Off Topic, but by popular request, here is the essay I wrote a few months ago for a college composition class. It is about the kitchen sponge. :) I'm sort of proud of this one, so if you share it, please link back to this blog. 

Liberty and Peace,

PolitiKrys - aka Krysta Walker

From Spongia to Kitchen Sponge: Sponges throughout History

If you have no knowledge about sponges, you can usually surmise that they are two things: sea creatures and a cleaning product. Does that mean that sea creatures were used for cleaning products? Who came up with this idea? WHEN? Did pilgrims use sponges to clean their kitchens or loofa themselves at bath-time? Why do we synthesize them now? Looking out my kitchen window one morning, the bright yellow and green sponge caught my eye and sent my mind whirling with questions.

Growing up sponges were not something my parents had in the house. We used ‘dish rags’. Wipe the counters and throw it in the wash. This could be a southern thing. I’m not sure what inspired me to purchase my first sponge; I’m not even sure when it was that this happened. I buy them in bulk these days. With three small children, the messes never cease. I’d much rather soak up a spill with a sponge than a dish rag; sponges are much more efficient to this end. Others debate that sponges are a breading zone for nasty germs. This seems to be a new debate on the sponge-time continuum. Sponges have definitely been around longer than man’s knowledge of microbiology.

The oldest (and perhaps most amusing) example of sponge use is the sponge on a stick. In the history of toilets and toilet paper, this was cutting edge technology. Not for hundreds of years would man again have such an advanced system. As early as 315 AD, Romans used public toilets. These were made of stone benches with holes, and a running trench of water on the floor.  Romans had a high tech water system comprised of aqueducts, and piping made from terracotta. After doing his business, Joe Roman would use his spongia (or sponge on a stick) to clean himself. In an article on the Roman spongia, author Caroline Lawrence explains, “And that's why the handle of the sponge-stick is so long. After a good wipe, you would rinse it again, stand up and leave it in the basin for THE NEXT PERSON TO USE. Now you know where we get the expression he got the 'wrong end of the stick'! (“So What’s With the Sponge on the Stick?”)”

(more at: http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/9835180-the-infamous-roman-sponge-stick)

Over the centuries sponges have been used for everything from personal hygiene, to dental work, to birth control, and more. The sponge has been a widely used tool in human history. It is hard to say exactly when man first began diving for sponges.  Sandra Hendrikse and André Merks note that even Plato mentioned the sponge in his writings (“Diving the Skafandro Suit”).  In the 1800’s the sponge diving industry was booming. The focal point of this industry was Kalymnos Island, off the coast of Greece.  Originally this was done using a method called “skin diving”. Later, a suit was developed which helped increase the efficiency of the sponge divers. While sponge diving was profitable, it could also be dangerous and even fatal for divers.

(More at:  http://www.divingheritage.com/ )

Finally, after two World Wars, and multiple global sponge infections, the sponge industry began to decline. According to the online Encyclopedia “How Products Are Made”, Dupont, the company also responsible for the invention of Nylon, came up with an artificial alternative to the natural sea sponge in 1942. In 1952 Dupont finally sold their sponge know-how to General Mills (“Sponge”). Sponge divers still operate today with specialized diving equipment. However, the artificial sponge is by and large more popular than its predecessor.

So what is an artificial sponge made from? The first and main ingredient in an artificial sponge, such as the one I use to clean up all those spills my children supply, is cellulose. According to Fred Senese,“Cellulose is a long chain of linked sugar molecules that gives wood its remarkable strength (“What is Cellulose?”).” Today we get our cellulose from companies such as Weyerhauser, headquartered in Federal Way, WA. (That’s just south of Seattle.) Through a multi-step process, workers at Weyerhauser take trees and turn them into sheets of cellulose ready to be made into cleaning sponges.

Next, the cellulose sheets are submerged in water and chemical softeners (such as sodium hydroxide). A Siemens article which advertises their temperature measurement equipment, touts providing the key to efficient sponge production. “Accurate temperature measurement and tight temperature control is critical to the sponge manufacturing process. If the temperature is not controlled properly, an entire batch can be ruined, resulting in a loss of thousands of dollars (“Synthetic Sponge Maker Relies on Siemens”).”According to the article, Siemens has made a temperature measurement device to ensure the right water temperature for the cellulose and chemical softener mixture  (“Synthetic Sponge Maker Relies on Siemens). This mixture turns the sheets of cellulose into a “jelly like substance” (“Sponge”). The gelatinous goo then needs a couple more ingredients: sodium sulphate crystals, hemp, and dye.

