We know sponges don’t have a long life-span, however, when a perfectly good one smells less than fresh you can revive it. The way to do this is, after each dishwashing, sprinkle enough baking soda on your sponge to cover it. The baking soda will neutralize the acidic remnants embedded in the sponge that cause the unpleasant odors. If you can keep a sprinkle canister filled with baking soda near your sink this task will be a snap.