I use a washcloth or rag (old t-shirt) for cleaning cabinets, countertops, stainless steel, I’m probably forgetting something.
I use a brush to wash some items, but I do use a two sided sponge for many things, like pots and pans. I started doing it about 10 years ago. I used to not use a sponge.
Most dishes and glasses I just rinse and stick in the dishwasher, no scrubbing of any sort.
I use a regular sponge for counters and microwave at times when I do a massive clean with Pine Sol usually. Sometimes I clean the counters with spray and paper towels. It just depends.
The kitchen sink is a mega germ bath in my opinion. I know people who just plug the sink and wash their dishes. If you take a paper towel and wipe the edges of the drain directly above or on the rubber thingy on the garbage disposal side (if you have a double sink) most peoples sinks are disgusting, even if they think they clean it all of the time. Especially, if they are on septic and have a garbage disposal. Every look on the other side of that rubber thing?
Every so often I put Drano in a squirt bottle (the kind that they use in restaurants to drizzle sauces) and I do a thin layer of Drano in that area to really eat through anything that might not be cleaned by good old fashioned elbow grease. As obsessed as I am about it, I can tell the difference afterwards. It’s not a lot of chemical, because I can squirt it directly on the area, I’m not using it to clear a clog. I do it about once a month. I sometimes do the same on my bathroom sinks if there is any yucky stuff on drain thingy.