How often you should replace your dirty kitchen sponge
The kitchen sponge – and the microfiber cloth, for that matter – is really one of those things I forget about. Or rather, one that I keep reusing endlessly and then forget to throw away. Only when it’s REALLY covered in dirty stains and starts to stink do I think: now it’s ready for the trash. But that can’t be healthy, right? How often should you actually replace your kitchen sponge?
A new kitchen sponge is the ideal gift to give someone with mysophobia. Those people will be overjoyed with a new Scrubdaddy. Or what about that cute tompouce scouring sponge from HEMA? All very fun, but they don’t last a lifetime. At some point, they will need to be replaced. And that moment may come sooner than you think.
The filthy kitchen sponge
Several studies show that it’s better to replace your sponge every week. The thing is simply a major source of bacteria. Did you know that a kitchen sponge contains no fewer than 200,000 times more bacteria than your toilet seat? You’d probably be better off licking the… never mind.
It’s also smart to clean the kitchen sponge thoroughly in between replacements. Use hot water and soap, or place the sponge in a bowl of warm water with some bleach or vinegar for a while. Another tip: don’t just store your sponge in the sink. You may do that for convenience, but it’s better to store the sponge in a dry place. If your sponge stays wet – because tap water keeps running onto it in the sink – that only causes bacterial growth.
Switch to the cloth
That one-week period is only a guideline, by the way. Do you use your kitchen sponge very often? Then it can’t hurt to replace the sponge sooner. Are you more of a lazy cleaner, or are you simply not in the kitchen very often (because you’re an enthusiastic eat-out diner)? Then you can easily extend the use of your kitchen sponge a little longer.
If you mainly use sponges and don’t have any microfiber cloths yet, it might be a good idea to switch to the latter now. You can easily put such cloths in the washing machine. This means you can reuse them more effectively.
Also read:
- Cleaning the deep fryer: here’s how to do it easily and quickly
- 5 kitchen ingredients that are also great for cleaning
- Why you should clean your water bottle much more often than you already do
Sources: Bustle, Today, Scientific Reports
