiber towels should not be washed with other items of your laundry in order to avoid cross-contamination with dirt, dust and leftover cleaning agents. Also, these cloths are highly sensitive and easily attract lint and stick to other cotton fabric items. Washing the towels only with other microfiber towels should prevent them from gathering lint and sticking to other laundry items. Do not use bleach, fabric softeners, detergents with added fabric softeners, or highly-fragrant detergents to clean your microfiber towels because it will cause the cloths to be less effective at cleaning. Air dry or tumble dry on a low or no-heat setting to prevent the looped fabric from becoming damaged from heat. Do not use dryer sheets when drying your microfiber towels as the sheets can coat the fabric with fabric softener and make the towels less effective at cleaning.
Eraser Sponges – A Cleaning Product with So Many Uses
If you think that all sponges are the same, then you have never used the miraculous eraser sponge. This water-activated tool works on a variety of surfaces and can clean just about every form of filth. With just a bit of water, it can clean walls, floors, and other surfaces. Crayons, pencil marks, dirt, grime, and scuff marks are no match for the eraser sponge; it’s like magic!
The Instant Erase sponge is also available in an extra strength melamine eraser sponge which makes quick work of the harshest grease, grime and baked-on stains. The extra strength eraser sponge is compressed to give it lasting cleaning. It also has a textured surface to help it clean grout lines on tile or remove tough stains.
To clean an eraser sponge, just rinse the sponge under water to remove dirt. Sometimes you have small and very dirty jobs, like removing mud from the soles of a sneaker. For small dirty jobs like this, you can cut the sponge into a smaller piece, do your cleaning and then dispose of the dirty sponge afterwards. This also helps stretch your supply of sponges and the new shape might help it reach into corners and small areas.
Scrubby Sponges For Tough Jobs
Our scrubby sponges can do wonders for everyday general cleaning, from simple to tough. This sponge works great with typical spills including those on bathroom surfaces, countertops, and more. The coarse, hard scrub surface can also help clean tough dishes or grease soiled kitchen surfaces.
Some of our scrubby sponges have both a cellulose side and abrasive side so they can handle just about any cleaning needs.
After many cleanings, sponges can sometimes smell. To prevent this, make sure you rinse them after use and allow them to dry out. You can also toss your sponge into the top rack of your dishwasher for easy cleaning .
Cleaning Product Tips
Before using any cleaning product, it’s always wise to test the product on an inconspicuous spot on the surface you plan to clean. Do this first before using the cleaning product on the entire surface. Look for scratches or dulling of the surface before you continue to clean.
You do not always need to deeply clean your cleaning tools between uses, but a quick rinse and thorough dry will help extend their lifespan and keep them working effectively. For example, you do not always need to wash your microfiber towels in the washer after each use. In between washings shake out your microfiber towel over or inside a trash bag to catch any loose dirt or dust and rinse under water to remove any remaining dirt. Allow the towels to air dry and they are good for another round of cleaning.
If you store your cleaning supplies together, colors can sometimes help you remember which towels are used on what surfaces. You would not want to use the same sponge to clean your kitchen that you use to clean your bathroom, for example. By color-coding your cleaning supplies, this help prevent any cross contamination.
Spongeoutlet is the leading online distributor of bulk melamine eraser sponges, microfiber towels, dusters, mops, and other essential cleaning supplies.
With summer on the horizon, before you know it temperatures will be rising to a sizzle. Being in the scorching sun without any relief can be taxing. However, what better way to have some fun in the sun than keeping cool with your own do-it-yourself project.
Sponge water bombs are not only reusable and environmentally friendly, but also easy-to-make and a fun alternative to water balloons.
You can get started today on this fun addition to incorporate into your summer routine.
We’ll walk you through what you’ll need, and how to make these DIY water bombs.
Note: These instructions make 19-22 DIY sponge water bombs. Feel free to alter instructions based on your needs.
Tools:
Pliers
Scissors
Dremel Tool
Instructions:
Cut each sponge into 7-8 pieces along the shorter side of the sponge. Try to keep the width of each piece the same for each piece to maintain uniformity.
Stack three pieces of sponge on top of each other. Add two more rows of 3-stacked pieces. You should now have nine pieces, stacked three by three.
Pinch the center. Then, wrap the center of the 9 pieces with a zip tie, making sure the grooved end is facing the sponge pieces.
Using pliers in your other hand, pull the zip tie to make it as tight as possible. The tighter, the better.
Cut and remove excess plastic from the zip tie. Sand down any sharp points using a dremel tool.
Now, it’s time to shape your sponge water bombs to be more round. Fluff and twist the sponges accordingly.
Dip in water and have some fun!
Cleaning Instructions:
One huge perk of these sponge water bombs is that they are reusable, so the fun doesn’t have to stop after just one use. The bombs are dishwasher-safe. Another option is to dilute ¾ cups of bleach to each gallon of water in a bucket and soak the bombs in there.
According to InStyle, women were typically spending $15,000 in a lifetime on beauty products as of 2013. The cost of products such as foundation, mascara, blush, and many other products, adds up. Understandably, women are always looking for creative ways to save money on beauty products, and household sponges are now playing a role in that.
