Tips for keeping your kitchen safe … kitchen sponges
Kitchen sponges can harbour germs which a rinse under the tap won’t remove. There are two ways to sanitise your sponges easily. Want to know how?
Sponges by their very nature, being, well, spongy, are perfect breeding grounds for bacteria and mould. You may have noticed your sponge becoming a bit ‘on the nose’. This is bacteria growing and multiplying in that perfect, moist structure.
To stop your sponge reaching this state and potentially spreading harmful germs all over your dishes and benchtops, do one of these two things:
- Put your sponge in the dishwasher along with your dishes. Choose the hottest setting and put it on the top rack. The heat of the water and steam on the drying cycle will sanitise your sponge and eliminate those nasty germs.
- Microwave it. First, make sure your sponge doesn’t have any metal or hard plastic in the scouring part. Soak it in water (don’t microwave a dry sponge as it might catch fire) and then microwave it in a microwave-safe bowl on high for one minute. Let the sponge cool down for 10 minutes in the microwave and them squeeze out the excess water.
For optimal protection you should sanitise your sponge every day and replace it every 1-2 weeks.
