Abstract: A cleaning sponge roller includes a cylindrical sponge body and a shaft-shaped core. The sponge body is formed of a porous material having continuous pores and having elasticity in a wet state. The core is inserted through an inner diameter portion of the sponge body and fixedly supports an inner circumferential surface of the sponge body. The core is formed of a porous sintered compact having continuous pores.

Abstract: A porous ceramic body having a ceramic framework is produced having a surface roughness of about 40 microns or less. The ceramic body has a plurality of pores where each pore is interconnected with at least one adjacent pore. The ceramic body is made from a powdered ceramic component and a pore-forming polymeric component such as polymeric beads. The ceramic component is alumina which can contain at least one other component selected from the group consisting of calcium oxide, silicon oxide, magnesium oxide, barium oxide, titanium dioxide, and zirconium dioxide. The pore-forming polymeric beads, such as polymethylmethacrylate beads, each having a particle size of 100 microns or less, are mixed with the ceramic powder. The powdered mixture is compressed under pressure and heated to form a porous ceramic body. A coating of an aqueous dispersion of a metal oxide can be applied to the surface of the ceramic body and heated to produce a smooth and durable coating.