How to clean sponges so they're 99.9% free of germs
They're one of the most popular cleaning tools for dishwashing, and yet they are probably the germiest.
Sponges are the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive and multiply because they take so long to dry.
So, if you prefer washing up with sponges you'll likely want the most effective cleaning method to disinfect them.
Sponges pick up a lot of germs while cleaning. Getty Images/iStockphoto
The Good Housekeeping Institute joined forces with EMSL Analytical Testing Lab to determine which of four common sponge cleaning methods was best.
All four methods were able to get rid of more than 99 per cent of germs, but the bleach option was deemed the best because it killed the bacteria strains considered the benchmark for sanitising surfaces.
The winning method involves soaking your sponge in a mix of a 3/4 cup of bleach and 3.8 litres of water for five minutes. When the time is up simply rinse the sponge and you're good to go.
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Zapping the sponge in the microwave was also found to work well, also killing 99.9 per cent of germs.
To do this the sponge must be saturated with water and then heated on high. Scrub sponges must be in the microwave for one minute and cellulose sponges should be heated for two minutes.
Another common method to clean sponges is to toss them in the dishwasher and this also kills 99.9 per cent of germs. It's probably the easiest as all you need to do is put it in with a usual load and pop on the heated dry setting.
The fourth method tested was vinegar, which was slightly less effective than the others, but only just, killing 99.6 per cent of germs.
The microwave is also very effective at removing bacteria from sponges. Getty Images/iStockphoto
This method requires popping the sponge in white vinegar for five minutes before rinsing.
However, disinfecting a sponge is all well and good but once the sponge starts to stink and looks worse for wear it is time to throw it out and get a new one.
Sponges should be cleaned every few days, unless they've come into contact with raw meat – this requires cleaning straight away.
The best way to keep a dish sponge clean is to rinse it well after use and then place it somewhere it can dry thoroughly, preferably before the next time you need to use it.
If all that sounds like a lot of trouble to keep sponges clean then you can try dish brushes.
A study published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology found that sponges contain more bacteria than dish brushes.
"Salmonella and other bacteria grow and survive better in sponges than in brushes, the reason is that sponges in daily use never dry up," Trond Møretrø, a research scientist at Nofima, a Norwegian food research institute and an author of the study told CNN.
"A single sponge can harbour a higher number of bacteria than there are people on Earth."
Dish brushes are more hygienic than sponges because they dry quickly. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Møretrø explained sponges would need to be changed at least daily to avoid the high bacteria growth.
This is in contrast to dish brushes, which only need to dry out overnight to reduce the amount of salmonella present.
Dish brushes are also less likely to cross-contaminate with other items because we hold them using a handle so our hands aren't touching the bacteria as much.
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