The Clever Way You Should Be Reusing A Sponge While Working In The Garden

Oftentimes when a sponge from the kitchen starts to get old or grimy from washing dishes, it is simply thrown in the trash. If you're looking for ways to cut down on waste, be more sustainable, and make gardening easier, you'll want to save your sponges instead. Though it may seem silly, there are several unexpected ways to repurpose old sponges in your home and your garden. 

You can create a softer and more comfortable handle for your gardening tools just by reusing a simple kitchen sponge, which will allow you to work in your garden without as much strain or soreness. It could also help to prevent calluses from developing because of your skin rubbing against the rough handles of your tools. This modification can be an easy and helpful way to make gardening safer and simpler for older people too, as the sponge would make tools easier to grip in addition to the added plushness. 

Before using your sponges to customize your garden tools, you'll want to ensure that there are no lingering germs or bacteria from dishwashing. This can be done by getting the sponge sopping wet, placing it in the microwave, and heating it for a minute. Alternatively, you might run your sponge through the dishwasher or soak it in a diluted bleach solution. Now, you can start upcycling your sponges. To make cushioned handles for your gardening tools, simply lay the sponge over the handle and fold it to cover the hard material. You can keep the sponge in place with rubber bands, sturdy string, zip ties, or whatever else you might have lying around. You could glue the sponge around the handle, but this would make it more permanent and difficult to clean. You can use sponges to make softer handles on almost any tool, including shovels and rakes. If the handle is long, you could use two sponges to create an ideal spot for each hand to grip. 

Alternatively, you might consider fashioning your sponges into makeshift knee pads to ease discomfort while you're kneeling over your vegetable garden. You could simply set a sponge under each knee while you're working, or you could glue your sponges together to create a larger pad. If you still have more of these cleaning essentials left over, consider filling your flower pot with kitchen sponges before planting to help with drainage.