Sponges

Kitchen sink sponges this summer have been turning rancid.  This is new to me. I buy the packets of ‘real-sponge’ from Trader Jo’s.  They have always worked exceedingly well.  However this summer not so, so I went to my local drug store and paid a lot more to buy ‘anti-mildew-sponges in a package of two.  Purple in color, not the mild natural color, but if that will stop the mildew, so be it.  Only it didn’t.  Did not seem to matter what I did, the mildew problem continued.  But then I bought a ‘pack of sponges wrapped in a white netting’ in Chinatown.  Problem solved.  Do not know what the difference is, and whether it is that the what-appears-to-be-netting lets the water wick away, but my sponges are now mildew free!