Mar 192012
Scotch-Brite Natural Fiber Scrubbing Sponge 97030, 1-Count (Pack of 12)
- Cleaning pad sponge
- Won’t scratch or mar most surfaces
- Typical applications include stainless steel, glass, ceramic, fine china, porcelain, countertops and non-stick surfaces
- Natural fiber
- Made by 3M, the category leader in household cleaning.
O-Cel-O™ sponges and Scotch Brite scrubbers are truly a fashion-meets-function success story. The highly absorbent and durable sponges come in different sizes and scrub levels for the various surfaces around the home. Their assorted colors and patterns follow the current fashion trends to create the perfect accent in any room.
List Price: $ 23.88
Price: $ 17.71
3M SAYS SAFE – NO WALNUT SHELLS ANYMORE,
I really like this product and wanted to let shoppers looking for greener ways to clean know about these natural fiber sponges.But – after reading the reviews already posted here – one saying that this sponge is dangerous for people with nut allergies – I decided I better do some checking on it before I actually steered someone with nut allergies to possible dangerous effects. I called the 3M toll free number on the back of the package. 1-800-846-8887.
The representive assured me that this product has absolutely no nut products in it and is quite safe. There was an earlier product that was made from walnuts but hasn’t been produce in over 2 years.She was very helpful and went on to tell me that the scrubber side is made from the Agave plant – I had to look that one up and found it was a plant from the amaryllis family, which I also had to look up and found it is a bulbous flowering plant. The sponge side is cellulose found in fiber(the package says “recycled paper”).So there is no danger lurking in this newer product. There is a warning on the package though that it should not be used to clean aquariums.
Thanks Colleen at 3M for being so helpful(and nice).
As for the product’s effectiveness – it’s great! A non-scratch sponge,I found it worked as good as the Scotch-Brite Heavy Duty scrubber for cleaning – although you may have to add just a little more elbow grease for really tough stuck or baked on stuff. The scruby side doesn’t last quite as long as the Heavy Duty, but pretty close, and I like to change my sponges ocassionally and use the old ones for things other than my dishes and counters before I toss them. The sponge side is pretty thick, very spongy – almost fluffy – and doesn’t wear down much at all.
Also – at this time – this multi-pack of 12 is a great buy – compared to buying a single of the natural fiber sponge at my local market.It does come out more expensive then the original Heavy Duty sponge – it always seems going green costs a little more! Prices do change though so check this against you store price. You may want to start with one from your store anyway to see if you like it before buying a dozen anyway.
Another good way to go all natural! Maybe someday, manufacturers of “greener” products will figure out a way to package them in something other than plastic wrap or containers.
AMAZON – PLEASE CORRECT YOUR PRODUCT DESCRIPTION THAT INDICATED WALNUT SHELLS
Thanks – Laurie
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|Back for more…,
I’m back to order more of these and going with the 12 pack to make sure I never run out. As another reviewer said, I first ordered a few of these because of looks alone. I leave my sponge on the counter and I have brown granite countertops. I’ve always hated the green ones.
Pros:
+ Definitely don’t smell like the regular ones. It is my habit to always have one sponge in the dishwasher. As the counter one starts to smell, I bring out the clean one and put the dirty one in the dishwasher. With the regular ones, seems like I did this every 2 or 3 loads. With these, I have, in the past year I’ve been using them, *never* had a smell issue. I rotate them just so they get even wear, but not because they smell.
+ They just feel better. Hard to describe but they are “soft” to the touch. As an added bonus, I noticed they don’t leave streaks on my granite and from what I can tell, it’s because of the material. Again, hard to describe but when I wipe the counter, the moisture trail left is much less than that of the regular sponge, so less water, dries without streaks.
+ Durability: I’ve been using 2 for a year now in the kitchen, keeping them clean by letting them go thru the dishwasher. They are definitely not pristine anymore, but are showing no signs of giving up. I’m only coming back to buy more to make sure I have them if they ever go out of production.
+ Looks – OK, you don’t buy a sponge for looks. But I bought them first for looks, then found I liked them so much better. If you keep your sponges on the counter, they look much nicer. (FWIW, I use the “OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Sink Organizer” which allows me to stand the sponge on its side allowing it to dry fast – so looks does make a difference to me)
Cons:
None so far.
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|Amazon description isn’t accurate,
From the wrapper:
“Scrubbing fibers made from 50% natural agave plant
Sponge outlasts 30 rolls of paper towels
Sponge made with 23% recycled paper
Sponges made from 100% natural fibers”
“USE & CARE: Rinse thoroughly before and after each use and squeeze dry. Sanitize in the dishwasher or by boiling. Do not microwave. Test first in an inconspicuous area and allow to dry to verify no surface damage, as some surfaces may scratch. Not for aquarium use. Color and appearance may vary due to manufacturing process.”
The appearance of this sponge is so much nicer than the yellow and green or two tone blue Scotch-Brite sponges I’ve been using since they were first manufactured. I’ve had some problems with those throughout the years, but still preferred them to any others. The 3M company has been helpful when I’ve contacted them in the past over disintegrating sponges and I learned that each wrapper contains a manufacturing date. If you buy your sponges from a warehouse store, be sure to check the dates as you may be purchasing sponges which were produced several years ago. The Customer Service Rep at 3M told me that sponges deteriorate over time and they did not recommend using them longer than a month or two at most.
With the advent of the “Scotch-Brite greener CLEAN REUSABLE MONEY SAVING CHOICE” (printed on the wrapper like this), a sponge is now marketed as longer lasting and I think this is terrific. The only problem I’ve had with these sponges is that the date of manufacturing is printed in code. The dozen I received came in a nice cardboard box as opposed to the plastic bag the other sponges come in at the warehouse stores. The copyright date on the ones I received is 2009. Like the other sponges, these are a bit damp when removed from the wrapper, but unlike the others, these do not have a bad smell. In the hand, they seem to be softer and the scrub top reminds me of a lovely flannel in appearance. The sponges are softer and more than one do have larger pockets of air here and there, so they remind me of naturally grown sponges. On some sponges, there is a slight separation where the sponge and scrubber are attached, but this doesn’t affect it’s utility. Perhaps this is because the batch I received is older, but regardless, it bothers me. Additionally, some of the fibers in the scrubber fall away with each use and I wonder if they do a thing other than contribute to the “greener” appearance. They are more flexible, fitting inside a crystal glass with ease and no worry about scratching the glass, but their longevity is short.
When wet, these sponges absorb and when soap is applied, they clean. The scrubber works fine as long as you don’t need to really remove anything stuck to a pot or pan. I’ve yet to scratch any surface with these because they are not abrasive. These sponges are rather average and I still prefer the yellow/green or blue sponges.
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