You Should Not Clean this Kitchen Tool EverQ

 Sponges are unsanitary. Not only is it odiferous and stinky, but it is also teeming with bacteria that could make you sick. (According to some, the average household sponge is dirtier than a toilet seat.) As with any other germ-infested item or surface in your home, it makes sense to attempt to clean your sponge. Isn't it better to be safe than sorry? You'd assume so, but you'd be wrong.

We'll explain why, but just as a heads-up, you should probably just replace your filthy sponge. Make no attempt to clean it. Simply discard it and replace it with a fresh one. Please.

Tossing your sponge in the microwave is one of the most frequently advised germ-fighting techniques. In principle, this is a wonderful idea: Microwaving generates heat, which kills some bacteria on your sponge. However, as convenient as nuking is, it is ineffective at eliminating germs.

To begin, it poses a significant fire hazard: Microwaving your sponge fast generates sparks that may harm your sponge and may even damage your microwave. Therefore, unless the sponge is completely saturated and you know precisely how long to microwave it, you are creating a significant safety risk. Additionally, bear in mind that many sponges contain metal for cleaning, and as you are surely aware, microwave metal is a no-no regardless of whether the sponge is dripping wet.

Apart from the risk of a fire, research indicates that microwaving your sponge is ineffective in preventing it from spreading germs on surfaces in your home. While experts agree that spinning a sponge in the microwave will certainly kill some germs, it may actually increase the amount of bacteria, raising your chance of developing bacteria-borne infections such as E. coli.

“It is likely that resistant bacteria survive the sanitation procedure and rapidly re–colonize the released niches, eventually reaching the same abundance as before the treatment,” a 2017 study on microwaving germ-ridden sponges said.

What about bleaching agents? Or how about a run through the dishwasher? While numerous sources claim that those methods are around 99.9 percent efficient, a New York Times article noted that attempts to disinfect a sponge are not always successful. “You may microwave a sponge, wash it in the dishwasher or laundry, soak it in vinegar or other cleaning solutions, or even boil it in a saucepan. However, the researchers identified an increased number of potentially dangerous bacteria, such as Moraxella osloensis, on sponges gathered from individuals who claimed to disinfect them on a routine basis.”

What is your best course of action? To be completely honest, do not attempt to clean your sponge at all. Rather than that, simply replace the sponge - researchers recommend doing so once a week. True, sanitizing your sponge at home may be more cost effective and environmentally good. However, no kitchen tip is worth jeopardizing your health or safety.