How to clean a dishwashing sponge: four ingenious life hacks

A dish sponge is great at lathering up soapy water, but it also absorbs a lot of organic contaminants into its pores, which can be a great food source for harmful microorganisms. Therefore, kitchen sponges need careful maintenance, not just rinsing under running water.

OBOZREVATEL has collected several ways to clean kitchen sponges so that they are safe and last longer. All of them can be used at home.

Chlorine bleach

Chlorine in household bleach is a powerful disinfectant. Thus, you can use it to clean your sponges. Dissolve three quarters of liquid bleach in 4 liters of hot water and soak your sponges and dish brushes for 5 minutes. Remove them, wring them out and air dry them. The product can be used for tools made of cellulose and nylon.

Washing in the dishwasher

Hot water in the dishwasher will clean not only your plates and forks but also your sponge. Place it on the top shelf of the appliance. You can use the small items basket to prevent the sponge from falling down. Start the machine on a normal program and select the heated drying cycle. If the sponge is still damp afterwards, air dry it.

Vinegar

Pour enough white vinegar into a bowl or saucepan to cover the sponge. Soak it for 5 minutes, then wring it out and dry it. You can also use it to treat limescale deposits in the sink or toilet bowl.

Disinfect in the microwave

Microwaves can kill infectious agents. Just be careful not to put the sponge in the oven when it is dry or even damp as it can catch fire. Make sure to wet the sponge thoroughly and place it in a microwave-safe dish. For cellulose sponges, two minutes at high power will be enough, for nylon sponges, one minute is enough. Important: do not put sponges with metal elements in the oven. When the treatment is over, let the sponges cool down, squeeze them out and dry them.

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