Think of the dirtiest place in your house. Now imagine rubbing your dishes, food, or hands in that place before eating. Sounds disgusting right? When I think of a germ-infested spot in my house, my mind automatically takes me to the garbage can or inside the toilet. I would never touch those areas without immediately washing my hands afterward. Yet, people continually scrub the counters, wash dishes, and clean with one of the dirtiest things in the house; the sponge. Without properly sanitizing your sponge, you might be spreading bacteria around your house. You don’t have to toss the sponge after using it once, but by cleaning it appropriately you can keep using it longer.

• Killing those Germs Before you run away from the sponge for fear of germs, read this article on the benefits of cleaning with a sponge and hints and tips for keeping them clean.
• Washing dishes – Are those Dish Cloths and Sponges Harboring Bacteria? As you clean the kitchen you probably wipe off meat juices, cooking residues, and other filth on the counter. This article covers the types of bacteria and why sponges and dishcloths make the perfect house for bacteria.

But I Need My Sponge!

Sponges are one of my necessary instruments for cleaning the kitchen. It helps scrub down the counters and remove food quickly. I want my sponges to last as long as possible but still be sanitary, safe, and odor-free. A great way to clean your sponge safely and eliminate mildew odors is to pour lemon juice or vinegar on it. Allow it to sit and absorb the liquids for five minutes before rinsing it. A stronger and more powerful cleaner is bleach. All three cleaners work great at deodorizing sponges and killing a good amount of bacteria, but none of them get all the germs. Placing your sponge wet, with vinegar or lemon juice, in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, or running it in the dishwasher, will kill 99.9% of all the bacteria.

• Cleaning Sponges: What’s the best way? An interesting and fun read that will teach you the best-proven ways to get your sponges clean.
• Sanitizing Sponges in the Microwave Sponges are moist and with all those holes, they are the perfect place for bacteria. Read about how you can zap the bacteria right in your microwave.
• Kitchen Sponges and the Environment With the fear of germ-infested sponges, people are tossing them in the garbage more often. Keeping your sponge cleaned longer, means eliminating waste in the environment.

In Conclusion

A few years back, a study came out concluding that some sponges contain more bacteria than the toilet bowl. Disgusted, people ran to the store for new ones and began tossing used ones weekly and even daily. It may be tempting to run to your kitchen and rid it of all sponges, but throwing away a dirty sponge is wasteful when it can be easily cleaned in the microwave and soaked in vinegar. By sanitizing your sponges every single day, you can make them last longer, save money, and cut back on garbage waste.