Steel Sponges on SS - Wearing it Thin

Strongly worded title I suppose
I should know better than to even ask, as I know what is considered abrasive....hell, even my soft premium MicroFiber towels are not used to dry the car after I wash them, as I use the Leaf Blower to Dry the Car after a wash as MicroFibers causes small micro-marring....

Anyhow, what's your opinion on steel sponges when cleaning your SS cookware, like after a good soak, you take the sponge to just mechanically remove the poly. on the sidewalls and such ?

I can't say for sure it is thinning/degrading the inner to a point of noticableness.
What I definitely do observe is a very DISTINCT smell when I do use the steel sponge on SS.
Is this smell, ahem, micro metal particles being abraded/removed due to the use of me using the SS sponge ?

Or am I going crazy, and this Distinct smell I speak about, no one else on CH observes this