It’s a common kitchen item, but it might be time to ditch this accessory if you want to keep your health in check.
Dr. Daniel Pompa, a Utah wellness expert, warns that the humble kitchen sponge is a magnet for harmful bacteria that can cause “disease and intestinal problems.”
Peppered with hundreds of little ‘nooks and crannies,’ says Dr. Pompa that the absorbent squares are almost impossible to clean.
Even if you try to put them in the dishwasher to sterilize them, the food safety specialist says this won’t work because the germs are ‘protected’ in these tiny holes.
The USDA also suggests microwaving or boiling kitchen sponges to “reduce some of the bacterial load,” but Dr. Pompa is still not convinced.
Dr. Daniel Pompa, a Utah wellness expert, warns that the humble kitchen sponge is a magnet for harmful bacteria
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Instead, he recommends swapping them out “every one to two days.”
But because the costs of buying new sponges add up quickly, he suggests investing in a silicone scrub pad instead.
In an Instagram clip, which has already generated more than 20,000 likes, the doctor says about these cleaning wipes: ‘They scrub better anyway, they don’t retain the bacteria and if you put them in the dishwasher, the bacteria are actually gone. ‘
The video quickly attracted dozens of comments, with viewers sharing their own sponge cleaning methods and debating which is best.
One commenter said in response to Dr. Pompa: ‘Please stop this nonsense! Folks, you don’t have to throw away your dishwashing sponge.
“Do this instead; After washing with the sponge, place in a bowl/container with a mixture of water (boiling water is better), salt and vinegar.
“If you do this after washing the dishes, the sponge will last as long as you want it to.”
However, another commenter agreed with Dr. Pompa agreed and wrote: ‘I always thought these sponges were so gross.
In a 2017 study, German researchers found that one kitchen sponge contained as many as 54 billion bacterial cells in a surface area of 1 cm2.
‘We use a brush that goes into the dishwasher every day and is cleaned with antibacterial soap.’
In a 2017 study, German researchers found that one kitchen sponge contained as many as 54 billion bacterial cells on a surface area of 1 cm².
After analyzing DNA samples from 14 different sponges, researchers found that they were dominated by a class of bacteria called Gammaproteobacteria – which includes a number of human pathogens, including bacteria that cause typhoid fever, plague, cholera and food poisoning.
The study found that kitchen sponges, due to their porous nature and water-absorbing capacity, “have the ability to collect and spread bacteria with likely pathogenic potential.”
In addition, researchers have shown that kitchen environments harbor more microbes than toilets.
‘This was mainly due to the contribution of kitchen sponges, which have been proven to represent the largest reservoirs of active bacteria in the entire home,’ they explained.
The researchers also said that ‘kitchen sponges act not only as a reservoir of microorganisms, but also as dispersers across household surfaces, which can lead to cross-contamination of hands and food, which is considered a major cause when foodborne illness outbreaks occur. ‘