A vlogger (a video blogger) named Lauren Blake Lucia, recently released a video on Instagram where she used a standard household scrubby sponge to apply her makeup.
A sponge, typically used to scrub a soiled countertop or tiled flooring, was used successfully as a makeup applicator. (We’re as surprised as you are!)
Many women purchase a product called a “beauty blender” to apply their liquid makeup. This product is essentially an egg-shaped sponge that women typically pay about $20.00 for. Lucia decided to see if a household sponge might work to apply liquid makeup how this beloved product does, and the sponge did a better job than expected.
Using a Sharpie, Lucia drew out an egg shape on the sponge and cut it out with scissors. Afterwards she dipped the sponge into water to expand and soften it, and started applying her makeup.
Lucia used the soft side of the sponge, not the scrubby side, to blend on liquid foundation and concealer. The results were surprising: the makeup went on just as it should and looked as if she used a designated makeup sponge or makeup brush when she was finished.
Maybe you’re thinking that this is a good way to waste a perfectly good sponge. However, if you are someone that spends a decent amount of money on beauty products, purchasing standard household sponges is actually a more affordable option, and it would be fun to try!
Plus, Lucia also revealed that you can use the scrubby side of the sponge as a lip exfoliator which can help prepare your lips for near perfect lipstick application.
We appreciate creativity and were genuinely impressed with Lucia’s results.
If you’re looking for a new “beauty product” or a reliable cleaning sponge visit Spongeoutlet.
If you work in your own office, or even at your own desk space, you’re probably surrounded by office supplies such as pens, files, paper clips, and so forth.
Most of these items are covered in germs, and we often neglect them.
At the end of a long day, it can be easy to get up and leave work without cleaning up the space in front of you.
However, the common office items on your desk are probably dirtier than you think and deserve a little bit of attention.
Don’t have Forbidden Foods around.
We all eat at our desks on occasion, but it is important food of our desk as soon as we are done.
If you’re done drinking that cup of coffee, rinse out the mug. If you’re done eating the food in that bowl, get rid of it.
Food can not only stain desks and make for a messy work space, but it can also cause your desk to smell which will not sit well with your coworkers.
Use a little Elbow Grease
You might not want to wipe down your desk and disinfect it after an eight hour day of e-mails, meetings, phone calls, and otherwise, but wiping down your desk is the most effective way to keep it clean.
A damp paper towel is not enough.
Purchase a reliable eraser sponge, a good cleaning solution, clear your desk completely off, and wipe it down. This will help ensure that dust, grime, crumbs, and germs are eliminated.
Get rid of the Dreaded Dust
You’ve probably noticed that your desk, your keyboard, your computer, all get extremely dusty.
You want to protect your technology from dust settling in. You can easily wipe down a computer or laptop with a microfiber cloth. It won’t scratch the screen and it won’t leave behind small particles.
You also just dust the surface of your desk with a microfiber cloth as well to clear it of dust.
Clear the Clutter
If you want to clean up your desk space, consider “purging” a bit.
If you have 10 pens that don’t work, throw them out.
If you have pictures that have seen too many coffee stains, discard them.
We tend to keep things “just in case” but if you haven’t used that memo pad in four years, you probably don’t have a purpose for it.
Instead, consider giving it to someone else in the office that might need it.
Looking for sponges, microfiber clothes, floor cleaning pads, and otherwise to clean your office space? Visit Spongeoutlet.
Getting sick is literally THE WORST, but getting sick twice or spreading your germs to other household members or loved ones is even worst. No matter if you’ve just kicked a cold or the flu to the curb, once relief is in sight, it’s key to spring into action, ensuring you get rid of the germs that caused yours and your loved one’s misery in the first place. Here are some easy tips to help you handle the icky business of cleaning up after being sick.
TOUR DE HOME: CLEANING EDITION
Make sure the cleaning supplies you are using is a disinfectant and kills whatever virus you are trying to evict from your home. The bathroom, kitchen, bedroom and living room are usually key areas to keep in mind during your cleaning session. Don’t forget to give extra attention to where you spent most of your time. Scrub down sinks, doorknobs, counters, light switches, and so forth with a scrubby sponge.
LOAD UP THE WASHER
After spending several days getting some quality time binge-watching your favorite TV shows while you were on bed rest, you came in contact with several items of clothes and linings that are in need of a good wash post-sickness. These items include clothing you wore, bedding, towels, face cloths, kitchen towels, etc. Wash in hot water, as long as the care instructions for those items allow.
TOUCHPOINTS & TECH
While you’re sick, it’s unavoidable to touch a lot of things. Even when practicing good hygiene and washing your hands often, you still run the risk of spreading germs. Be mindful of door knobs, faucets, handles and windows. Also, remember to give special attention to any technology you used to keep yourself occupied, like phones, remotes, computers and tablets. Clean items and wipe them dry with a microfiber drying towel, and throw the towel in the washer when you’re done.
THERE’S NOTHING LIKE FRESH AIR
Open your windows and get a good cross breeze going. The fresh air will help move some fresh air in your home, while pushing out any icky germs that may be lingering.
For more tips on keeping your home sparkling clean, visit Spongeoutlet.
