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If you’ve ever relaxed to a few (or a few dozen!) videos on social media of people fastidiously cleaning their spaces, you’ve likely noticed a certain smiley-faced sponge doing a lot of the work. The Scrub Daddy, as the sponge is called, is beloved for being one of the most versatile cleaning tools on the market: It can clean almost any surface without scratching and can be used with nearly any cleaner. It also changes texture depending on the temperature of the water, perfect for when you need a firm sponge for deep scrubbing or a softer one for wiping. The Scrub Daddy has a long life compared to most household sponges—a few weeks with average use.
All of these attributes aside, the trademark smile might be what people love about this sponge the most. This face is more than a fun design or a clever marketing ploy, though. Read on to learn more about why this sponge is always smiling.
Why the Scrub Daddy Sponge has a Smiley Face
According to the Scrub Daddy website, the smile serves a very practical purpose: When washing containers or round vessels, you can insert two fingers into the eye holes so that the sponge can touch every side for more efficient cleaning. Utensils can be inserted into the mouth to scrub both sides at once. The spiky haircut on one side of the sponge is also ideal for getting into grooves and crevices. The smile has become synonymous with the Scrub Daddy brand: You’ll see it on other products like scouring pads, grilling tools, and even wipes for your phone and laptop screen.
Is the Scrub Daddy Sponge Worth the Hype?
Reviews of the sponge are more than glowing. Kristen Montemarano at Food & Wine says the sponge lives up to the praise, but she loves the Scrub Mommy (a dual-sided scrubber and sponge) even more. It has an Amazon five-star average rating of 87 percent, with customers claiming they use nothing else in their kitchens and that they even gift them as stocking stuffers. You can find the sponges online and in most retail stores.