Recently, while perusing the endless scroll of the internet, I stumbled upon a little-known and very simple hack to combat this very particular problem: Cleaning pros swear by a quick soak in club soda to deodorize sponges. Intrigued, and armed with plenty of club soda, I knew I had to give it a try. The timing was perfect because my sponge was just starting to smell as garlicky as my cutting board, and I didn’t want to transfer that odor onto my other dishes (or hands).
What Happened When I Soaked My Sponge in Club Soda
First, I cracked a can of peach-flavored club soda (This is a judgment-free zone, right? That’s all I had!). Then, I submerged the sponge and let it soak for 30 minutes. Afterwards, I rinsed it with hot water and set it upright on a drying rack to let it air-dry.
Curious about the science behind this easy trick, I reached out to cleaning expert Ryan Knoll, founder of Tidy Casa, a Phoenix-based home cleaning business. “Since club soda is really just water, gas, and a little acid, it will help with odor, loosening stuck food, and rinsing out light stains,” Knoll explains. That’s why it works so well at lifting wine stains, and it’s exactly what happened to my sponge, too.
I could see the debris from the dirty sponge in the club soda after removing the sponge. The club soda had literally extracted the dirt from the sponge, leaving it fresher and cleaner. My sponge was like new in minutes! After rinsing it in warm tap water, the sponge smelled so much better — admittedly a little peachy, which I liked — and looked so fresh.
Keep in mind that club soda acts as a deodorizer, not as a disinfectant. According to Veronica Smith, general manager at Milton Maids, club soda contains no harsh chemicals, so it doesn’t kill bacteria or mold. “It is not a disinfectant, but it will get rid of loose residues,” she says.
The experts I spoke to recommend doing this treatment every few days. I’ll aim to do it every week, but might not commit to that perfectly. That said, this inexpensive and easy hack is a revelation for keeping my hardworking kitchen sponges looking and smelling fresher. If you prefer to revive your stinky kitchen sponges and extend their lifespan instead of tossing them, remember to jump on it early before they’re beyond redemption.
Have you tried this hack to deodorize your sponges? Let us know in the comments below!