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You can clean them?? Actually, I used to sort of wipe sponges on paper til the color was mostly gone, then I'd reuse them for similar shades. This past summer, though, I decided to order a pack of daubers on each order til I had one for each of SU!'s 48 colors. I still have some I haven't used yet, but as I use one, I label it.
I'm curious if anyone else cleans theirs!!!
__________________ Kathy Wrose "Fun must be always." - Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks "It was fun." - Kirk, Star Trek: Generations
I agree with what Stampin Wrose says too about the daubers...this has worked great for me!
I buy the SU sponges, and cut them up into smaller managable pieces and when they need to be cleaned, I stick them in the dishwasher silverware holder (the part where the little lid will snap down) and clean them with a load of dishes---works great!!
I put a dab of dishwashing soap ... or whatever soap I have around ... on them and a little water. I smoosh them until the color stops coming out and let them dry. None have fallen apart and my colors don't invade each other. They do stain, though. No big deal.
Yes you can clean them. I soak them for a couple of minutes in laundry or dishwashing detergent and then rub them on a scrub pad until there's no color left. Then just rinse them under cold water. That's funny cause I just cleaned about 20 of them and was wondering if anyone else had an easier way to do it.
I can't believe I never thought to try to wash a sponge. Duh.
You know how I said I decided to order one pack of daubers on my next four orders? Well, I didn't quite. I did it three times, and had 36 daubers rattling around! I've probably used about a dozen - but still, I figured that last 12 can wait. LOL
__________________ Kathy Wrose "Fun must be always." - Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks "It was fun." - Kirk, Star Trek: Generations
I usually wash mine after I am done stamping for the day, then by the next time I need them they will be dry!!! I also cut all my sponges into 4 parts and then I have more sponges for different colors!!
Well...I actually have a wedge of sponge for each of our 48 colors. Each sponge gets cut into 8 wedges, so you only need 2 packages of 3 to have one for every color. I write the color name on the side with a Sharpie and store them in a car garage. My upline does this and when she showed me her car garage full of sponges I thought she was nuts at first, but after I started sponging things I decided it was a great idea!
I have also started keeping a sponge dauber for each color in the garage with the sponges, but since they are more expensive, I only have been doing this as I have needed them. I'm still trying to decide how to mark the color names on the side!
I still have the original dozen daubers I started with 3 years ago. When I am finished with the colors I am using I rub them on a damp paper towel until the color no longer comes out, then I let them dry, and they're good to go the next time I need them.
With the sponges, I squeeze them out under running water in the sink and let them dry. They are stained, but last a very long time.
I have started buying daubers 1 for each SU Color. They store well in the channel boxes that the alphabets come in now. I use my label maker and make the font smaller then print a label and attach it to the side. For the sponges I do cut mine down too. It's much easier to handle.
I actually like to wash my sponges with soap and water BEFORE I use them for the first time! It gets rid of stiffness from the manufacturing process, and lets them pick up a lot more ink without having to smoosh them really hard into the ink pad. I decided to do this after my new sponges didn't grab nearly as much ink as my demo's sponges that we used at a workshop. A little hand soap and water, and presto!
__________________ Rachel Proud SU! demo and Sci-Fi Geek!
My Stampin' Up! blog "I'm a time traveler -- I point and laugh at archaeologists." 10th Doctor, "Silence in the Library"
You know those file folder tab labels? With the colored stripe on top? I cut those in about half, write the color on, and stick it onto the dauber.
I too cut my sponges.
I got the daubers for a slightly different effect than the sponges. I really love the "Poppin Pastels" technique - where you stamp in Versamark and then use a dauber on chalk and put it on top of the Versamark... it gives a cleaner look than sponges. You CAN use sponges for it, but after I tried it with daubers, I decided to get them for just that.
Sponges have their own special uses though!
__________________ Kathy Wrose "Fun must be always." - Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks "It was fun." - Kirk, Star Trek: Generations
I have a friend who runs her Daubers through the dishwasher, they come out clean, and look new. No falling apart! So I have to try that when I use mine. I have so many I haven't had to wash them yet.
I actually like to wash my sponges with soap and water BEFORE I use them for the first time! It gets rid of stiffness from the manufacturing process, and lets them pick up a lot more ink without having to smoosh them really hard into the ink pad. I decided to do this after my new sponges didn't grab nearly as much ink as my demo's sponges that we used at a workshop. A little hand soap and water, and presto!
Great tip! Thanks!
__________________ Blogblogblog
I'm not lazy, I just don't care ~Peter Gibbons
Cleaning Sponges and Sponge Daubers??
