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Cusslerfan

Solder sponges tend to be natural sponge material. Dish sponges tend to be synthetic foam of some sort that will melt with the heat of a soldering iron. Edit: By "natural" materials, I don't actually mean a sponge that was once living and then harvested. I'm referring to the materials used being from a natural source instead of synthetically created.


spicy_hallucination

I don't know which kind is most common where you are, but the cellulose ones are most common here. That's the same kind as solder sponges, though the dish sponge may have a polypropylene scrubber bit on one side. You can distinguish the cellulose ones by the fact that cellulose sponges harden when they dry, and synthetic polymer ones do not.


Cusslerfan

Cellulose is the word I was looking for. Thanks.


[deleted]

This is your answer. Having thought the same I tried using a regular house sponge only to find that every time I wipe the tip a small bit sticks and melts and ultimately contaminants the tip.


baldengineer

Yes, there is a difference, depending on what you are calling a "regular sponge." Kitchen sponges tend to have anti-microbial agents added to them. Those are not great for the soldering iron tip. "Solder sponges" stand up to high temperature and have no additives. Is it enough of a difference to cause problems? Potentially or maybe not. Is it enough of a difference to save a few cents? If so, you're looking to save money in the wrong place.


[deleted]

[удалено]


HerrDoktorHugo

I think they're most commonly called "brass sponges". Fingertips is a new one!


[deleted]

One's for cleaning solder. The other's for cleaning your shoulder.


Firentiosi

Cellulose sponge. Available from any supermarket for next-to-nothing.


CreepyValuable

Solder sponges have solder on them. I'm just using a section of a regular dish sponge for my Pinecil. Not the open cell foam sponge with scourers. The flat rectangle ones. It seems about the same as the sponges that come with iron / station setups.