Reuse of Pharmatex Sponges
Fellow mongers!
Although this is an off topic post, due to serious possible consequences associated I felt compelled to draw your attention to the following.
There is a certain risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) associated with reusing ANY absorbent type of intravaginal sponge. Classically, TSS is associated with tampon use during menstruation; however, a lower (but still real) risk exists with the method described below. TSS is FATAL in 5% of cases, and has high morbidity otherwise. See the CDC link [url=http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/toxicshock_t.htm] here[/url].
As good as vinegar may be in killing or suppressing the S.aureus bacterium, it does not remove the exotoxin, which may bond the absorbent material and later be released into the system upon reinsertion.
Again, the condition happens quite rarely, but has an unacceptable level of risk associated with it. For this reason, reusing the sponges is NOT a good idea, especially during menstruation.
Knuckhead