Scrub Daddy Has Taken Over TikTok, Why?

Regardless if you’re on cleaningtok or not, there’s a high chance you’ve seen the Scrub Daddy somewhere — even if it’s just while strolling down the grocery store aisle. 

Although it’s nothing new, this sponge has recently become viral thanks to social media. 

Designed to make the chore of cleaning dishes easier, users have labelled it the “life-changing” cleaning tool every household needs. In fact, on TikTok alone, #scrubdaddy has garnered over 3.3 billion (yes, billion) views, #scrubdaddyclean has #11.6 million, and the brand @scrubdaddy boasts over 3.7 million followers (at the time of publishing). This makes it one of the most recognisable brands on the platform — all because of an affordable cleaning sponge. 

So, what’s the deal? Is this multi-purpose polymer smiley face sponge worth the hype?

The Scrub Daddy Original Cleaning Sponge retails for $4.50 on Amazon Australia. Unlike other ordinary sponges on the market, this tool changes based on your water temperature. The sponge remains firm when you use cold water, allowing you to thoroughly scrub through the toughest of stains, but then its patented FlexTexture material softens in warmer water for lighter cleaning. It’s also safe to use on a variety of surfaces, including stainless steel, glass, wood, copper, nonstick and cast iron. Fans even use it to remove stains on upholstery.

Once you’re done with using the Scrub Daddy Sponge, it simply rinses free of all particles under running water, eliminating the buildup of odours, bacteria and stains. Or, you can chuck it in the dishwasher, which is ideal for sanitary reasons, especially if you plan on using it in more than just one room of your home. 

The cute smiley face design isn’t just for aesthetics, either. You’re meant to insert your fingers into the eyes for easier holding, and the smile is designed to wipe both sides of smaller items like utensils in a few back-and-forth motions.

According to the brand, the budget-friendly tool is designed to last two weeks (like every other sponge on the market), however, this will vary for each individual. 

Millions of cleaning enthusiasts on social media have demonstrated just how well the sponge works at cutting through stains and transforming old pans into sparkling new ones. 

The product has a 4.8 out of five-star rating on Amazon, with thousands of customers admitting they’ve become “addicted” to using the sponge.

“I had heard of this since its inception and thought it to be a bit of a gimmick, a bit of a laugh until I decided to try it in replacing our regular yellow dish sponge/scourer that needs to be replaced every 2-3 weeks,” one user wrote. “How very wrong I was. It’s the perfect hardness to get things off while still being gentle, has the holes that are perfect for cutlery and so easy to get into glasses and mugs. Not only this but we’ve had it for about 3 months now and it looks as good as new. Even the red spaghetti sauce stains that never come out of anything come straight out and if it gets really dirty it just goes in the dishwasher. It can still even wipe up spills, crumbs and messes quite effectively.”

One person simply wrote: “Works a treat and is long-lasting. Never buying any other brand.”

A third person added: “Being a homemaker with a busy toddler running around, I needed one cleaning product that would be able to do it all and save me time, this does it all!!”

The sponge first made its public debut when U.S.-based founder Aaron Krause, showcased the product on Shark Tank USA in October 2012. As of 2023, the business is reportedly worth $US250 million ($AU368 million) and makes well over $US100 million ($AU147 million) per year.

But the original Scrub Daddy Sponge isn’t the only product in the range making headlines. 

Users also swear by the Scrub Mommy Sponge, a pink reiteration that features a dual-sided design for the ultimate clean. The Scrub Daddy Power Paste is another best-seller, which is a chemical-free cleaning and polishing compound that effectively removes stubborn residue, limescale, dirt, food and plenty more. Then, there’s the magic Damp Duster, which collects dust in a quick wipe and then rinses completely clean under running water. 

So, is the original sponge worth the hype?

Considering it’ll only set you back $5 (that’s less than your morning coffee), we think it’s worth trying out at least once.