Household

Review: Scrub Daddy Sponge (As Seen On Shark Tank: Does It Work?)

We’ve all seen the infamous original Scrub Daddy Sponge featured on “Shark Tank” and making millions of dollars as one of the most successful products of all time. A simple sponge with a smiley face in the middle of it.

Many of us laughed when the candidate stepped out to even pitch the idea, not know what a huge hit Scrub Daddy would become all over the country, and a staple in many of our households.

Designed to be a temperature-controlled sponge that firms up in cold water to remove tough stains and for tough scrubbing, and softens in warm water for lighter cleaning, the Scrub Daddy Sponge works across a variety of surfaces and all your pots, pans, and almost any surface.

Usually, when most of us pick up sponges they either break apart pretty quickly or begin to mold up or create odor, but with Sponge Daddy, the product is also designed to be odor free.

So we all know this is the perfect QVC money making machine. But does it actually live up to it’s odor-free, temperature-control, and scratch-free hype? We got curious and reviewed to find out.

Review: Scrub Daddy Sponge (As Seen On Shark Tank: Does It Work?) 1

Review: Scrub Daddy Sponge

So I never thought I would actually break down and have to see what the hype was about with Scrub Daddy until I found myself punching in my card number on Amazon one day, with a lot of mixed emotions, but ready to see what this was really all about and more curious to review the product than anything.

Before we begin, make sure you’re ordering Scrub Daddy from a legitimate retailer, NOT from a counterfeit seller. For your convenience, here is the Amazon link to an authentic Scrub Daddy retailer.

The Scrub Daddy Sponge is definitely cute in design and claims to have the power to clean all your tools, surfaces, dishes, utensils, and even car if desired- but hold up better, fight off stains, and work better with different water temperatures.

My first time using it I simply did normal dishes (plates, pans, utensils), and used different temperatures to test out the claims.

For plates with tougher stains I used colder water, and I used warm water and a bit more soap for foamier deep washes on cleaner utensils and dishes.

I was surprised right away to see that in comparison to other products I had tried in the past, Scrub Daddy actually did remove tough stains (ones that I would previously try soaking for hours and scrubbing away at multiple times without success, as I don’t have a dishwasher).

Definitely, the product scored points right away here, as I have previously ruined dishes this way, or at least failed to get them spotless, which this sponge did.

Scrub Daddy Sponge In Hand
Image Credit: Scrub Daddy

In terms of easier-to-wash soapy lathers with warm water, dishes and utensils were left shiny and spotless, and the sponge itself was incredibly easy to use, without any scratches left behind.

The smiley face design is supposed to allow you to insert your fingers into the product for easier scrubbing action, which may be true, personally, I felt this part of it was a bit gimmicky, but cute anyways, and the cleaning process was certainly more important.

Surface areas were also a breeze to clean with regular cleaning products and soaps (I would not recommend using overly harsh chemical products with the Scrub Daddy, as it will degrade the product pretty quickly).

Even things like paint, coffee, and liquids that would normally require a harsher chemical cleaning product were easier to remove with the sponge, and often simply using it with water was sufficient.

In terms of odor control, with regular rinsing after use, I did not notice any poor odors or mold buildup, however, that has not been an issue personally with other sponges I’ve tried in the past, making a comparison test harder.

The one area it’s difficult to review and rate here is the hold-up of the sponge. My sponges, with daily use and a lot of cleaning (of surfaces, plates, utensils, and different temperature settings), lasted a little over a month each.

Some customers claim theirs have lasted 6+ months each, and others say the hold-up is under a month. So depending on how you care for your sponges, how often you clean, the products you use, and the different temperatures used, will have a lot to do with how long the Scrub Daddy Sponge actually holds up.

For best shelf-life, it’s definitely advisable to never use very harsh chemical products with the sponge, to rinse and let dry after each use, and to avoid the suggestions of ice water and very hot water for deep stains (the icing and heating will work, but won’t help the shelf-life).

Scrub Daddy Sponge Colors
Image Credit: Scrub Daddy

Scrub Daddy Sponge Pros and Cons

While I was admittedly a bit skeptical about the Scrub Daddy and figured this may just be a hyped product “as seen on TV,” I found in comparison to other typical sponges I use it truly does offer a better and deeper clean across a wide array of surfaces. They basically work on anything you want to clean, any surface, and dish, and get rid of difficult stains that are tough to remove with other sponge products. The temperature control features are cool and truly work (though the sponges will not last as long if you use the ice water and very hot water suggestions). The only hot debate about Scrub Daddy seems to be about the wear-and-tear nature of the product.

Some customers rave about the sponges lasting for over 6 months, and some complain they fall apart in under a month. I found my sponges lasted a little over a month with everyday use across all surfaces and different temperatures. A lot of this has to do with how you maintain your sponges and how often you clean, cook, and what cleaning products you use them with.

