Spongeful

"[…] I never thought I would be such a fool," and he began spluttering in the water, and throwing it about him like a wild duck at play. Over and over his head and neck he poured spongeful after spongeful, till the water flowed in streams from every particular pendicle of hair which hung from his head.

Having done so, take the bird to the next basin, and with spongeful after spongeful of clean water well rinse out the soap.

With a sponge we could continue drifting along, just reach inside, sop up some spongefuls, and squeeze them back into the river, where they belonged.