Kitchen sponges have always made me cringe. When the sponge looks brand new, it’s fine. But, when it’s been around a while (and it’s quite obvious when a kitchen sponge has become part of the family) I don’t want to get near it!
I was never taught anything about sponges or germs that would make me have an aversion to them; it just sort of came instinctively.
I always wondered if my feelings about kitchen sponges were valid until I recently read an article on WebMD that says kitchen sponges are the No. 1 source of germs in the whole house. The entire house. I’d say that is a valid concern.
According to the article, “One single bacteria cell can become more than 8 million cells in less than 24 hours! The number of bacteria it takes to make people sick can range from as few as 10 up to millions. And infections spread when germs are transferred from a contaminated item (say, your cutting board) to your hands to your body.”
Thankfully, there are ways to eliminate germs on a kitchen sponge.
- Wet the sponge and microwave it for two minutes. Microwaving sponges killed 99.99999 percent of bacteria present on them.
- Put the sponge in the dishwasher operating with a drying cycle. This kills 99.9998 percent of bacteria.
- Replace the kitchen sponge often.
Do you have other ways for disinfecting your kitchen sponge? Do you use something other than a sponge to wash dishes?
Photo Credit: horiavarlan Linked to Kitchen Tip Tuesday!
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When I’m wiping down counters with a sponge, I like to spray a 50/50 rubbing alcohol/water solution. That’s supposed to disinfect the counters, and, I would guess, the sponge as well!
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Eeewww, gross. I have been avoiding the kitchen sponges lately but now I think it’s time they leave the kitchen, never to return again.
I use a scrub brush for a lot of my dishes…then I use Soft Scrub with bleach to clean my sink and scrub it with the same brush. I guess, in my mind, the bleach will kill any bacteria lingering on the brush! Hopefully that’s true.
I use a washcloth to clean my counters/table. New one every day (more than one a day if there are sick kids in the house). I like the Clorox Anytime spray for everything…it contains a safe amount of bleach and kills germs.
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Sponges make my skin crawl. I have only have one that I use for scrubbing down my stove top and then I thoroughly wash it afterward. If it even begins to think about looking old, it’s out the door. I feel the same way about dish sponges (those ones with the handles).
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Yuck! I have NEVER liked sponges so I’ve never used them…I’m not sure why…I’ve just always been suspicious of them…so now I’m REALLY glad I don’t use them!
I use a homemade mixture with a spray bottle and then wipe down counters and the sink with that and cut-up receiving blankets (I always get TONS of receiving blankets with each baby and hardly ever use them!)
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I use homemade, cotton washcloths to handle my dishes. I always keep a second one handy for the floor. They go in the washing machine frequently. I also use a bristled scrub brush for baked on stuff.
I mostly use wash cloths ( new one every time) but when I use a sponge I spray my peroxide cleaning solution on the sponge and let it dry. Never use a wet sponge-those are the worst for the bacteria. Also, I was my sponge with my dish cloths on hot.
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I’m a cloth girl too! It’s nice to know you can grab a new one at any time. The idea of spraying your sponge with peroxide is a good one too though!
Here’s my idea: http://jsknowlton.blogspot.com/2010/08/works-for-me-wednesday-cleaning-sponges.html
I use cotton dishcloths, hang them up so they dry quickly, and put them in the laundry after 2 days maximum. When wiping down surfaces, I put either white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide on the cloth.
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