What Do We Use Sponges For

Cleaning tool made upward of porous material

Vegetable fiber sponge: woods fiber sponge combined with scouring pad.

Animal fiber sponge: A Greek natural sponge.

A sponge is a tool or cleaning aid made of soft, porous material. Typically used for cleaning impervious surfaces, sponges are specially practiced at absorbing h2o and h2o-based solutions.

Originally fabricated from natural body of water sponges, they are most commonly fabricated from synthetic materials today.

Etymology [edit]

The word comes from the Ancient Greek term σπόγγος ( spóngos ),^[one] which in turn is probably derived from a Mediterranean Pre-Indo European substrate.

History [edit]

The offset references of sponges used for hygiene dates from Ancient Greece. Competitors of the Olympic Games bathed themselves with body of water sponges soaked in olive oil or perfume before competing. In the book Odyssey by the Greek poet Homer, the god Hephaestus cleans his hands, face, and chest with a body of water sponge, and the servants in the Odysseus palace also used bounding main sponges to make clean the tables after the meals the suitors of Penelope had there. The Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato also mentioned body of water sponges in both scientific and historic contexts in their works.^[2] ^[iii] Aboriginal Greeks and Romans as well used sea sponges tied to sticks for anal hygiene, a tool known equally the xylospongium, and washed them with body of water water.^[iv]

Aboriginal Romans also used body of water sponges extensively for hygiene and other uses. The belief that sponges had therapeutic properties led to its usage in medicine for cleaning wounds and treating disease.^[2]

Sea sponges were used every bit tampons by women throughout history^{[ citation needed ]} and are still used as a cheaper and more eco-friendly alternative to fibre ones.^[5] However, researchers practise non recommend using bounding main sponges as tampons, as they may contain dirt and microorganisms, especially if poorly sanitized.^[half-dozen] ^[7]

In the New Attestation, a Roman soldier offers Jesus Christ a sponge soaked in vinegar on the tip of his spear (some versions say staff) for Jesus to drink during his crucifixion.^[3] ^[8]

Constructed sponges were made possible to be manufactured merely after the invention of polyester in 1941 and the commercial production of polyurethane foam in 1952.^[nine] ^[10]

Textile [edit]

Constructed sponges can be made of polyester, polyurethane, or vegetal cellulose. Polyurethane is used in polyester sponges for their annoying side. Polyester sponges are more common for dish washing and are unremarkably soft and yellow.^[11] ^[12]

Vegetal cellulose sponges fabricated of wood fiber are more than used for bathing and skin cleaning, and are usually tougher and more than expensive than polyester sponges.^{[ commendation needed ]} They are considered more eco-friendly than polyester sponges as they are biodegradable and made of natural materials.^[xi] ^[13]

Harboring bacteria [edit]

A sponge can exist a medium for the growth of harmful leaner or fungi, specially when it is immune to remain wet between uses.^[14]

Cleaning [edit]

Several methods have been used to make clean sponges. Studies have investigated the use of the microwave to clean non-metallic domestic sponges that take been thoroughly moistened. A 2006 report constitute that microwaving wet sponges for two minutes (at 1000 watt power) killed 99% of coliforms, East. coli, and MS2 phages, but Bacillus cereus spores required four minutes.^[15] After some fires were caused by people trying to replicate the results at home, the study's author urged people to make sure their sponges were wet.^[sixteen] A 2009 written report showed that the microwave and the dishwasher were both constructive ways to make clean domestic sponges.^[15]

In economic system [edit]

Caribbean and Mediterranean developing countries are the largest sponge exporters, whereas the largest importers are developed European and North-American countries. Tunisia is the world's primary sponge exporter, exporting 90% of its sponge production. France is the chief importer, being supplied by Tunisia, but French republic's sponge demand has fallen in recent years.^[17]

Chief sponge exporters (in metric tons exported)
Exporters	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986
Tunisia	74	71	84	81	91	88
Cuba	36	33	38	33	41	41
France	25	26	33	31	35	30
Greece	32	42	36	27	32	22
Bahamas	-	8	21	8	3	14
Turkey	11	8	7	viii	1	1
Arab republic of egypt	v	four	4	two	iv	8
Japan	-	half-dozen	iv	1	i	6
Philippines	9	4	five	6	6	iv
Great socialist people's libyan arab jamahiriya	-	-	-	6	3	-
Full	192	202	232	213	245	225

Gallery [edit]

Macro photograph of the porosity in a synthetic cleaning sponge
Natural sponges for sale in Crete
Establish fiber sponge: A luffa sponge whose fibroid texture helps with skin scrubbing and exfoliation
A close-upward of one corner of a urethane abrasive sponge with a pinnacle layer used for more intense dish scrubbing
A close-up of a constructed sponge's openings
A souvenir fabricated out of an artificial sponge

See too [edit]

Dishcloth
Ethylene-vinyl acetate – material that craft foam is made from ethylene-vinyl and acetate
Holy Sponge
Luffa aegyptiaca
Sponge metal
Capillary action

References [edit]

^ "Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon".
^ ^a ^b Inc., The Sea Sponge Company™. "The History of the Body of water Sponge". The Bounding main Sponge Company™ Inc . Retrieved 2018-04-14 .
^ ^a ^b "Natural Sea Sponges and sponge diving history". www.kalymnos-shop.gr . Retrieved 2018-04-xiv .
^ "Como era feita a higiene bucal antes da pasta de dente?". Mundo Estranho (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2018-04-14 .
^ "2017'due south Tiptop 5 Sea Sponge Menstrual (Soft) Tampons | Reviews". menstrualcupreviews.net . Retrieved 2018-04-14 .
^ "Compliance Policy Guides - CPG Sec. 345.300 Menstrual Sponges". www.fda.gov. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved 2018-05-05 .
^ "Why y'all shouldn't utilize sea sponges as a natural alternative to tampons". Metro. 2016-05-20. Retrieved 2018-04-14 .
^ Matthew 27:48
^ "Polyurethane Foam Kitchen Sponge. History of Origin — Vortex Power". www.vortex-power.com . Retrieved 2018-04-14 .
^ "History of Polyester | What is Polyester". www.whatispolyester.com . Retrieved 2018-04-14 .
^ ^a ^b S.r.l., Corazzi Fibre. "Polyester sponge and Cellulose sponge". www.corazzi.com . Retrieved 2018-04-fourteen .
^ "Polyurethane Sponge - Dynathane | PAR Grouping". world wide web.par-group.co.britain . Retrieved 2018-04-14 .
^ Hickman, Matt (2017-08-21). "What's the divergence between cellulose sponges and those other kitchen sponges?". Mother Nature Network . Retrieved 2018-04-xiv .
^ "Reducing bacteria in household sponges". Periodical of Environmental Health. 62: 18–22.
^ ^a ^b Taché, J.; Carpentier, B. (2014). "Hygiene in the home kitchen: Changes in behaviour and affect of key microbiological hazard control measures". Nutrient Control. 35: 392–400. doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2013.07.026.
^ "Microwave 'sterilisers' warning". 24 Jan 2007. BBC News.
^ "SPONGES: World PRODUCTION AND MARKETS". www.fao.org . Retrieved 2018-04-xiv .