Sponges and Soap?

So one little comment on my Bilingual kids post awesomely diverted all the attention away from the actual post. I was going to join in with the comments but instead decided to give this question my utmost attention:

"Totally off topic (sorry) but do Brazilian people use loofah sponges (those round fluffy things) when they shower or just their hands? I always hear that brazilians smell good so I want to know what to ide :D?"

In my days in Rio de Janeiro, I have seen very few loofah sponges in peoples' homes. Then again, I'm married so I have been in very few "foreign" showers if you know what I mean. 

They do have these sponges here. They give them away for free with liquid soap sometimes. The thing about them though is that they mold due to the humidity in our bathrooms. Hell, it's almost humid in our fridges, you can only imagine how warm, moldy, and nasty the bathrooms can get if you don't stay on top of them. 

Anyway, from what I have seen, via the one Brazilian I am showering with, they use their hands to wash. The good smell comes from their constant showers. At least in the big cities it seems that Brazilians always shower daily. You may say, who doesn't, but I can name plenty of Americans who openly don't. I suppose it's a chilly/dry skin factor.

When it comes to summer, and even in the "winter", Brazilians shower more than once a day. Hell, if my husband takes a bus, he showers when home. It is one of his Neurosis. Even I have adopted the twice a day shower, although I use one as a rinse off and one staring soap. My mental count has Brazilians taking an average of 3 showers on a hot day. 

Seriously, Brazilians are shower freaks. It's so bad that pediatricians are making a effort to "educate" parents about how it's bad for the skin to wash with soap more than once a day. Duh. 

My question is, why no washcloths. You'd think that shower obsessed people would fall in love with the mini-towels of my country. Is it another mold issue or do washcloths actually suck?