Deluxe Sea Sponges From the Florida Coast
All About Sea Sponges Below
Deluxe Sea Sponges
About Sea Sponges: Healthier & Natural
The Miracle of Sponges
One of the first drugs discovered for successfully treating cancer, cytosine arabinoside was isolated from sponges.
Sea sponges are remarkable pumping machines. Sponges can pump 10,000 times their own size (volume) in water in one day. One sea sponge the size of a gallon milk container could pump enough water to fill a small-sized residential swimming pool in one day.
90% of the world’s sea sponges come from off the Florida Keys in the Gulf of Mexico. The sheep’s-wool and yellow sponges harvested here are the most sought after sponges in the world.
Deluxe Sea Sponges From the Florida Coast
All About Sea Sponges Below
The Rock Island sheep’s-wool sponge is the "Cadillac" of sea sponges. They are sought after across the world. They are sturdy, soft & silky when wet, dense to hold lots of water, extremely durable and can last 10 years.
The yellow sponge is a high quality sponge and very durable lasting up to 5 years. The yellow sponge is a lower cost alternative for bathing, being not as soft as a wool sponge but great for bathing with some exfoliation. For use around the house or the bath, sea sponges naturally inhibit the growth of bacteria and mold, unlike washcloths.
Cosmetic sponges or silk sponges are a considerably dense sponge but are also the softest. They are small sized, varying but usually ~ 1" x 2". These are great for cosmetic uses, washing baby, cleaning any small delicate things Many women are now using these for their female cycle replacing tampons at their own risk.
All sea sponges are brown when harvested and some are slightly bleached by peroxide to lighten them; rendering them weaker. The lighter the sponge gets the less durable it is. We are offering non bleached sponges.
Loofahs are the dried, fibrous part of the loofah vegetable. Loofas are excellent in the bath or shower, the exfoliating action leaves your skin feeling clean and tight.
Sea Sponges - plants or animals?
The waters off of Florida has 90% of the world’s available sea sponges. The sheep’s wool and yellow sponges are the most sought after sponges in the world. Greek divers have migrated to these waters with their ancient skills for this very fact. The sea sponge is harvested by sponge divers at 33 feet or less or one atmosphere. The sponges are cut from the bottom of the sea bed with sharp knives or with hooks on long poles, leaving an inch or so for the sponge to grow back from. The sponge is then squeezed to release the spores to allow it to naturally repopulate. This makes the sea sponge a miraculous renewable product of the sea. The answer is the sponge is a simple single celled animal, like coral.
Processing Sponges
Whether it is the yellow sponge, sheep’s-wool, grass, finger or vase sponge; they all must be processed. After harvesting, the sea sponges need to be paddled to remove the outer membrane, washed repeatedly, and then dried. The final product is the sponge’s skeleton. It is best not to bleach sponges as that weakens the fiber. Care requires only infrequent washing in hot soapy water, no bleach, rinsed with clean water and left to air dry. If you want to break down soap residue you may rince in cool water and then soaking for two hours in 2 TBL of vinegar to a liter of water, then air drying. Natural sponges are hypoallergenic, need very little care, and will last for years if taken care of properly. Indeed, each sea sponge is unique and a marvel of creation. Enjoy and luxuriate with your treasure from the sea.
Goats Milk Soap & Sponge - All in One! What could be better than goats milk soap, in tantalizing scents, with a natural sea sponge inside. These all-natural soaps are handmade in individual molds. While the soap is setting up, the sponge is inserted deep within the soap bar, becoming part of the soap. Of course after the soap is gone, you will still have a handy hand-sized sponge to continue to use in place of a washcloth. Don’t you deserve to be pampered?
OFFERING:
Premium Rock Island Sheep's Wool Sponges; whole & cut-up
Yellow Sea Sponges; whole & cut-up
Silk Sponges for Cosmetic Use; small size.
Check out our Goat's Milk Soap Bar with a Sea Sponge inside.
Loofahs in various forms.
