🧽 Sponge Emoji — Meaning, Copy & Paste, Codes

01 — Meaning

What does the 🧽 Sponge emoji mean?

In plain english

Generally, the sponge emoji means “clean.” People use it to indicate something is freshly cleaned, or they’re talking about the process of cleaning. It's often used playfully to show you’ve tackled a mess. 🧽 sits in object emojis, where it is listed next to everything used the same way. It also turns up in yellow emojis.

Where it comes from

The 🧽 emoji represents a sponge. It’s often used to talk about cleaning, washing, or scrubbing. People use it when they’re talking about tidying up, doing dishes, or generally making things clean. You might see it in conversations about the kitchen, or when someone is just feeling like they need to freshen up a space. It can also express a sense of softness or gentleness.

Also known as

People search for it under a lot of different names. All of these point at the same character.

absorbing emojicleaning emojiporous emojisoak emoji

02 — Platforms

Sponge emoji on iPhone, Android, WhatsApp and X

The character is always U+1F9FD — but every vendor draws it their own way. This is what your sponge looks like to the person on the other side.

AppleiPhone, iPad, macOS

GoogleAndroid, Gmail, Chrome

Twitter / XX, Discord, Twemoji apps

FacebookFacebook, Messenger

OpenMojiOpen-source, design systems

SamsungGalaxy, One UI

MicrosoftWindows, Teams, Fluent

WhatsAppWhatsApp on Android

JoyPixelsSlack, Discord themes

See the whole set the way each system draws it — iPhone emojis, Android emojis, WhatsApp emojis and Discord emojis.

03 — Copy & codes

Sponge emoji copy and paste

Everything here is the same character in different notation — including the shortcode chat apps know it by, :sponge:.

All emoji copy and paste →

In your code

Pick the notation your language wants. They all resolve to the sponge, code point U+1F9FD.

04 — How to type

How to type the 🧽 Sponge emoji

Every system hides the emoji key somewhere else. Here is where, plus the raw codes for U+1F9FD when there is no key at all.

iPhone & iPad

Tap the smiley or globe key at the bottom-left of the keyboard, then search “sponge”. No emoji key? Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard → Emoji.

Android

On Gboard tap the smiley key, or long-press the Enter or comma key. On Samsung Keyboard the emoji button sits behind the gear icon.

Windows & Mac

Windows: press Win + . for the emoji panel. Mac: Control + Command + Space. Then type “sponge”.

Slack & Discord

Type the shortcode :sponge: and it converts to 🧽 as you send. The full set is on the Discord emoji page.

Websites & code

In HTML use 🧽, in CSS \1F9FD, in JavaScript \u{1F9FD}.

No picker to hand? The online emoji keyboard works in any browser, and every character on the site is listed on emoji copy and paste.

05 — Download

Sponge emoji PNG and SVG

Grab the sponge as transparent PNG or SVG. Each system ships its own drawing, and the licence stays with the vendor, all 9 of them.

Emoji PNG library →

Apple PNG · 160px

Google PNG · 160px

Twitter / X SVG vector

Facebook PNG · 64px

OpenMoji SVG vector

Samsung PNG · 64px

Microsoft PNG · 64px

WhatsApp PNG · 64px

JoyPixels PNG · 64px

06 — Combinations

Sponge emoji combinations

Ready-made combos built around sponge for bios, captions and comments. Tap to copy.

All combinations →

Cool sponge combos

Flex sponge combos

Aesthetic sponge combos

Cute sponge combos

Dark sponge combos

Party sponge combos

Love sponge combos

Mood sponge combos

Unhinged sponge combos

Soft sponge combos

Late night sponge combos

Summer sponge combos

Gaming sponge combos

Y2K sponge combos

Want two emojis fused into one sticker instead of set side by side? Emoji Kitchen does that for every pair Google has drawn, and there are more ready-made pairs in emoji combinations and aesthetic emoji combos.

07 — In conversation

What 🧽 means from a girl or a guy

The same character carries a different intent depending on the sender and the message before it.

From a girl

When a girl sends you the 🧽 emoji, she's often just being playful. It can mean she’s feeling cute and clean, or she’s referencing a funny cleaning situation. Sometimes, it’s just a random, lighthearted emoji she likes.

From a guy

A guy sending you the 🧽 emoji is usually just trying to be funny or playful too. It’s often a reaction to something messy or a comment about needing to clean up. Don’t overthink it – it’s usually just a silly emoji choice.

