I got it to use in the shower, so the first thing I did when it came was rinse it in a sink full of warm, clean water. There wasn't much to wash away...no sand, silt, or sea animals, for example. Overall, after removing a few pieces of fluff, it was almost ready to use. The shedding was not an issue since I kept squishing it in the water.
WOW, that reminds me of going to the beach in Florida (in a good way). I'm aware that beach scents may range from pleasant to revolting. This sponge has the scent of a fresh, clean ocean breeze blowing in from the gulf. There is very little shedding. It wasn't the softest of the sponges I purchased, but it smelled the finest and was the perfect size and shape for me to grip. In terms of softness, I'm not sure I'd use this on a baby, but a toddler should be OK. It feels like a super-soft washcloth.
I'd been seeking for a replacement shower sponge for a while and finally discovered one that works perfectly. When used in the shower, this sponge is extremely soft, holds a wonderful lather, and is easy to clean. It does not itch but has enough texture to properly cleanse my skin. The size is ideal, large enough to perform the job well, and I prefer the shape (which I believe might be cut to achieve this uniform shape) since it is comfortable to grip.
For a long time, I've been seeking for a soft sponge. And when I say soft, I mean it. I wanted something that was really soft.
This is a beautiful wool body sponge that is extremely soft. It's extremely robust and generates a lot of frothy lather with only a little soap, but it's also quite easy to clean.