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Why did they recently stop selling the pretty multi-colored o-cel-o scrub sponges in physical stores? No one seems to know. (Google Gemini's explanation seemed to be made up, as the sources it listed weren't related to its answer.)
These sponges always used to come in multiple colors and/or patterns in each pack. New patterns were released every so often, so that each time I bought a pack, it was usually different from the last.
From what I've read, the sponge part is made from cellulose (from wood and plant fibers); only the scrubber part is made from plastic.
Their all-white colored Greener Clean™ Non-Scratch Scrub Sponges don't last nearly as long in my experience, and the color is boring. The webpage for these says "Make a difference with every clean using the 100% recycled scrubbing fibers... These dye-free and BPA-free dish sponges offer a more sustainable alternative to typical cleaning sponges."
The webpage for the pretty colored ones* says "Scrubbing fibers made from 100% recycled content", so I suspect they are about the same good or bad for the planet as the supposedly "greener" ones.
*The colored ones they sell now are not even as colorful as the old ones were. That photo shows both the top and bottom parts of the sponges in only green & white. Will there ever be orange & purple & yellow scrub sponges as in the past? Yes, there are some other brands but the ones I tried didn't work well.
Now when I go shopping, I only see scrub sponges in packs that are all-blue, all-pink, all-white, or all-brown, as well as the old-style heavy duty dark-green on yellow. And some all-purple ones with scrub "dots".
This is a small sampling of various colorful ocelo scrub sponges they used to sell, from Duck Duck Go's image-search results:
This is what a recent store had to offer in the sponge section; they all look pretty much like this now:
These sponges always used to come in multiple colors and/or patterns in each pack. New patterns were released every so often, so that each time I bought a pack, it was usually different from the last.
From what I've read, the sponge part is made from cellulose (from wood and plant fibers); only the scrubber part is made from plastic.
Their all-white colored Greener Clean™ Non-Scratch Scrub Sponges don't last nearly as long in my experience, and the color is boring. The webpage for these says "Make a difference with every clean using the 100% recycled scrubbing fibers... These dye-free and BPA-free dish sponges offer a more sustainable alternative to typical cleaning sponges."
The webpage for the pretty colored ones* says "Scrubbing fibers made from 100% recycled content", so I suspect they are about the same good or bad for the planet as the supposedly "greener" ones.
*The colored ones they sell now are not even as colorful as the old ones were. That photo shows both the top and bottom parts of the sponges in only green & white. Will there ever be orange & purple & yellow scrub sponges as in the past? Yes, there are some other brands but the ones I tried didn't work well.
Now when I go shopping, I only see scrub sponges in packs that are all-blue, all-pink, all-white, or all-brown, as well as the old-style heavy duty dark-green on yellow. And some all-purple ones with scrub "dots".
This is a small sampling of various colorful ocelo scrub sponges they used to sell, from Duck Duck Go's image-search results:
This is what a recent store had to offer in the sponge section; they all look pretty much like this now:
Alas!
Date: 2025-09-29 06:48 pm (UTC)From:I hate how common it's become for good products or features to disappear. Capitalism is doing a great job of unselling itself. :/
no subject
Date: 2025-09-29 11:17 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2025-09-30 07:47 am (UTC)From:Re: Alas!
Date: 2025-09-30 07:52 am (UTC)From: