Abstract: The invention relates to methods for preparing superporous hydrogels (SPH) that are very-pure and have desirable swelling properties necessary for commercial use, such as in food and pharmaceutical applications. Such methods include simultaneous use of low and high glass transition monomers to improve impurity and swelling profiles of the SPH, use of an integration means to prepare a very homogenous superporous hydrogel foam, washing the superporous hydrogel in a washing solution comprising different ratios of solvent to non-solvent (e.g., water/alcohol), use of a chemically-induced expansion/contraction process to enhance the efficiency of the multiple washing process and to fully structuralize the SPH, and employing one or more separation techniques, such as rubbing, filtration, centrifugation, compression and cutting to increase the efficiency of the purification process and to enhance the SPH swelling properties.