Corey123
Washing Up
Yes, may I suggest washing the sponge before putting in the microwave?
But I'm just going to continue using the Lysol Kitchen Spray for now.
But I'm just going to continue using the Lysol Kitchen Spray for now.
Microwave kills 99% of germs in sponges
- Thread starter corazon
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BlueCat
Sous Chef
Corey123 said:
I was going to say "that goes without saying" and then I read SuzyQ3's post about the funky sponge. If it's gone funky, it's gone funky. That's when you toss it and get a new one. I can't say that I deliberately wash mine before putting it in the microwave, because if it's still got soap in it, that soap will foam up. I always rinse it well though.
BC
BlueCat said:
My sponge was fairly new, so I didn't have any reason to suspect funkiness. The weird thing was that the smell it emitted was one of chicken broth. Weird. So from now on, I'll do this only after putting the sponge in the dishwasher first. Or maybe I'll just buy more sponges and change them every Saturday so that I can be like VeraBlue.
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OP
OP
corazon
Executive Chef
Only if the sponge isn't wet.Candocook said:
Louette
Assistant Cook
Works for cloth, too. I bleach my cloth once a week, but zap it (wet!) at other times. I've also used the microwave for a quick way to sterilize jars for pickling - half an inch of water in the bottom and boil on high for a few minutes. I've also zapped my wood chopping board, and dirty cane baskets, making sure they're wet and checking them frequently over a minute or two. Never had a problem. ( Don't try this with a plastic board!)
Corey123
Washing Up
BlueCat said:
Just because it has gone funky, it doesn't mean that it's the end of the world. It can still be saved by washing it in some hot soapy water and a little bleach.
I've done this many times to get rid of the funky smell the sponges can sometimes pick up. Then, if you want, the sponge can be zapped in the microwave oven.
People at work send small towels through the dishmachine several times to clean them. I've seen them do that many times.
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BlueCat
Sous Chef
I guess one person's "funky" is another person's "dirty". To me, funky is past dirty. And if there's any question, it's worth it to me to toss and replace. Because I was in such dire straits with my illness of a couple of years ago, I'm more susceptible to upper respiratory cooties (I just had two chest xrays yesterday to see if I have pneumonia again). I take no chances.
BC
BC
Corey123
Washing Up
Funky is used in two terms; both good AND bad.
Examples: "This food is really funky. I like it!" and "Whoa this house smells funky. Gross!"
Examples: "This food is really funky. I like it!" and "Whoa this house smells funky. Gross!"
BlueCat
Sous Chef
Corey123 said:
Very true! I use it that way all the time too. But in the other direction, it's pretty bad! (And I don't mean good!)
BC
Cordel
Senior Cook
Hmm, I got paranoid a few years ago and while I use a dishcloth (one of those made from bamboo, I think it is) I never put food on the counter, only on plates, pans, cutting boards, wax paper or parchment. All but the last two go in the dishwasher, and are sterilized there. I feel much better not using the counters as resting places for food, and it pretty much eliminates the chance of cross-contamination. I have a lot of cloths, and they get washed and dried before they get disgusting.
Corey123
Washing Up
I think there is an even easier way around this problem.
Get some Lysol Kitchen Spray. It's made to be used on countertops cutting boards and such. When the sponge starts to smell funky, I just spray it with the stuff, and PRESTO, the smell is gone and so are the germs!!
And like the microwave, it also kills 99.9% of germs in just 30 seconds!!
Get some Lysol Kitchen Spray. It's made to be used on countertops cutting boards and such. When the sponge starts to smell funky, I just spray it with the stuff, and PRESTO, the smell is gone and so are the germs!!
And like the microwave, it also kills 99.9% of germs in just 30 seconds!!
I'm not clear on what you're saying here about "leaving" sponges in the dishwasher. I put them in occasionally on the top rack, and I also microwave them every week or so.
mozart
Senior Cook
Hi Corey:
The smell may be gone, but the germs sure aren't unless submerge it in the spray, which is pretty expensive compared to microwaving, and probably won't kill all the germs.
Lysol type sprays are made to kill germs on smooth, non-porous surfaces, not on sponges or wood.
Corey123
Washing Up
And that's exactly what I do - saturate the living **** out of it until it begins to drip from the sponge. The stuff will work, trust me.
mozart
Senior Cook
Hi Suzy,
Putting a sponge in the dishwasher is like putting it in an incubator. You are giving it the perfect conditions to grow bacteria; moisture, and heat.
The water in you dishwasher is not likely to be hot enough to kill bacteria, particularly those embedded in a sponge. Most home dishwashers only provide water as hot as the water that come out of your tap, 120-130 for most homes. The "heat dry" function is often turned off for fear of melting the "sponge" (which of course isn't really sponge) and even if it isn't, it may not get hot enough to kill all those germs you just bred in the sponge before.
Worse, as the water drips out of the sponge, you are spreading these germs to all your other dishes.
Bleach and water mix, or microwaving a wet sponge (which essentially amounts to putting it is boiling water) are the only to cost effective ways to sanitize a sponge I know of.
And because the microwave uses no chemicals that may cause other problems, that would be my way of choice.
mozart
Senior Cook
I agree that will work, but not any better than plain old bleach and water.
And you need to ask yourself this; Is killing the germs the only thing I should be worried about?
What about the huge amount of the killing agent that you may be leaving in the sponge. If you read about the active agent in this product, you may have second thoughts. LEHN & FINK PRODUCTS -- LYSOL (R) BRAND DISINFECTANT SPRAY - - ORIGINAL, FRESH, LIGHT, COUNTRY
I'm not trying to give you a hard time here, but using any chemical product in a manner not in keeping with the manufacturer's directions is dangerous IMO.
Corey123
Washing Up
If you have a dishwasher at home, and it has an option for an extra hot wash and rinse, it usually heats the water to about anywhere from 140 degrees or about 165 to 170 degress for the final rinse cycle.
And yes, it IS for non-porous items like plates, bowls, utensils, drinking vessels and flatware. I keep the water heater set to about 120 degrees. That temp is plenty enough for the things you do every day, such as taking baths or showers, washing clothes, etc..
My dishwasher, on the other hand, raises the temp of the water to get an extra hot steamy 140-degree temp for washing and rinsing the loads. It takes care of the problem of not haveing water that's hot enough to get rid of grease, germs and bacteria, which will die in 140-degree water.
The final rinse water is first heated, then this part of the entire cycle is extended for another 20 minutes, which means the dishes are being saturated drenched soaked and power-rinsed to kill the germs and promote faster even-heat drying
And yes, it IS for non-porous items like plates, bowls, utensils, drinking vessels and flatware. I keep the water heater set to about 120 degrees. That temp is plenty enough for the things you do every day, such as taking baths or showers, washing clothes, etc..
My dishwasher, on the other hand, raises the temp of the water to get an extra hot steamy 140-degree temp for washing and rinsing the loads. It takes care of the problem of not haveing water that's hot enough to get rid of grease, germs and bacteria, which will die in 140-degree water.
The final rinse water is first heated, then this part of the entire cycle is extended for another 20 minutes, which means the dishes are being saturated drenched soaked and power-rinsed to kill the germs and promote faster even-heat drying
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Cordel
Senior Cook
I really think that forgetting sponges altogether, using dish clothes, preferably those made of bamboo, putting them in the wash after a day's use, or less, is by far the best way. You can bleach them or the drying temperature should be high enough to kill the bacteria.
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