Bath sponge is a piece of synthetic or natural fibers used to scrub the body while taking bath. The material used is soft, porous and absorbent. Some of the bath sponges are made of soft synthetic foam. These come in various shapes and sizes depending on the age and the usage. Even a soft piece of cloth can be used as a substitute for the costly bath sponge.

Bath sponge can be used by anyone who can take bath independently. Soft type sponges are available for babies.

How to use
Wet the body parts with water. Dip the bath sponge in water or Dampen it using some water. Put a few drops of liquid soap on it. Gently rub it with both hands to work out lather. Now apply the lather on the body part with the sponge. Use the sponge in circular motion with very light pressure. Do take care not to scrub the skin in a rough or hard way. This can bruise the skin part. After the body part are covered with lather wash off the soap with water. Rinse the sponge in water to get rid of the soap remains.

Benefits
Use of sponge helps in removing dead skin cells. Removal of dead skin cells help to open the skin pores and improves the health of the skin. Using sponges can also be used to uniformly spread the soap over the body. The quantity of soap required is also less. Bath sponges are also available with a long handle. By using these types one can scrub the body parts that cannot be reached easily.

Precautions
Bath sponges usually harden after some time. These need to be discarded. Using hardened sponges can make the skin rough. The absorption property reduces and the soap will not spread uniformly. Care should be taken to clean the sponges after each use. If sponges are not cleansed, the soap deposits can harden the sponges. This also helps the growth of bacteria that can be harmful to the skin. Extra care has to be taken while using the sponges for babies. Very soft & clean sponges are to be used as the babies have a very tender skin.