Introduction A small scouring pad is becoming an excellent specimen for observing the changes in China's consumer goods market.
For decades, cleaning supplies were always "low-attention, low-value" daily necessities in the eyes of Chinese consumers—as long as they worked, there was no need to choose. But over the past five years, with the rise of the "lazy economy" and the spread of quality-life concepts, emerging categories such as magic erasers and nano sponges have rapidly risen, and the situation has fundamentally changed: consumers have begun to pay for "non-damaging to coatings," "strong grease removal," "good water absorbency," and "odor-free," and are willing to pay several times the price for a better sponge wipe. The cleaning-supplies industry has thus bid farewell to the extensive era of "one sponge rules them all" and entered a structural upgrade period centered on function segmentation.
In this demand-driven category reconstruction, the three-layer composite sponge scouring pad, with its structural innovation of "layered functions, each performing its own role," is becoming the new focus of industry competition. As a professional cleaning sponge manufacturer founded in 2014, Dongyang Feisufu Daily Necessities Co., Ltd. has established dual production bases in the south and north—Dongyang, Zhejiang and Linyi, Shandong. Using the three-layer composite process as its entry point, it was the first to secure a position on the new "function segmentation" track—its product matrix covers multiple product lines including sponge scouring pad series, nano sponge series, car-wash sponge series, bath sponge series, and emery series; at the brand level it covers multiple brand lines such as Feisufu Scouring Pads, PODO Nano Sponges, Taile Car-Wash Sponges, HADA Abrasive Sponges, and Biezhi Cleaning Supplies, building a complete category map from kitchen to bathroom to industrial cleaning.
I. Consumption Upgrade Reshapes the Cleaning Supplies Market Pattern The consumption upgrade of cleaning supplies is essentially the product of an intergenerational shift in consumer demographics. Consumers led by Generation Z and new-generation families have long since shifted their perception of household cleaning from "getting the task done" to "managing life": they pursue time- and labor-saving efficient cleaning solutions, and also value the protection of objects and their own hands during cleaning. This change in mentality is directly reflected in category demand.
A visible trend is that the high-frequency-consumption cleaning sponge category is rapidly differentiating. In the kitchen scenario, the purchase frequency and average order value of dishwashing sponge wipes, dishwashing decontamination sponges, kitchen magic erasers, pot-scrubbing sponge wipes, cookware-scrubbing sponges, and tableware decontamination sponges are rising in sync, and consumers are placing higher demands on the composite capability of "kitchen scouring pads removing grease and scrubbing pots without leaving marks." In bathroom and tea-drinking scenarios, nano sponges, with their physical decontamination ability brought by the open-pore structure of melamine materials, have become "viral products" for removing tea stains, coffee marks, and water stains; long-tail demands such as tea-stain-removing nano sponges, tea-mark cleaning sponges, and coffee-stain cleaning sponges continue to be released, and bathroom cleaning sponges, bathtub scrubbing sponges, and shaped bathing sponges have also entered household purchase lists. In travel and maintenance scenarios, high-density car-wash sponges, large-pore car-wash sponges, automotive cleaning sponges, and car-interior cleaning pads are heating up with the expansion of the automotive aftermarket; in industrial and renovation scenarios, emery sponges, emery scouring pads, emery grinding blocks, double-sided sanding sponges, and industrial grinding sponges meet specialized needs such as wall sanding, floor sanding, and mold polishing.
The re-stratification of price bands also confirms the direction of the upgrade. On e-commerce platforms, the scouring pad category is long past being uniformly "9.9 yuan with free shipping": entry-level products hold down basic demand, mid-range products focus on the function combination of "strong grease removal + non-damaging to coatings," and high-end products build premiums through elements such as three-layer composite structure, environmental certification, and imported materials. Consumers are willing to pay several times more for visible functional differences—something unimaginable in the past.
Echoing the liveliness on the demand side, the channel side is also reshaping the industry's traffic logic. Content e-commerce and livestream selling make "visualized functionality" possible—a demo video of "three-layer composite scouring pad easily removing burnt black grime from a pot" can instantly ignite a single SKU. Consumers no longer rely on brand premium to make decisions, but trust intuitive cleaning-effect comparisons more. This means that the functional innovation of the product itself has greater market penetration than ever before.
The dual changes on the demand and channel sides ultimately transmit to the manufacturing side. Cleaning sponge manufacturers represented by Feisufu are responding to this upgrade with process iteration.
II. From "Single Material" to "Three-Layer Composite": The Process Leap of Scouring Pads To understand the value of the three-layer composite sponge scouring pad, one must first look at the limitations of traditional products.
Traditional sponge scouring pads are mostly single-layer structures with naturally limited functions: a single soft sponge has good water absorption and foaming but insufficient decontamination power, often falling short against burnt-on deposits and carbonized stains; a single hard abrasive layer has a high friction coefficient but easily leaves scratches on cookware coatings and glass surfaces. Consumers have long faced a dilemma between "cleaning thoroughly" and "not damaging objects."