Hans Loningher explains that sodium sulphate (also known as Glauber Sault) was discovered in the 17^th century. Sodium sulphate is a mineral found in lake beds, but today it is also found as a chemical byproduct. It was initially used as a laxative. (“Sodium Sulphate”) The grade of sodium sulphate crystals used in production determines what use the sponge will have. Large crystals are used to make course sponges; small crystals for softer, less abrasive sponges. As the salt crystals dry during the production process, they leave behind the holes we associate with sponges (“Sponges”).

"Make the most of the Indian hemp seed, and sow it everywhere!" 

-George Washington

Hemp today is closely associated with marijuana use and marijuana advocates. Hemp, however, does not come from the same plant as marijuana. Hemp was a major crop in the United States during its founding. Ironically, hemp production is no longer legal in many states. I have actually worked at Hempfest in Seattle, to collect petition signatures for this and other causes, so I was intrigued to learn that this was in my kitchen sponge. This leads me to wonder if it is imported from Canada or China, or if it was grown in one of the ten states where it is legal to produce hemp. Each manufacturer has its own source.

As with most manufactured products today, dye is also added to sponges to make them more appealing to consumers. Sponges come in a variety of colors, and we usually associate one color with a certain brand or type of sponge. The sponge in my kitchen is yellow. This may be an ode to the natural yellow sea sponge. Other sponges are brightly colored pinks, blues, and greens.

Once all the ingredients are mixed together with the wood pulp jelly, they are put into a mold and heated. This is when the sodium sulphate crystals melt away and give the sponge its most defining feature. The sponge is then bleached, and washed multiple times in water. Some sponges have added features, such as a scouring pad. This varies, and depends on the company producing the sponge.

Due to worries over the sponge’s capacity to harbor nasty germs, another modern addition to the sponge manufacturing process is the addition of antimicrobial agents. Manufacturers usually use Triclosan for this purpose. This sounds great, but many medical professionals actually warn about its use. An article by Rose Marie Williams, M.A. highlights the dangers of Triclosan stating, “Consumers would certainly enjoy the benefit of preventing mildew odor on damp towels, but might not be so easily seduced if fully cognizant of the health risks associated with exposure to the controversial chemical.^” She continues to warn that “It is chemically similar to Agent Orange (“Triclosan – A Controversial Antibacterial”).” That’s a scary thought.

The sponge is a tool that seemingly has always been in man’s employ. Over the centuries it has evolved along with man, to reflect his needs. The great sponge debate has been going on for decades: Natural vs. Artificial. Would you prefer to loofah with a dead sea creature, or a mass of wood pulp treated in salts and bleached to perfection? What about the use of Triclosan to keep your sponge germ free? Our Roman ancestors certainly did not have this dilemma when choosing a spongia. In our consumer age, however, the possibilities are as endless as the uses that we have for them.

  Works Cited

Hendrikse, Sandra and André Merks. “Diving the Skafandro Suit” DivingHeritage. Iain

McQuarrie, 12 May 2009. Web. 18 November 2011.

Lawrence, Caroline. “So What’s with the Sponge Stick?” Roman Mysteries and Western               Mysteries. Caroline Lawrence, 15 October 2008. Web. 18 November 2011.

Lohninger, Hans. “Sodium Sulphate”.  General Chemistry. 29 March 2010. Web. 19  Nov. 2011

Senese, Fred. “What is Cellulose?” General Chemistry Online. Dept of Chemistry,

Frostburg State University, 15 December 2010. Web. 19 November 2011.

Williams, Rose. “Triclosan – A Controversial Antibacterial” Townshend Letter, Sandy

Hershleman Designs. 14 April 2006. Web. 19 November 2011.

“Sponge” How Products Are Made. 2011.Web. 18 November 2011.

“Synthetic Sponge Maker Relies on Siemens Temperature Transmitters in Manufacturing

Process.” Process Instrumentation and Analytic News. Siemens. Siemens, Inc., January 2011. Web. 19 November 2011.