Saugwunder sponge

Description

A soft, absorbent sponge composed of Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). In the 1960s in Germany, Saugwunder sponges were developed to clean car surfaces. The company fell under hard times in the 70s, but was later revitalized in the 90s in Thailand, then China in 2014 and now has a strong international market for car cleaning supplies.

Advertises:

• Absorbs moisture and liquids quickly.
• Not effected by bleach, ammonia, soap, cleansers and disinfectants.
• More durable than melamine, polyurethane or natural sea sponges
• Rinses clean to prevent transfer of particles and grime
• Available in large sizes

Synonyms and Related Terms

Saugwunder suction blocks;

Applications

• Cleans glass, plastic, leather, metal and stone

Risks

• Colors may dissolve in organic solvents
• Incompatible with strong oxidizers or concentrated alkaline.
• Generic SDS for PVA sponge: link

Working Properties

• Rinse prior to initial use
• The sponge will harden when totally dry
• Rinse after use to release any particles and grime

Resources and Citations

• Rebecca Ploeger, Oscar Chiantore, 'Characterization and Stability Issues of Artists’ Alkyd Paints' in New Insights into the Cleaning of Paintings Proceedings from the Cleaning 2010 International Conference edited by MF Mecklenburg er al., 2013. on p. 94 "...The painting was successfully cleaned using a 1% sodium citrate aqueous solution, buffered to pH 6–7, and rinsed with distilled water, using Saugwunder suction block sponges."
• Robin O'Hern, Ellen Pearlstein, 'Label removal from deteriorated leather-bound books' JAIC, Vol. 36 (2), 2013, p 109–124.
• AIC DistList: Saugwunder yellow cleaning sponges Accessed March 2025
• Amazon: Saugwunder Accessed March 2025