Sponge or ? for hand washing pots, plates, glass, etc - what is your cleaning tool?

This is a lame question that a 5th grader could probably answer, but at the same time it is serious. For most of my adult life whenever I have hand washed anything I tended to use a sponge like those scotch-brite pads. Something that looked like:

or


My complaint is that when they are new they are a little stiff and not as easy to use. But once they get broken in and starting to work well, bits and pits of sponge will start flaking off. At which point they need replacing, but I always seem to use them just a little longer because they otherwise work better.

I like sponges as they hold soap well while cleaning as compared to something like a dish cloth. My question, is there a better brand of sponge to use, or simply a better way (medium) to hold soap while cleaning and scrubbing?

I use the same thing and have the same problem. It's a conspiracy to get you to buy more!!!

I use a Scotch pad that is sponge free. Otherwise, I use one of those wash cloths made for dishwashing on stuff that I don't want to scratch.

My kitchen sponge of choice is the blue SOS pad.

Sponges are sponges, and scrub pads are scrub pads.

I use oval sponges for dishes, pans and everything that goes into the sink. Rectangular sponges for possible contamination issues such as chicken cutting board. For scrubbing, I've found that Dobie scrub pads or generic equivalents, last longer than green scrub pads.

When the Dobie pad wears out, I'm not throwing away a perfectly good sponge.

I use the blue Scotch Brite in the OP.

Brillo pads! as a restaurant veteran, I cannot escape my destiny.

Those long handle bristly brushes are nice if you like to keep your hands away from the mess, and you can't beat a steel wool/hot water spray combo.