Natural Sea Sponge

GearHead_1

GearHead_1

Long Time Member
I did a quick search and found that this subject hadn't been discussed here for some time. I've had a large Sea Sponge for many years (good as it was the day it was first killed :)). I'm considering getting another one. I think we should put together a group buy as I believe there aren't alot of people who have experienced these critters. Sea Sponges aren't cheap, you can probably buy 10 synthetic sponges for the price of a medium sized Sea Sponge. How about it vendors, anyone want to step up on this one? I've heard many of the pros and cons regarding Sea Sponges. I've found that most of the reservations people have had regarding them haven't been true in my experience. I thought I would throw this topic out again. If you've had any experiences with sea sponges (good or bad) I would be interested in reading the comments.

-GearHead_1-
 
I've found that as long as you rinse it real good before using it, it will not scratch/marr the paint at all. Sea sponges and sheepskin mitts are my favorites, but as you stated, the sea sponges last a longgg time.

I will talk to Max and definitely have him look into doing a group purchase for you guys! :)
 
I am working on it now...I should have something for you guys by tomorrow. How does 20% off our already discounted price sound? :D
 
Matt@Autogeek said:
I've found that as long as you rinse it real good before using it, it will not scratch/marr the paint at all.
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EMPHASIS ON RINSING REAL GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!

Those suckers have shells in them. I have one from Autogeek and I spent forever picking through it for little shells. I let it soak over night real well and had sand at the bottom of my bucket. I had to squeeze, poke and prod the sponge to search for shells. They burrow deep in there.

I then put it in the wash with NO soap on cold water and delicate wash to make sure all the sand was out.

Once I knew for sure everyhting was clean (what a hassle folks), I used it and enjoyed it. It is very durable. It is very soft and silky when in water. It feels cool! I wish it was larger though. Even the large ones aren't that big. Less surface area than wash mitts.

In the end, stick with sheepskin or chenille mitts. Receiving an item to use on your paint that has sand and shells in it isn't worth it. It maybe novel to have but I'm not really using it anymore, only for wheels or bumpers.
 
cwcad said:
Have never used a sea sponge... I have used store sponges with great results if one considers embeded dirt marring as a good thing.
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These are typically the types of comments I see when people refer to Sea Sponges and a I think it causes people unnecessary concern. It's kind of the mind set that says you have to be a magician to use a rotary buffer. It scares people and I just haven't found it to be the case. I believe they are comparable to but no worse than a Chenille Wash Mitt, they will hold a ton of suds. Interested in comments from people who have used them. Yes they do require a very good rinsing up front though I didn't find it difficult.

I typically use sponges around wheel well openings, bumpers, running boards, the backs of mirrors, windshields etc. Basically the places that require a little more bite.
 
GearHead_1 said:
Interested in comments from people who have used them.
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GearHead you are very correct and have deleted my comment because it was inappropriate to your thread. My apologies :redface:
 
cwcad said:
GearHead you are very correct and have deleted my comment because it was inappropriate to your thread. My apologies :redface:
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Hey, it's O.K. I wasn't trying to beat you up in my reply. I'm just trying to debunk what I believe are myths surrounding the Sea Sponge.
 
Matt@Autogeek said:
I am working on it now...I should have something for you guys by tomorrow. How does 20% off our already discounted price sound? :D
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Thanks Matt, it was your email that got me thinking about picking up another one. ;)
 
I'd be careful of natural sea sponge on painted surfaces. They are great for door jambs, windows, wheels, whatever, just not paint. Sea sponge is an animal that has one purpose in life, to pass water and small animals through it's membranes. The small critters it absorbs are broken down and make sand, sea sponge therefore usually contains remnants of sheels, sand, exoskeletons, etc. What makes a Sea Sponge great for your skin because it exfoliates (abrasive) makes it bad for car paint. Why take a chance?
 
Spilchy said:
EMPHASIS ON RINSING REAL GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!

Those suckers have shells in them. I have one from Autogeek and I spent forever picking through it for little shells. I let it soak over night real well and had sand at the bottom of my bucket. I had to squeeze, poke and prod the sponge to search for shells. They burrow deep in there.
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Enough reason for me to never buy another one.


Spilchy said:
In the end, stick with sheepskin or chenille mitts. Receiving an item to use on your paint that has sand and shells in it isn't worth it. It maybe novel to have but I'm not really using it anymore, only for wheels or bumpers.
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Good enough advice for me. :)
 
GearHead_1, I don't think you're going to win over many new converts on this fine little tool. People have a huge fear of them. They also get talked about so badly that new people don't try them from themselves. Yes, you should rinse them thoroughly before putting them into use. But, after performing the initial QC step, they hold lots of soapy water, they glide over a painted surface with (seemingly) less surface friction than chenille or sheepskin, they rinse more completely and freely than chenille or sheepskin, and they are durable.

