Disinfecting Kitchen Sponges

Each year, millions of people come down with gastroenteritis & a common cause is the kitchen sponge. Did you know, the kitchen sponge is the dirtiest object found in the home with more germs than the toilet bowl. Bacteria love moisture & the food particles, where better to live than on a kitchen sponge. After a day or two of use, the sponge is literally swimming in millions of bacteria, including E. Coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter, common pathogens responsible for food poisoning. We then wipe the sponge over our food utensils, chopping boards & food preparation areas.

The kitchen sponge should be sterilised every second day & discarded regularly (I use mine for about a week or two). There are several methods to kill the bacteria.

ARS Food Technology and Safety Laboratory in Beltsville tested several methods of disinfecting kitchen sponges. Microwaving killed 99.99999% of bacteria present while dishwashing killed 99.9998% of bacteria. [1]

Microwave:

• Rinse out the kitchen sponge & wring out so it is not soaking but enough as to not dry the sponge out during microwaving. If it dries out, it can catch on fire.

• Place in the microwave for one minute.

• Remove carefully, don not squeeze out moisture immediately, remember it will be hot.

Note: Microwaving kitchen sponges can be a fire hazard if care is not taken. When microwaving sponges, it is vital enough moisture is left in the sponge to prevent it drying out. Always stay next to the microwave when using this method.

Boiling:

• Bring a pan of water to the boil.

• Add sponge & boil for ten minutes.

Bleach:

• Make up a solution of 10% bleach, 90% water.

• Soak for 5 minutes.

• Remove & rinse.

Note: This method was found to kill between 37% and 87% of bacteria.

Dishwasher (with a drying cycle):

• Place sponge in dishwasher at the beginning of the cycle, remove when finished.

Also see:

Cleaning A Burnt Pan,  Cleaning a Microwave, Cleaning Granite, Cleaning Grout, Cleaning Urine From Mattress, Disinfecting Kitchen Sponges, How to Remove Mould and Mildew from Clothes,  Removing Labels and Stickers, Window Condensation

References:

[1] Effective Disinfection Methods of Kitchen Sponges