Every Time She Finishes Using Her Kitchen Sponge. She Does THIS...The Reason Why Is SO Important!
You probably don't realize that sponge you are using to clean everything in the kitchen is one of the dirtiest things in your home! Letting it dry on the counter after squeezing it out is not enough,
Studies have shown that your kitchen sponge is the dirtiest item in your house. One research done in 2011 by NSF International showed that out of 30 different surfaces in a home, including the toilet seat, the kitchen sponge was by far the worst, harboring more germs than any other area of the house.
NSF swabbed for coliform bacteria - a family of bacteria that includes Salmonella and E. coli and is an indicator of potential fecal contamination – and found coliform on:
More than 75 percent of dish sponges/rags
A newer study conducted has found there are around 10million bacteria per square inch of a kitchen sponge and a million per square inch on a dish cloth.
Now we know how incredibly important it is to keep these sponges clean since that is used daily to clean the dishes we EAT off of.
The first step to keeping a clean sponge is to keep track of how long you had it..
The Today Show reports that you should replace kitchen sponges every WEEK, or whenever they hold any odors.
If you can't remember how long you ave had your sponge then it is probably time to trash it.
There are ways to prolong the life of the sponge, and all the methods are relatively simple.
First, you could clean your sponge in the microwave.
Put the soapy-water soaked sponge in the microwave on high for two minutes after every use. This will reduce the number of germs on the sponge and dry out faster.
If you don’t want to put it in your microwave, throw the sponge in the dishwasher whenever you run a load.
The machine will clean the sponge just as it cleans your other dishes. Just make sure you don’t let it sit in the enclosed area damp for too long once the cycle finishes.
You can soak the sponge in a vinegar and water bath to disinfect it.
The vinegar kills the bacteria on the sponge, although it might not make the cleaning tool smell very good.
Most importantly when you are not using the sponge, do not leave it on the bottom of the sink. Instead, put it vertically in a sponge stand.
You could also use a binder clip. It'll air dry much quicker and your sponge will last longer.
