Kitchen sponges. Those who use them love them. Those of us who are scientists trained in microbiology don’t. Why not?
Wet Places are often Germy
The simple answer is: because they remain wet. Bacteria love to grow in damp places. During COVID, I had my students do an experiment in their homes, checking for the germiest (scientific term) places. If you want to try it, here’s the book.
It wasn’t the toilet seat, the light switches, or even their cell phone. Their water bottles and the kitchen sink were pretty disgusting. But, if they had one, the germiest place by far was the kitchen sponge. BY FAR!
Can Sponges be Resurrected?
Some people try to clean the sponge by microwaving it, filling it with soap, or putting it through the dishwasher. These methods don’t work. Try them and then smell it the next day. Yup. Yuck!!
Why don’t the methods work? Because germs grow fast. If even one is left alive, after only five hours, it could be 30,000.
You may be asking if there’s any way to clean the offending object. After all, if one hot washes a cloth with bleach, that works. So, maybe bleach and heat? Sigh. That’d destroy the sponge. They’re cheap. Throw it away and buy another.