Kitchen Sponges, Mold and Germs
Sponges not only clean, but also continue to harbor the dirt and germs they pick up. Sponges are great for growing molds, germs, and other icky things – the environment is perfect for it with its moisture. You should start doing some sponge maintenance. Clean your kitchen sponges.- sponges and germs stick together. Clean your sponges periodically!
I replace my kitchen sponges when they start breaking down or get so stained that they don’t look fresh. The rejected sponges end up in our utility room where they serve a new purpose of picking up worse crud.
The kitchen sponges in my sink – I keep a clean one for washing dishes and a slightly lesser one to wipe counters and other areas of crud (including wiping very dirty dishes). This way I don’t put as many germs on my clean sponge (and I know it’s safe for all my dishes). I always squirt a drop of soap on them and squeeze them through with clean water. Clean your sponges periodically.
When I run the dishwasher, I put the kitchen sponges in it with the dishes. Then I take them out and put them in the microwave for 1 minute per sponge (if I put two sponges in, I set it for 2 minutes). Microwaving kitchen sponges is a good method for killing those sponge germs that tend to collect in the holes of the sponges. This will also help with sponges and mold. Clean your sponges periodically.
Keep your kitchen sponges (and dish rags – put them into the laundry at least weekly) clean enough for multiple uses and no spreading of sponge germs onto dishes and surfaces.
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P.R.