Your sponge can contain over 360 species of bacteria
Cleaning dishes is a daily ritual for many people, but while you're cleaning your pots and pans, how are you cleaning your sponge? Your sponge can contain over 360 species of bacteria. Think of all the germs you are spreading around your home when you think you're cleaning. Here is a quick hack to eliminate bacteria on your sponge in between washes.
If you want your dishes to be clean, you have to clean your sponge, too. You can regularly clean yours by popping it into the microwave while it's still damp for one minute, which actually kills 99.999% bacteria, mold, and yeast on your sponge. You should ensure there aren't any plastic or metal pieces on your sponge before placing it in the microwave. (You don't want to create a safety hazard.)
How it's helping
By cleaning your sponge, you'll stop spreading so much bacteria. Salmonella, E. coli, and listeria are just some types of bacteria found on your sponge, all of which can make you sick. Most experts suggest changing your sponge once a week, however you can do it at least every two weeks, meaning you can save money using your sponge longer. You'll also use fewer sponges, which cuts down on materials, manufacturing, and shipping pollution — an easy example of a small action that adds up toward saving the planet from heat-trapping carbon in the atmosphere. If you get creative with natural cleaning products, you can save money and reduce waste while still getting effective products that are safer than regular cleaning options.
For example, to be eco-conscious, try a plant-based sponge. There's also an all-biodegradable sponge option that can upgrade your kitchen cleaning game. And if you are worried about your non-environmental sponges, you can just recycle your used sponges.
How to do it
Place your damp sponge onto the microwave for 1 min, making sure there are no metal/plastic pieces and there you have it.
Adapted from: The Cool Down
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