I’ve always wondered about these pop-up sponges, but not enough to want to try them. I read a short write-up on them on Apartment Therapy and decided to give them a go. I’ve been looking for an eco-friendly sponge to go with my eco-friendly dish washing liquid, so these seemed like a good idea.

There are apparently common in France, where most of them are made.

The sponges are made from natural vegetable cellulose and are 100% biodegradable. You can throw them in the compost bin when you’re done – be sure to wash the soap out first.

The cool thing about them is you buy them compressed wafer thin, you dip it in water and it expands to a full size sponge. This is fun to do. It doesn’t take up space until you need it.

That aside, these are pretty good sponges, great for doing dishes, they’re very absorbent and feels very sturdy and nice and lathers up quite well, and it doesn’t get that mildew smell over time or get tiny food particles trapped in the crevices. It Rinses off clean, doesn’t crumble and a quick nuke in the microwave and it’s sanitized. I use them for general household cleaning too – counter tops, sinks, tub etc.

I bought mine from Trader Joe’s; there are 12 rectangular thin wafers in a pack for about $7.00USD. Williams Sonoma, Caldrea and many other stores carries them as well.

I’m very glad I decided to try them.