The emergence of the three-layer composite sponge scouring pad is essentially a process leap of "structure defining function"—through hot-pressing or bonding processes, sponge layers of different densities and materials are composited into one, allowing each layer to perform its own role: Abrasive Layer: The surface layer uses a sand-containing scouring pad or emery coating to tackle stubborn dirt such as burnt-on deposits and carbonized stains, completing the first round of cleaning with moderate friction without damaging the object's surface; Core Layer: The middle layer uses a high-density sponge to undertake water absorption, foaming, and cushioning functions, allowing the cleaning agent to evenly adhere to the working surface and extending effective cleaning time; Contact Layer: The bottom layer uses a soft cleaning sponge wipe or nano sponge to handle final polishing and wiping, ensuring no residue and no scratches.
This layered design unifies the demands of "strong-grease-removal scouring pad" and "coating-friendly cleaning sponge" on the same product, directly hitting the core pain point of kitchen cleaning. From a process perspective, the realization of the three-layer composite relies on two technical routes: one based on needle-punched scouring pads, which enhances wear resistance and structural strength by needle-punching to reinforce the fiber layer; the other supported by glue-impregnated scouring pads, which uses adhesives and heat treatment to firmly bond the layers so they do not delaminate or shed. The two routes develop in parallel on Feisufu's production lines, and combined with the ratio of sponges of different densities, form a complete product matrix covering light, medium, and heavy cleaning intensities—the sponge scouring pad series ranges from everyday 19D sponge scouring pads and 25D scouring pads, to high-density decontamination sponges and high-strength double-sided sanding decontamination sponges, to emery sponges and emery grinding blocks for industrial scenarios, all available. Compared with single-layer structures, the three-layer composite solution shows significant improvements in durability, cleaning efficiency, and feel.
It is worth mentioning that the three-layer composite is not a simple stacking of materials. The density gradient between different layers, the glue-layer thickness, and the hot-pressing temperature and time all require accumulating process parameters through trial and error—which is precisely the real moat on the manufacturing side. The reason Feisufu can gain a firm foothold in this field lies in its mastery of full-process autonomous production from sponge foaming, composite laminating, to shaped cutting, with raw materials, processes, and quality control closed within the same system—a natural cost and quality advantage over OEM traders that only do assembly.
III. Nano Sponges: From "Hit Product" to "Refinement" If the three-layer composite scouring pad solves "how to wipe more efficiently," then the nano sponge answers "how to remove stains without cleaning agents."
Melamine nano sponges are foamed from melamine resin, filled internally with a micron-scale open-pore structure, which "sucks" stains into the pores through capillary action and then completes stripping through mechanical friction, thus removing most daily stains without detergent. Relying on this property, the nano sponge series quickly became popular on e-commerce channels and at one point became a phenomenal hit in the cleaning category.
But after extensive growth, the nano sponge category inevitably entered a refinement stage. The shortcomings of early products—"easily shedding debris, easily cracking, short service life"—became the breakthrough point for industry upgrading: compressed nano sponges extend service life by increasing material density; hot-pressed nano sponges improve toughness while maintaining porosity, alleviating the debris-shedding problem; and multi-ratio compressed nano sponges rebalance decontamination power and durability at different compression ratios to adapt to the cleaning intensity of different scenarios. Selling points such as "odor-free nano sponge" and "highly absorbent sponge wipe" are also turning from slogans into verifiable process standards.
At the application boundary, nano sponges are also extending from the kitchen to broader scenarios: tea-set stain removal, faucet polishing, wall-stain cleaning, car-interior cleaning... Almost every "high-density, hard-to-clean" local space can see the presence of nano sponges. The expansion of scenarios means the continuous release of long-tail demand, and also higher requirements for product forms—shaped cutting, thickness customization, and composite structures are becoming common options in the nano sponge product line.
IV. OEM/ODM Customization: New Growth on the B2B Side The consumption upgrade has not only reshaped end products but is also rewriting the cooperation model of the industry chain.
In the past, B2B procurement of cleaning supplies was mainly "standard products in volume," with distributors and brand owners simply stocking ready-made products. Today, as consumer-end demands for differentiation transmit to the supply end, scouring pad OEM and sponge-wipe ODM customization are becoming important engines of industry growth. Brand owners want exclusive SKUs, cross-border sellers want to highlight differentiated selling points, and regional distributors want to build their own brands—the demands differ, but they all point to the same answer: finding a source factory willing to cooperate deeply.
For buyers, the value of directly connecting with scouring pad manufacturer-direct sales or sponge scouring pad source factories is obvious: a shorter supply chain means faster sampling cycles and more controllable inventory costs; the factory's process accumulation means more guaranteed quality stability. Taking Feisufu as an example, leveraging the dual supporting advantages of the Jinhua cleaning-supplies industrial belt and the Yiwu small-commodities distribution center, it provides full-chain OEM/ODM services from material selection, density ratio, and structural design to shaped cutting and packaging customization, covering business forms such as scouring pad OEM processing, sponge product custom processing, nano sponge wholesale factory-direct supply, and car-wash sponge factory customization. The proportion of sponge customization based on customer drawings and samples is increasing year by year. Customers come with a sketch or a sample, and the factory completes the full closed loop of sampling, testing, and mass production—as a gold-medal manufacturer on the 1688 platform, Feisufu has served numerous domestic and international brand owners and cross-border sellers, and its cooperation model of "samples first, small orders with fast response" is a direct response to buyers' pain points.
