Wondering What To Do With Your Germ-y Kitchen Sponge?

Nov 13, 2019Erica Chung, MPHFood

Here's a simple swap that will maximize cleanliness in no time!

Have you ever walked over to your sink to do the dishes, only to wrinkle your nose at how smelly your sponge is? We’ll let you in on a secret… smelly sponge = lots of germs. And too many germs is the last thing that you want in your kitchen and on your dishes. So what can you? We’ve got a simple swap for you!

If you’re using a sponge right now – Stop!

Why, you ask? To put it scientifically, sponges are gross. Studies looking at the bacteria count of “the dirtiest areas of a kitchen” repeatedly found that sponges come in first for harboring the highest germ counts (1). Sponges hold so many bacteria because they’re constantly wet and easily catch food during washing (1). The wet environment combined with the food scraps create a perfect storm for encouraging germs to multiply (1). If you’re dead set on using a sponge, researchers recommend either replacing your sponge weekly (which isn’t good for the environment), or cleaning sponges in a bleach and water mixture (which isn’t good for you) (2). Either way, it’s a lose-lose. So what’s the solution?

Swap your sponge out for a dish brush instead

Yep, it’s truly that simple. Simply swapping out your kitchen sponge for a dish brush will help decrease the number of bacteria because:

Brushes have bristles that don’t hold water and dry faster (3).
Food scraps are easier to wash off on bristles than in the nooks and crannies of sponges (3).

And the best part? Brushes don’t need to be replaced as often, because they don’t harbor as many germs. Hooray for a solution that is budget-friendly and earth-friendly!

References

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