How to reply

If someone sends you the 🧽 emoji, you could reply with: "Let's clean up! 🧽🧹", "You’re so helpful! 🧽💖", "Totally! 🧽✨", or “Sending you a little clean energy 🧽”.

Used in a sentence

08 — Apps

What 🧽 means on TikTok, WhatsApp and Discord

Chat apps do not change U+1F9FD, they change what it looks like and what people take it to mean.

TikTok & Instagram

Generally, the sponge emoji means “clean.” People use it to indicate something is freshly cleaned, or they’re talking about the process of cleaning. In comments and captions it is read the same way — the tone comes from what it sits next to.

WhatsApp draws 🧽 with Apple-style artwork on every phone, so it looks identical for both sides. A message with only 🧽 in it is shown enlarged.

Discord & Slack

Both accept the shortcode :sponge:. Discord renders Twemoji, so 🧽 looks different there than on your phone.

Outlook & email

Outlook has no emoji picker on desktop — press Win + . or Control + Command + Space inside the message body, or paste 🧽 from the copy button above.

09 — Related

Emojis similar to the Sponge emoji

Same family (household) — often confused with sponge or used alongside it.

Objects →

🫧Bubbles 🧯Fire Extinguisher 🪤Mouse Trap 🧹Broom 🪠Plunger 🧺Basket 🧻Roll Of Paper 🚽Toilet 🚿Shower 🛁Bathtub 🧼Soap 🪥Toothbrush

Collections 🧽 belongs to — every one of them is a different way people go looking for it:

object emojis yellow emojis

10 — History

Where the 🧽 Sponge emoji came from

Approved as part of Emoji 11.0, the sponge has been on phones for years now — counting from its release, 8.

AppleiOS

Sponge emoji, Apple, iOS 18.4 — iOS 18.4

GoogleAndroid

Twitter / XTwemoji

Sponge emoji, Twitter / X, Twemoji 16 — Twemoji 16

Sponge emoji, Twitter / X, Twemoji 17 — Twemoji 17

Same character every time — U+1F9FD never changed. Only the drawing did, and only because each vendor redraws its own set. Someone on an older phone still sees the older picture.

2018

Added to the standard

Sponge was approved as U+1F9FD and shipped in Emoji 11.0 (2018). Phones usually get new artwork about a year after approval, in a system update.

Today

Drawn 9 different ways

Every vendor keeps its own artwork, so 🧽 is redrawn by Apple, Google, Twitter / X, Facebook, OpenMoji, Samsung, Microsoft, WhatsApp, JoyPixels. The character you send never changes — only the picture does.

11 — FAQ

Sponge emoji — questions people actually ask

What does the 🧽 Sponge emoji mean?

Generally, the sponge emoji means “clean.” People use it to indicate something is freshly cleaned, or they’re talking about the process of cleaning. It's often used playfully to show you’ve tackled a mess.

What does 🧽 mean from a girl?

When a girl sends you the 🧽 emoji, she's often just being playful. It can mean she’s feeling cute and clean, or she’s referencing a funny cleaning situation. Sometimes, it’s just a random, lighthearted emoji she likes.

What does 🧽 mean from a guy?

A guy sending you the 🧽 emoji is usually just trying to be funny or playful too. It’s often a reaction to something messy or a comment about needing to clean up. Don’t overthink it – it’s usually just a silly emoji choice.

How do you reply to the 🧽 emoji?

If someone sends you the 🧽 emoji, you could reply with: "Let's clean up! 🧽🧹", "You’re so helpful! 🧽💖", "Totally! 🧽✨", or “Sending you a little clean energy 🧽”.

What else is the 🧽 emoji called?

Sponge is the official Unicode name, but people search for it as “absorbing emoji”, “cleaning emoji”, “porous emoji”, “soak emoji” and more. They all refer to the same character, U+1F9FD.

What is the Unicode code for 🧽?

The Sponge emoji is U+1F9FD, added in Emoji 11.0 (2018). In HTML you can write it as 🧽, and in CSS as \1F9FD.

How do I copy and paste the 🧽 emoji?

Tap the copy button at the top of this page — 🧽 goes straight to your clipboard and pastes into Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, Discord or any text field. You can also copy its shortcode :sponge: for Slack and Discord.

Does 🧽 look the same on every phone?

No. Sponge is drawn separately by each vendor — Apple, Google, Twitter / X, Facebook, OpenMoji, Samsung, Microsoft, WhatsApp and JoyPixels all ship their own artwork for U+1F9FD. The character you send is identical; only the picture changes.

🧽Sponge Emoji

In your code