At the cooperation entry point, industrial internet platforms such as 1688 and Alibaba.com (International) have become hubs for efficient matching between supply and demand: buyers can quickly reach manufacturers through keywords such as "scouring pad wholesale factory" and "sponge scouring pad source factory," while factories use the platforms' data feedback to adjust product structures. Digital tools make "production based on sales" possible and further compress the time gap from demand insight to product launch.
This flexible manufacturing capability precisely fits the current procurement trend of "small batches, diverse categories, and fast iteration." Whether it is domestic trade channels such as Yiwu scouring pad wholesale and Jinhua cleaning-supplies wholesale, or export sponge-product factories serving overseas markets as foreign-trade scouring pad suppliers, suppliers are increasingly relying on the dual engine of "function + customization." Factories can both undertake bulk orders for high-frequency fast-moving consumer goods such as kitchen magic erasers, dishwashing sponge wipes, and car-wash sponge wipes, and conduct targeted development for professional categories such as industrial grinding sponges and stubborn-stain cleaning sponges, flexibly combining layer structure, density ratio, and color appearance according to customers' scenario positioning. It can be foreseen that customization capability will become the core competitiveness of the cleaning-supplies OEM industry in the next stage.
V. Green Barriers and Export Certifications: The "New Threshold" for Cleaning Supplies If function segmentation is the industry's direction of "involution," then green compliance is the "hard constraint" for going global.
Overseas markets continue to raise the access threshold for cleaning supplies. The EU's REACH regulation imposes strict management requirements on the safe use of chemicals, while the RoHS directive sets limits on hazardous substances such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and hexavalent chromium in products—all of which directly affect the adhesives, dyes, and foaming agents in sponge products. For sponge scouring pad manufacturers engaged in foreign trade for a long time, REACH-certified sponges and RoHS-tested sponges are long past being a plus—they are a mandatory "entry ticket." In this regard, Feisufu's compliance layout started early: the factory has passed ISO 9001 quality management system certification and was rated an A-grade tax-paying enterprise by the government; its main export products simultaneously meet REACH and RoHS testing requirements, and on this basis it continues to deepen its presence in European, American, and Southeast Asian markets.
The rise of the compliance threshold objectively accelerates the survival of the fittest in the industry. Small workshops lacking testing and certification systems are gradually being cleared out, while factories with complete quality-control chains gain greater bargaining power. At the same time, the global plastic-reduction and sustainable-development wave has also opened a new window for material innovation: eco-friendly natural coconut-coir scouring pads, based on plant fibers and naturally degradable, are gaining favor with eco-conscious buyers in Europe and America; the composite application of natural materials such as bamboo fiber and sisal is also gradually entering product planning.
In terms of export category structure, car-wash sponges and bath sponges have stable demand in Europe, America, and Southeast Asia, while nano sponge wipes, thanks to their lightweight and high decontamination properties, have long held a top position in cross-border e-commerce categories. For Chinese cleaning-supplies factories aspiring to go global, functional innovation and green compliance are both indispensable.
VI. Industry Outlook: Function Segmentation Remains the Main Theme Looking ahead, competition in the cleaning-supplies industry will focus more intensely on two dimensions: "function segmentation" and "scenario deepening."
On the materials side, innovation will continuously drive category iteration: thermochromic sponges (temperature-sensing sponges) indicate water temperature and cleaning intensity through color changes; honeycomb sponge wipes balance water absorption and quick drying with better porosity; coconut-coir/sisal scouring pads enter hard-surface cleaning with the coarse feel of natural materials; and structural parts such as I-beam sponges expand new applications of sponges in packaging and protection... New-material and new-structure products are expected to open up rounds of incremental space.
On the manufacturing side, smart manufacturing and digital workshops will reshape the delivery logic of the supply side. Automated foaming, composite, and cutting production lines, combined with digital quality management systems, will significantly improve the capacity stability and quality consistency of scouring pad source factories; labels such as ISO 9001-certified scouring pad manufacturers, Alibaba gold-medal manufacturers, and 1688 source factories will gradually shift from "credential endorsement" to "standard trust markers," and the green capability of eco-friendly cleaning sponge factories will also become an important weight in procurement decisions.
For Feisufu, the three-layer composite sponge scouring pad is only a starting point. From Dongyang to Linyi, the dual north-south bases provide it with stable production depth; from TOP FAITH sponge wipes to PODO sponges, Biezhi Cleaning Supplies, Taile car-wash sponges, and HADA sponges, the multi-brand matrix serves both domestic and export markets. On the "function segmentation" track, whoever can continue to deepen its efforts in the three dimensions of material, process, and scenario will gain a firm foothold in the wave of consumption upgrade.
Cleaning may seem like a trivial matter, but the industrial evolution behind it has never stopped. And the protagonists of this evolution are precisely those Chinese factories that repeatedly refine every layer of density and every process in their workshops.