reusing sponges and how to wash?

Do you reuse your sponges? I think I read a thread where Shannon said she washes hers. How do you wash them? do they stain?

I machine wash mine in non-bio detergent between jobs. Some of mine are a bit 'grey' with age! LOL

Glenda

How long do you keep reusing your sponges?

Also, do most of you cut them in halves? I did 2 faces today with the rounds and it was a PIA!

I have my sponges cut in halves and even quarters. I use one sponge piece per child and immediately soak them is hot soapy water when I get done. I use shampoo instead of laundry detergent and my sponges look good as new. If you let the paint sit in them for too long, the fibers do get deep stains, but they are still clean.

I tried with the full round sponge my first time too...and I couldn't figure out why people loved using sponges so much. After watching a few tutorials I discovered that they are MY sponges and if I want to cut them into paper thin slivers I can...if it works for me. The most important thing is to find what works for YOU. Go get your scissors woman!

thanks for the tips! I am definitely cutting them up!

I was mine in hot water and some Vim Oxy Gel .. but whatever works for you.

I hand-wash mine, sometimes weeks after actually using them. I just wet them all, lather them up, and squish them all around in the sink with my hands until they are clean.

Ivory bar soap works great at getting out stains, though green and blue still stain for me. I imagine if I threw the sponges into a water bucket after using them they wouldn't stain, but that just isn't convenient for me, so they go into a mesh bag until I can wash them.

They last a long time! I think Shannon said she's had some of hers 10+ years. I've had some of mine for 3 years and they are still kicking.

I use a clean sponge for every person, then toss it in the "used" sponge bucket which has water in it (also dump out the "dirty" water into the same bucket)... keeping the sponges wet stops the colour from setting into them and then it all washes out.

Cut the sponges into whatever shape works for you!! I've got a bunch of small squares for using with my rainbow cakes, cut some into teardrop/triangles for using with split cakes for butterfly wings, etc.

I use Ivory Soap to wash my sponges when I get home... most look new still.

I go into detail on my blog about sponges...

I use one per color and I continue to use that sponge for that color. Even though I clean and launder them, they still get stained.. but at least they aren't rainbow! One is red, one blue.. so on so forth..

What about the lollipop ones? Do you wash them or just toss them?

I wash mine.

I wash mine by hand but they do always stain, I'm very tempted to dye them black.

I saw a post aaagees ago on here about dying your sponges black to stop the staining and I get more and more tempted the dirtier my sponges look! I don't want people thinking my kit is dirty!!

if you have each one dedicated to only one color, they would stain just that color and be prettier?

I cut my sponges with an electric carving knife.
I wash my sponges in lingerie bags on the 'sanitizing' setting on my washing machine. I use a perfume free laundry detergent. I do not wash anything else with my sponges except the face painting table cloths and face painting towels. The 'sanitizing' setting does not actually sanitize. That is done in the dryer on high heat until it is completely dry.
xooxo