A lot depends upon the quality and whether it was a genuine Mediterranean sponge or one imported and sold there. A genuine Cretan sponge should certainly last longer than a few uses but only if treated properly, they should always be rinsed in clean water after use, never used to 'scrub' the skin and only ever squeezed to remove excess water NEVER wrung out like a flannel. I have a sponge bought on Kalymnos (I think) in the 90s and it's still going strong, it isn't used daily I hasten to add but has certainly been used hundreds of times.