They aren't just for washing dishes. Sponges are incredibly cheap and seem to have a million uses. You can find them in all shapes, sizes, and colors at your local hardware stores, supermarkets, and dollar stores.
Take your use of sponges to the next level with these genius sponge hacks. You'll easily see how multipurpose sponges can be with a little creativity.
1. Clean your hanging blindsHanging blinds can be difficult to clean. Dust builds up and you have to wipe each side. There's a sponge solution for this problem. Take two sponges and cut a slit in each one. Place the sponges over a set of tongs and run down the length of your blinds. You'll be finished with this dreaded chore in minutes.
2. Get into tight placesNeed to get the gunk out of a jar, vase, or bottle, but don't have a bottle brush. Try rubber banding a small piece of sponge to the end of a chopstick or pencil. You can now easily get to the bottom of the problem container.
3. Make your own laundry spongesThese homemade laundry sponges are perfect for easily adding fabric softener to your clothes for drying. You don't have to remember to add your softener during the rinse cycle - just throw a sponge in the dryer with your clothes. You can make lavender laundry sponges for around $5 using liquid lavender fabric softener.
4. Keep things chillKeeping your lunch nice and cool doesn't require expensive ice packs. But if you've ever tried placing ice in a baggie, you know it often leaks. Here's a frugal solution. Soak a sponge in water, place it in a baggie, and freeze. As it melts during the day, the sponge keeps the water contained. If the baggie does develop a leak, the sponge won't let the water run out.
5. Grow your own seedsThe moist nature of a sponge makes it the ideal place to sprout seeds. If you are a serious gardener, you could use a sponge to test the viability of seeds. If you aren't a gardener, you can create a fun and cheap chia pet hack using a sponge. Following
this awesome tutorial to create your own sprouting sponge!
6. Take off that polishWith just a small glass jar, a bottle of nail polish remover, and a small sponge you can create you own DIY nail polish remover. This simple tutorial shows you how it's done. Once complete, all you need to do is insert your finger and twist. The polish comes off easily. The best part? You can easily replace the sponge as needed and add more polish remover every once in a while.
7. Encourage quiet playtimeBlocks are a ton of fun for children. Wooden and plastic blocks are great, but they can be noisy and dangerous for rambunctious toddlers who love to throw things. These adorable sponge blocks are extremely inexpensive, quiet, and safe. Your children will have hours of building fun with the various shapes and colors.
8. Soap things upMartha Stewart is known by many as being the authority on both cleaning and DIY projects. Her
soap in a sponge project is perfect for using up little pieces of your favorite soaps in a fun and bubbly way. She uses a natural sponge and simply cuts slits into it for the soap pieces. Add water and get to lathering up!
9. Have some water bomb funSponges are great at soaking up water, but they will also let it out. Create these
fun water bombs for cheap outdoor water play. All you need is a couple of packages of colorful sponges, scissors, and rubber bands. Fill a bucket with water and start a sponge water bomb war for just a few dollars investment.
10. Protect your surfacesNo one wants to move an item and find it has scratched the surface of their table or counter. Some pieces of pottery and china have a slightly abrasive surface to the bottom to keep them from easily sliding.
The Krazy Coupon Lady protects her surfaces by cutting up a few cheap sponges and attaching them to the bottom of items. The soft feet protect your surface from damage.
