FAQ's

WHAT IS THE BACKGROUND AND HISTORY OF FLORIDA SPONGE COMPANY?

We are a 2 year old company located right outside Tarpon Springs, Florida, the world's BEST location for natural sea sponges.  This is not hype, it is fact.  The SEA WOOL and YELLOW sponges are known throughout the world as the best sponges on earth.  Greek divers have migrated to these waters just for that very fact.  And currently with the blights and other problems in Greece, Tarpon Springs has about 90 percent of the worlds's natural sea sponges right off its coast.

Florida Sponge Company was formed to provide globally a steady source for these great natural sea sponges.  We get our sponges right off the boats at the historic sponge docks of Tarpon Springs.  See our Learn About Sponging pages with photos of the docks, the boats, how it is done, how they are processed, and more on the history of Tarpon Springs.

WHAT DOES FLORIDA SPONGE COMPANY SELL?

We offer a complete line of the worlds best natural sea sponges.  Our product line covers all the home/bath markets, crafting, faux and sponge painting, general cleaning, ornamental sponge, gift baskets, and other gifts and products that are related to natural sea sponges and Tarpon Springs, Florida.  We offer all sizes and qualities of SEA WOOL sponges, YELLOW sponges, GRASS/ORNAMENTAL sponges, and SILK sponges.  We have also added a line of quality all natural handmade bath products such as BATH BOMBS, SOY TARTS, SOY CANDLES, and coming soon, BUBBLE BATH, BATH GELS, BATH SALTS, BATH SCRUBS, MASSAGE OILS, and GIFT SETS and BASKETS.

WHAT IS A NATURAL SEA SPONGE?

A natural sea sponge is actually a living animal.  It is the second lowest life form on earth next to the amoeba. It is just a multi-cell organism.  It is found in select locations in oceans and seas around the world.  Tarpon Springs, Florida currently has about 90 percent of the world's sea sponges off its coast.  The processed sponge that you would buy is actually the "skeleton" of the sponge.  It has been known for centuries to be one of the best items for cleaning in the world.  It is also widely used for crafts, faux finishing, sponge painting, ornamental use, and of course, cleaning.  

WHAT IS THE BEST SPONGE FOR THE BATH?

The best overall bath sponge is the SEA WOOL sponge.  It is fluffy, amazingly soft (can compare to silk) and unbelievably durable.  It is also the most expensive.  A typical sea wool sponge can last 10 years or more and remain looking practically the same with normal care.  It also inhibits the growth of bacteria unlike other washcloths and artificial sponges.  Once a person actually uses one in the bath, they typically will become a lifelong lover of a natural sponge.  As they feel silky soft, they are extremely great for cleaning as the texture of the sponge scrubs one's skin.

A lower cost natural sea sponge for bath is the YELLOW sponge.  These are soft, durable, and can last 4 years or more with normal use.  They are not quite as soft and silky as a SEA WOOL sponge but are quite soft nonetheless and great for cleaning.  If a person wanted a more exfoliating sponge the yellow is recommended.

WHAT IS THE BEST SPONGE FOR GENERAL CLEANING?

The YELLOW sponge has more texture and is the best low cost sponge for general cleaning purposes. For normal use in a kitchen, scrubbing uses, or where soft is not required, the YELLOW is recommended.

For cleaning items that require a softer scrub, such as a car, boat, metals, etc. then a SEA WOOL  is best, as its texture is much softer and is best suited for more delicate or expensive items.

WHAT SPONGES ARE USED FOR SPONGE PAINTING AND FAUX FINISHING?

The best sponges for sponge painting and faux finishing is varied depending on the task, and texture desired.  SEA WOOL sponges have a more uniform texture, the YELLOW sponges are more varied yet great for painting, and a cheaper alternative to the more expensive wool.  A sponge for painting can be bleached or nonbleached, it makes no difference on the results.  Non bleached are typically cheaper.

WHAT ARE ORNAMENTAL SPONGES?

An ornamental sponge is typically a GRASS or VASE GRASS sponge that is in the shape of a vase or basket with a more hollowed center and then wide tall walls.  These are used for crafts, and for using as planters, and vases for different arrangements.  They can also be cut up into different sizes for cosmetics, crafts, pottery, and cleaning.

WHAT IS A SILK SPONGE?

A SILK sponge is a small very pourous soft sponge that is excellent for facial use, cosmetics, and other small projects.  

DOES FLORIDA SPONGE COMPANY OFFER WHOLESALE SPONGES?

Florida Sponge Company is a large wholesaler of natural sea sponges.  Primary wholesale customers include painting companies, bath and body works companies, and other large consumers of sponges.  We offer the best pricing available and will work with you to provide bulk sponges consistent in both quality and price.  Contact us at wholesale@floridasponges.com for more information.

WHAT IS A "BLEACHED" SPONGE?

A "bleached" sponge is one that has went through an extra process that uses a peroxide solution to bleach the sponge a golden yellow color.  A natural sea sponge naturally has a brownish color, but with the extra process, it comes out a golden yellow.  This is preferred typically for bath and cleaning sponges, as well as the ornamental sponges.

ARE THERE DIFFERENT QUALITIES OF SPONGES?

Typical sponges can be a variety of qualities due to shape, texture, natural formation, and flaws.   A premium SEA WOOL or YELLOW sponge is typically free of any defects or flaws, is of perfect shape and texture, and will last the longest.  We also carry "B" grade sponges as well as other misshaped or pieced sponges.  Our SPECIALS page offers great deals on some really nice sponges that may not exactly meet the rigid criteria to be a premium sponge yet be almost perfect and for most people, they would hardly notice the difference.  Check out our specials page for some incredible deals on really nice sponges.  The "B" grades are also excellent for crafting and painting, and we recommend those great deals highly for those uses.

WHAT IS A SOY TART?

HOW DO I BUY FROM FLORIDA SPONGE COMPANY?

We are set up for payment processing through PAYPAL (www.paypal.com) and our shopping cart automatically will process through them.  Through PAYPAL anyone (even if you don't have a paypal account) can easily pay via credit card, check, money order, or cash.  The preferred payment is of course credit card but we will work with you.  On large or wholesale orders we work on a client by client basis, but also prefer PAYPAL. 

Typical credit cards accepted by PAYPAL:

Just shop at our site, choose which items you want by the "add to cart" buttons, then checkout when finished.  Follow the easy directions for payment and you are done.  Once you pay via paypal, we automatically get the order, and typically ship within 24 to 48 hours. 

PAYPAL also takes checks and echecks please consult with their site at www.paypal.com to find out exactly all methods of payment accepted by them.  

Our preferred means of shipping is:

We will ship all orders FIRST CLASS unless PRIORITY is processed on the order. 

Alternative means of shipping can include:

However, these methods require special billing and email us for details if USPS is somehow not viable. 

DOES FLORIDA SPONGE COMPANY SHIP WORLDWIDE?

We ship items around the globe daily, as our sponges are very popular all over the world! Once again, we will typically ship all international orders

Shipping rates will vary depending on location and priority of the shipment.  If you have any questions please email us.