via a suction-cup wire holder attached to the side of the sink to minimize clutter in that area

i keep mine on a special small plate by the sink. somehow it seems sanitary... don't trust the sponge tray for some reason

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.

I have a colorful little teacup on the corner of my sink where I keep a small Trader Joe's sponge.

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.

My kitchen sponge sits on a large flat rock, on the counter next to the sink - because I'm all zen like that.

I use a small vintage pedestal candy dish next to the sink to hold stopper, sponge, and scrubbers.

I don't--I use a soft-bristled brush which permanently lives in the dishwasher (and gets washed each time to dishwasher runs).

mine lives in one of those green plastic containers you get strawberries in

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.

"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!

It has its own little niche on the dish drainer.

Where are those bird sponges from? They are adorable.

Yes, seconding the bird sponges comment, they are so cute!

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.

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.

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

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.

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!