We all make messes in the kitchen but if you use a sponge to clean up, a new study reveals cleaning them may be completely pointless.
This new study published in Scientific Reports analyzed 14 used kitchen sponges.
German researchers discovered they hold onto high amounts of bacteria than previously thought. With Gammaproteobacteria highly prevalent.
This is a class of bacteria that includes several pathogens that cause typhoid fever, food poisoning and cholera. The tested sponges held onto more bacteria than anything else in a house, and can contain more than a toilet.
The study found even cleaning the sponges was ineffective. Boiling them in water, microwaving or regularly sanitizing them still left them with high bacterial counts. The researchers suggest it’s best to replace them frequently, so here are my prescriptions:
Partha’s RX
1. Toss out and replace your kitchen sponge after ONE week of use. Even if you sanitize it.
2. If you prefer dishcloths, the CDC recommends that you wash them often in the washing machine using the hot cycle.
3. You can also use paper towels to clean up messes which then can be tossed away.
4. When cleaning anything in the kitchen or handling food, please wash your hands thoroughly. This helps to rinse off bacteria and not spread it around.
It’s best to allow them to drive out completely and replace them frequently as bacteria will thrive in moist places. And try not to share hand towels since they can harbor germs.
