Why dishwashing sponges are made in different colors

Yellow, green, red … No, we are not re-singing the old hits of the “Bachelor Party” group here, but unpacking a new pack of dishwashing sponges. Indeed, they are always colorful. But why is it so? Not in order to entertain the hostess and add bright colors to her everyday life, filled with household chores. No, it turns out that ordinary sponges have their own secrets. And it won’t hurt anyone to know them.

The secret of scotch bright

Sponges usually have two parts: a thick foam pad and a thin strip of stiffer material on one side. This strip is called Scotch Bright. It is this side with scotch-bright that we usually wash the dishes, unless we are talking about some very delicate objects such as thin wine glasses.

Adhesive tape is primarily an abrasive material. That is, if desired, they can grind cutlery. And it comes in varying degrees of rigidity, thickness and density. Therefore, it is marked with different colors.

Green – the hardest abrasive. He is able to wipe off frozen fat, burnt food, dried semolina and anything else. But with a sponge of such hardness, you need to be careful: it can also wipe off the enamel. Well, if you don’t wipe it off, then scratch it for sure. Therefore, it is better not to wash enameled dishes with it.

Brown and red – less rigid types of abrasive material. They are designed for washing “ordinary” dishes, without complex dirt and stuck-on residues.

Yellow – the most gentle abrasive. It can wash delicate items such as thin glass, crystal, porcelain with a pattern. Although there is an opinion that it is generally better not to wash such things with the side with scotch-bright, only the soft foam side of the sponge.

Memory beacon

Every decent housewife in the kitchen should have a rule: one surface – one rag. Or a sponge. Here, too, the multi-color comes in handy, but it is the foam part of the sponge – it’s easier to remember which sponge is for which surface. For example, yellow is for countertops, green is for the sink, and blue is for the stove or window sill.

By the way

But the main rule that must be observed at any cost: kitchen sponges must be changed at least once a week. Otherwise, you risk not washing the dishes with it, but only staining them: scientists have established that, in terms of the number of bacteria, this item is a record holder in a bad sense of the word. A sponge is the dirtiest thing in the kitchen.

And what other things in the house need to get rid of more often than you think, you can read HERE.