The easiest way to get sponge in Minecraft 1.18

A sponge is a block capable of soaking up water in Minecraft. These blocks are great for draining water. They are also invaluable when clearing out lakes, ocean structures, or flooded areas.

While they can be incredibly helpful in Minecraft, sponges aren't the easiest block to obtain, especially if players are sticking to Survival Mode. If using console commands or Creative Mode is not an option, sponge blocks can only be obtained from two primary sources.

Regardless, with the right methods in place, it shouldn't be too hard for players to obtain sponge blocks in the game.

Acquiring sponges can be dangerous, but with enough preparation, players shouldn't experience too much trouble.

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Every method to earn sponge blocks in Minecraft

Sponge blocks within an ocean monument (Image via mcspotlights/YouTube)

If Minecraft players don't mind straying from conventional Survival Mode play to get sponge blocks, they can try using commands or Creative Mode to obtain them. This is the easiest way to get sponges in the game.

If players have cheats enabled on their world or server, they can enter "/give @s minecraft:sponge 1" without quotations. Doing so will give the player one sponge block. They can also substitute the "1" in the syntax with the number of sponge blocks they would like.

If players want to use an alternate command, they can also utilize "/game mode creative" to set their current game mode to Creative Mode. Once in Creative Mode, players can simply open the mode's inventory, take as many sponge blocks as they desire, and place them in their character inventory.

However, if players want to stick to Survival Mode, they'll likely need to seek out an ocean monument. These structures house sponge blocks in their interiors. They also contain the only mobs that can drop sponges upon death: Elder Guardians.

Clearing out an ocean monument takes time and can be dangerous, so equipping high-defense gear with enchantments such as Depth Strider is a good idea. Utilizing Potions of Water Breathing is also advised, as underwater exploration takes time, and frequent resurfacing for air should be avoided.

Once inside the ocean monument, players should sweep its rooms. These structures tend to have at least one room that contains sponge blocks, which can then be mined.

Otherwise, players should seek out the Elder Guardian mobs protecting the area, which will drop sponge blocks upon death.

Either way, these blocks will drop as wet sponges and must be dried out before they can absorb more water. Players can dry out sponge blocks by placing them in furnaces or within the Nether.