This sponge cleans the dishes very well, and I feel comfortable using it on the nonstick pans. However, within a couple of weeks, the thing smells absolutely raunchy. I've taken to using the sponge to wipe down my counters with undiluted bleach at the end of the night to kill off any critters that are living in there, then rinse it off under hot water to remove the bleach, then put it in a hanging grate so that it doesn't sit in its own liquid. This seems to extend its life to about a month or so. For the cost, it's worth having a few of these little scrubbers lying around.