Thanks to Matt@Autogeek (and his boss) for working to make this happen. Unfortunately, I still have two new ones that I have not had to open because they are so durable.
 
Yeah, you're probably right. I wasn't really trying to convert anyone. I've used them and have found them to be another great tool in my arsenal. It kind of reminds me of some the posts about clay a couple of years ago, some just can't buy into the concept and don't feel a NEED to try something new. This thread has had 120 views in about 3 hours and there are very few comments from people who do or have used them. They're probably one of those products that just can't overcome a few bad experiences.

No matter, Matt I'm still picking another one up. :rockon

When I receive it I'll try to take some pictures during a thorough initial rinse and we'll take a look at what actually comes out of one. I think that putting it in a clean white container would pretty well show what comes out. Might be worth a look.
 
I would really like to try one of these. If there's one thing that I've learned since joining DC it's that most of the products that we use work differently for each of us. What's one mans super wax is another mans give away wax. It all depends on our own process and procedure how certain products and tools will work.
Matt, how many do we need for the group buy? I'm going to get one either way but I don't mind saving a few bucks when I can.
 
I have one that I've used for many years.

I agree with the comment about using it around areas that need extra bite. I use my primarily on wheels, wheel wells and on gray cladding.

There were issues at first with sand and such with mine, but after I cleaned it good I've not had a problem since. The plus side is that they seem to get better with age. Mine is probably close to 15 years old now. I'm not sure I would want to replace it. Works too good.
 
Well I finally got my sea sponge today and thought I'd try to post some pics for those of us who have never had one. It measures about 6x6x4 inches when wet and this is how it came packaged.
wrapped.jpg


I tapped it out into a bowl while it was dry just to see how much sand I'd get. This is after about 2-3 minuets.
drytap.jpg


I then rinsed it with dish soap and water for several more minuets which got me this.
rinse1.jpg


Further rinsing got me some cloudy water and very fine sand that I was unable to photograph. The final pic shows the sponge when wet.
wet.jpg


I was kind of surprised at how hard the sponge was when it was dry and it really didn't want to take much water at first but it really softened up once it got soaked (especially on top where it's kind of fuzzy). I also noticed that it smells slightly like the ocean which I like, although it will probably lose that after I use it for a while. I won't have a chance to try it out until this weekend and I'll let everyone know what I think then. Sorry that some of the pics turned out big but I can't seem to resize them for some reason.:wall
 
Be sure to check for bits of shells or rocks since they once were attached to something in the ocean. Mine from AutoGeek was loaded with them. They were burrowed deep. I chucked mine in the washing machine on delicate with cold water and no soap as a final rinsing mechanism before first use.

My other pet peeve with sponges for washing paint is that they are too small for me. I don't like holding a washing tool that I have to curl my hand around. I had to apply pressure to it. Whereas with a sheepskin mitt or chenille pad, I can lay my hand flat and allow the weight of it to glide accross the surface. I find it to be a much more rythmic, fluid washing motion this way. Its an ergonomics thing I guess.

I like the sponge when its wet. It feels real nice and soft. So I have found it good for wheels, door jambs and other places besides the paint panels.

Its a neat little washing tool, but not my cup of tea as a dedicated wash tool.
 
you can buy the same sea sponge at HDs paint section and you can see and feel the item before you make a purchase,,
 
That's great advice about the washing machine Spilchy, thanks for the tip. I noticed that there were no instructions or label with the sponge explaining about the sand problem and I can see where that could be a serious problem for someone who is new to using one. Although I haven't washed my car with it yet, I like the feel of it, and it sure seems to hold alot of water. I really like my sheep skin also, but I'm looking forward to giving this a try (with my new foamgun too).:D

LOL.........this place does strange things to people. Where else would someone take the time to post pics of their sponge? Geeze!
 
joe.p said:
you can buy the same sea sponge at HDs paint section and you can see and feel the item before you make a purchase,,
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Those are lesser quality, most likely coming from the Bahamas. You want to stick with those coming from Florida's Gulf Coast.

You can do an EBay search for sea sponge and buy lots of 5 sponges that are 6" a piece for $19.95 Buy It Now. It's a much cheaper source for Gulf Coast sea sponges.
 
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