Smart Home Use of Sponges That Does Not Require Washing Dishes
As longtime readers of Lifehacker will remember, we’re not always big fans of sponges. The most obvious example of this sentiment is former Lifehacker employee Nick Douglas’ 2019 post titled ” Every sponge is bad “, but there are others .
However, this attitude against sponges is largely directed towards using them for washing dishes and/or wiping countertops and other high-touch areas in the kitchen and bathroom. And in fact, there are several other uses for sponges around the home that don’t spread various pathogens to every surface they touch. Here are some of them.
Prevention of root rot in potted plants
As we wrote in August 2021 , placing sponges at the bottom of houseplant pots can help maintain the right moisture levels and in turn prevent root rot.
DIY ice pack
Take a cue from your elementary school nurse and use sponges to make DIY ice packs that can be used for everything from soothing playground injuries to keeping your lunch cool throughout the day.
Just soak a (clean) sponge in water, wring it out a bit, put it in a ziplock bag and put it in the freezer until you need it. When you’re done, freeze it again and use it again.
Add texture to your drawing projects
Roller painting a wall can be faster, but if you want to add texture to a room, you may need a sponge. One option is to create a pattern in brick or faux stone using masking tape and a sponge cut to size.
Another way is to use natural sea sponge in circles to achieve different styles and textures. In addition to walls, you can also use these sponge painting techniques on furniture.
Cleaning fiberglass window screens
When your fiberglass window panes start to get dirty and tarnish, clean them with a sponge and a car vinyl protector like Armor All. All you have to do is hold the sponge on the back of the screen as you spray on the screen protector and then use the sponge to wipe both sides of the screen.