With that in mind, here are some main pros and cons to bear in mind prior to purchase with the infamous Scrub Daddy Sponge:

Pros

  • Unlike other sponges I have tried, this one actually lived up to the odor-resistant claim and did not attract dirt, mold, dust, or accumulate smells even after washing and scrubbing different surfaces (must always properly rinse following use)
  • Can be used to clean various surfaces including glass, stainless steel, cast iron, non-stick coatings, copper, chrome, leather, pots, pans, any dishes, and even cars
  • The material of the sponge doesn’t leave behind any scratches on your materials after use
  • The design is portable, flexible, and functional, and easily fits into your hand to scrub around hard to reach surface areas (you can even put your finger in the “eyes” of the sponge while cleaning)
  • The Scrub Daddy actually does get firmer in colder water making tough scrubbing easier (and softer in warmer water for lighter washes)
  • The price point is not bad considering the sponges do hold up and clean multiple surfaces (at $14 for a pack of 4)- while you can find ones for cheaper on the market, I’ve found they typically give out within only a couple weeks worth of use if that
  • Safe to wash in dishwashers without any damage to the product
  • Adding very warm water will create a very soapy lather for a deep clean scrub
  • Immersing in ice water or very cold water may help remove tough stains or debris from surfaces, pots, and pans
  • Safe to put in the microwave (to remove stubborn debris from the sponge) for up to one minute
  • Can be used to clean cars, windows, surface debris, etc.
  • Does not cause any scratches on plates, utensils or cleaning surfaces after use
  • Can be used to clean difficult materials (i.e. paints) off of surfaces
  • Stains, debris, and dirt typically come off faster than with using “average” or typical sponges I have tried in the past
  • The Scrub Daddy Sponge did not feel wasteful or “gimmicky” as I had imagined, instead they were truly better than other sponges I have tried in the past, in removing all different types of stains and leaving surface areas without any odors (even in doing comparison testing- the Scrub Daddy side absolutely works better for harder to remove stains on plates, pans and dishes)

Cons

  • Using Scrub Daddy on all types of surfaces and at different temperatures, the single sponge will typically last you (depending on how much cleaning, cooking, and washing you do) about a month- this is if you are using it on a daily basis to clean different surfaces, pans and at different temperatures, it will then start to break apart, which isn’t excellent given the price point, but it is still one of the best sponges I have tried considering how many different functions, purposes, and surfaces it can maintain
  • Some customers have complained that their products have fallen apart even quicker than this month period (in this case, you may want to exercise the money back policy, it is also never advisable to use harsh chemical products on the Scrub Daddy), other customers claim they last 6+ months- so a lot of this has to do with the way you rinse and handle your products
  • If you have very large hands these sponges may be difficult to use quickly and may require some extra time spent
Scrub Daddy Sponge shark tank
Image Credit: Scrub Daddy, Featured on Shark Tank

Scrub Daddy Money-Back Guarantee Policy

The manufacturer, Scrub Daddy, has a strong return and exchange policy that honors full refunds upon dissatisfaction or allergy, and this policy favors the consumer, both new and returning.

If you are dissatisfied with the use of the Scrub Daddy Sponge, or if it does not work to provide cleaning benefits, is defective, or degrades within a short time frame, you may elect to return it at any time.

In this case, you will receive a full refund equal to the entire purchase price of the item, if purchased via Amazon (it can’t be guaranteed to apply to individual stores or merchants).

In this case, the Scrub Daddy Sponge was great across different surfaces and temperatures and held up quite well without any manufacturing defects, but if you have a different experience, you can return or exchange the product at any time.

Scrub Daddy Sponge and logo
Image Credit: Scrub Daddy

Review: Scrub Daddy Sponge (As Seen On Shark Tank: Does It Work?) 1

Scrub Daddy Sponge: Worth It Winner?

Ultimately, I did not feel like I had been “conned” into purchasing the Scrub Daddy Sponge at all or simply following a trend as seen on TV.

Even as a skeptic, this is a truly great product in comparison to competitors on the market and really exceeds benefits with use and gets at stains that I’ve never seen other sponges reach before.

While the design is very cute and it’s easy to see why this is so trendy and caught on to become such a popular household item, it actually does perform better in comparison testings with other typical sponges I have tried and works across all surfaces.

The temperature settings and the ability to get rid of really difficult stains were probably the main selling points for me with the Scrub Daddy, and I would definitely recommend it.

I no longer have to waste or semi-clean plates or go through way too much soap and time in trying to clean every surface and plate used, as the Scrub Daddy Sponge definitely makes the process much easier and quicker.

If you have reservations, as I did, I can now say after trying this- it truly works and makes cleaning and life simpler.

Definitely recommended!

Scrub Daddy Sponge

Gets Rid Of Stains
Different Surfaces
Scratch-Free
Durability
Price
Temperature Control

Recommended!

Buy on Amazon
User Rating: 4.2 ( 1 votes)

Beverly Friedmann

NYC Native. Photographer/writer; focused on fashion, street style, and architecture. Lover of human beings, equality, and animals!

5 Comments

    1. I feel the shark tank guys are money hungry pretending to help people. Scrub Daddy was all it was said at first. Now I find they must be made in 3rd world country of cheap materiel. I use mine only with dish soap and it falls apart in about a week! The first ones I bought lasted months with same usage. Just more 21st century junk!

      1. I just read your review and it sounds like you got a bad Scrub Daddy. I’m obsessed with this product but have found that some Scrub Daddys break down quickly, while others last for months. Unfortunately, there’s no good way to tell if you’re getting a normal, amazing Scrub Daddy or one of the flukes. If you contact the company, they will send you a replacement, which upon use will prove why people love this sponge.

  1. Gimmick. Cost fraction of a penny to make. 20,000 % mark up. That’s the only reason the sharks jump on it. They are sharks stealing hard working people’s ideas, at a time of desperation, because they can’t come up with their own, and reap most of the benefits.

    Don’t buy anything that the sharks have invested in. Period. Garbage that only makes them rich.

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