Hydrophilic　macroporous　sponge　has　been　widely　used　in　solar　steam　generation,　catalysis,　biosensing　and　other　fields　due　to　its　high　water　transporting　and　adsorption　ability.　However,　the　synthesis　step　of　hydrophilic　sponge　usually　needs　the　assistance　of　a　freezing　process　and　toxic　chemicals　such　as　chemical　crosslinkers　or　foaming　agents.　To　solve　these　problems,　herein,　a　novel　and　facile　tactic　based　on　the　salting　out　effect　was　proposed　to　prepare　hydrophilic　amphibious　open-cell　macroporous　sponge　from　the　poly(vinyl　alcohol)　(PVA)　solution.　Glycerol,　CaCl2　and　Na3Cit　were　successively　added　into　PVA　solution.　The　sol-gel　transition　would　occur　due　to　the　salting-out　effect　of　Na3Cit　and　hydrogen　bond　crosslinking　of　glycerol.　Finally,　the　hydrophilic　PVA　sponge　with　different　shapes　and　sizes　could　be　easily　prepared.　Moreover,　this　hydrophilic　wet　sponge　could　be　room　temperature　dried　into　dry　sponge　and　this　dry　sponge　could　be　quickly　restored　to　wet　sponge　after　immersing　in　water　due　to　its　ultra-rapid　water　absorption.　The　microstructure　and　mechanical　properties　of　PVA　wet　and　dry　sponges　were　studied.　The　PVA　wet　sponge　showed　excellent　mechanical　properties　with　a　tensile　strength,　Young＇s　modulus,　and　fracture　energy　of　1.51　±　0.01　MPa,　0.44　±　0.02　MPa,　and　113.2　±　1.6　kJ　m−2,　respectively.　The　wet　sponge　prepared　in　this　work　has　an　average　porosity　of　up　to　50　μm,　and　the　pore　structure　can　still　be　maintained　during　the　conventional　room　temperature　drying　process.　Moreover,　the　PVA　sponge　showed　high　stability　in　various　aqueous　media　including　acid,　alkaline,　and　salt　solutions.　This　work　provided　a　simple　and　large-scale　method　to　prepare　amphibious　open-cell　hydrophilic　PVA　sponge.　©　2024　The　Royal　Society　of　Chemistry.