Where can I find Scrunge Flexi-Scour sponges?

February 28, 2009 1:41 PM

Where can I buy Scrunge Flexi-Scour sponges? The company that makes them is called Vileda. My store doesn't sell them anymore, and my Google Fu fails me. Please help!

These sponges are thin (about 1/4") and measure 5 1/2" x 3 15/16" (140mm x 100mm). They are light green with one wavy scrubby surface that is made of a thin layer of textured plastic (or some such). I have seen Scrunge brand sponges that are really thick but that is not what I am looking for - the thin ones are really great because they bend easily around really strange contours.

I've tried the Google Product Search and gotten nothing, same with regular Google search, Google.ca and Google.de (they are manufactured in Germany). Vileda.com directs me to O-Cedar when I put in that I am a US resident looking for consumer-level items.

Anyone know where I can get them? I'd be willing to pay someone a premium to get them for me if they don't sell over the web to US customers.

I'm willing to buy in bulk if needed. (I recently had to buy 36 sets of the 4 x 6 index cards I like, heh).

Any help would be much appreciated. Maybe there are similar products I don't know about, but the Scotch line of products use a type of scrubbing material that is different and is not suitable (from what I've seen).

posted by marble to Shopping (5 answers total)

You might want to say what quality about them is most important to you, so people can suggest substitutes, in case no one can help you locate them.

For example, are you looking for something for non-stick cookware? - then maybe try Dobie pads, even though they are thicker than you want (available at amazon.com and most grocery stores). If it is it just a thin flexible sponge you want, then how about the Twist Euro-Sponge.
posted by gudrun at 3:19 PM on February 28, 2009

Pretty much I want something thin that's good for scrubbing non-stick cookware, if there's anything that can do that that doesn't involve scotch-brite.
posted by marble at 4:01 PM on February 28, 2009

Hm, normally scrub sponges are clearly marked as being suitable for use on non-stick cookware. The cheapo no name ones that I got at the grocery store a little while ago definitely were. If your main concern is pots/pans etc then you might want to get a pack of plain scrubbing pads that have no sponge side. Usually they're much cheaper and you get more in a pack, maybe 10. Again they should be marked as being suitable for non-stick cookware and shouldn't be too hard to find at a grocery store/Walmart kinda place.
posted by benign at 4:58 PM on February 28, 2009

OK, I tried tracking Freudenberg Household Products to Vileda to Vileda Glitzi to Wettex to O'Cedar etc., and journeyed through the worlds of German words for cleaning products. Wow!!

You could ask Vileda if the product got renamed. (Is this similar: Vileda PURActive or Active Wave sponges?)

O'Cedar site has these -- much thicker but otherwise the same (??) Would it work just to cut them, or something similar, in half?
posted by oldtimey at 9:56 PM on February 28, 2009

Yep, I tried the same thing as oldtimey. The no scratch scrunge from O'Cedar - cut in half length wise, looks like about the closest you might get to what you are looking for. As I said, I use the Dobie cleaning pad, which has a sponge inside and woven plastic outside. I love those things and they do not scratch, but they are not as flexible/thin as your favorite.

I sympathize as I do know how it is when your favorite product becomes difficult or impossible to find. I've had that happen with several shampoos, and Comet bathroom cleaner is really hard to find in my area.
posted by gudrun at 6:39 AM on March 1, 2009