At the risk of sounding incredibly dumb, I discovered last night that my kitchen has one of those sink front trays (they're located directly below the sink, and they flip out so you can store sponges). Yes, it took me a year to find it. A year! And during the past 365 days, I've been slinging the sponge in a suction-cup wire holder attached to the side of the sink to minimize clutter in that area. How do you store your sponges in the kitchen and bathrooms?
[ Photo from Chez Larsson ]




via a suction-cup wire holder attached to the side of the sink to minimize clutter in that area
view kimg924's profile
i keep mine on a special small plate by the sink. somehow it seems sanitary... don't trust the sponge tray for some reason
view Nevi's profile
I installed those sink trays in the front and use them. I have two one for the brush and one for the sponge and drain stopper. I grew up with them so it was one of the first things I did we got the condo.
view Signe's profile
I have a colorful little teacup on the corner of my sink where I keep a small Trader Joe's sponge.
view clancy's profile
I like the sponge to be able to dry out and not stay damp, so I put a suction cup wire holder in the kitchen. In the bathroom, I installed a corner wire basket under the pedestal sink. Unobtrusive, and lets the sponge and gloves I use for cleaning the bathroom dry out between uses.
view 212gretchen's profile
My kitchen sponge sits on a large flat rock, on the counter next to the sink - because I'm all zen like that.
view blackbird's profile
I use a small vintage pedestal candy dish next to the sink to hold stopper, sponge, and scrubbers.
view Courtney S's profile
I don't--I use a soft-bristled brush which permanently lives in the dishwasher (and gets washed each time to dishwasher runs).
view Molly Margarita's profile
mine lives in one of those green plastic containers you get strawberries in
view jenny!'s profile
mine was resting on the dish drainer in the sink until I went outside and discovered it torn up into pieces all over the lawn. Apparently my dog thought this was a good way to keep the sponge fresh.
view Seaside's profile
"How do you store your sinks in the kitchen and bathrooms?" lol i had to.... its friday afternoon and i am bored at work!
to answer the question you're really asking, i store my sponge on the side of the sink, on the stainless steel sink but i hate that and tend to not use it because it doesn't feel sanitary... if i had a little sponge dryer, i'd be happy. but i would also feel excessive!
view sarahjam's profile
It has its own little niche on the dish drainer.
Where are those bird sponges from? They are adorable.
view Cassis's profile
Yes, seconding the bird sponges comment, they are so cute!
view Amphetamine's profile
I got little fishies that have a hole in their tails so they hang from the faucet to dry from Cosa Bella, I think, from Ross when I was looking for a white blanket my black cats could get their fur all over. Wasn't looking for sponges, but I thought it was funny given that Cashmere likes "tuna juice" that my parents and sister give me for her, since I am a vegetarian. Decor and my cats: at least I have a black leather sofa that they like to toast themselves on when it's sunny.
view kaanswfm's profile
Mine hangs out on a little sushi dish (shaped like a fish) I got from Cost Plus. But my parents have the little pull out trays that were talked about at the beginning of the post and I loved them when I still lived with my parents.
view girlonthem00n's profile
Watch out with stainless steel and dishsoap -- the detergent will corrode and pit the steel slowly over time. It's not a good idea to store detergent bottles and soapy sponges directly on the steel.
I installed an in-sink soap dispenser to keep the sink clear of bottles, and keep the sponge in the dishrack.
http://showerbuddy.com/Showroom/Kitchen_Fixtures-Discount_Kitc/Kitchen_Accessories/Kitchen_Sink_Soap_Dispenser/Moen_Soap_Dispenser/moen_soap_dispenser.html
view nashdp's profile
I keep all of my kitchen/dish cleaning supplies in a bread box by the sink. This keeps the dish soap and sponges out of sight (but handy) when not in use.
view RichardinLA's profile
a nice trick for those of us obsessively concerned about hygiene:
get your sponges good and sopping wet, and microwave them on high for two minutes. lab analysis has shown this to be a quite effective way of disinfecting them (and thus also helps with smells). just don't put them in dry, because they will catch on fire!
view le_sacre's profile