How Often You Should Replace Your Kitchen Sponges, According to Experts
You're probably not doing it often enough.
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Whether I'm wiping off the counter or scrubbing a pot, I reach for a versatile kitchen sponge to do the job. I've often wondered, though, how often I should be replacing my sponge. After some research and talking to a food safety expert, I now know that I need to do that more often.
The kitchen sponge is the germiest place in the home, according to a 2011 study from the National Sanitation Foundation. When researchers had people in 22 households swab 30 different surfaces in their homes, they found that 77 percent of dish sponges or rags had coliform, a bacteria family that includes salmonella and E. coli. By comparison, only five percent of toilet seats had coliform.
“The biggest misconception identified through the study was that the bathroom is the dirtiest place in the house when, in fact, the kitchen had the most germs,” the researchers wrote.
How To Clean Your Kitchen Sponge
There is a middle ground between using a dirty sponge and throwing it away frequently: you can extend your kitchen sponge's life by cleaning it regularly.
Soak the sponge for five minutes in a solution of one quart water and three tablespoons of chlorine bleach, suggests Jessica Ek, spokesperson for the American Cleaning Institute. Then, let the sponge air dry.
Zahra Mohammad, Ph.D., a food microbiology and safety expert with the University of Houston and the American Society for Microbiology, prefers using the microwave. She zaps it on high for a minute.
Mohammad microwaves her kitchen sponge twice a day. Ek suggests cleaning the kitchen sponge at least once a week.
How Often You Should Replace Your Kitchen Sponge
Even if you are religious about cleaning your sponge, you still need to replace it often.
The USDA says that microwaving or boiling kitchen sponges “may reduce some of the bacterial lode,” but that’s not enough to avoid cross-contamination with your hands, counters, or food. If you use sponges, buy new ones frequently, that agency advises.
Mohammad replaces her kitchen sponge every week. She sometimes replaces it sooner if it is dirty. Ek says a kitchen sponge should be replaced at least every two to three weeks, “depending on how frequently and roughly you use it.”
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Why Kitchen Sponges Get So Dirty
Kitchen sponges are porous and damp, which creates the ideal environment for bacteria to grow.
“Sponges have a physical structure that consists of an array of large and small holes, and this gives sponges the ability to hold water,” says Mohammad. “That means the sponges always stay moist, and water won't be released until someone forces it out by squeezing or drying out over time. In addition, food residues easily go into the sponge.”
That wet, food-filled sponge becomes the perfect place for bacteria to grow quickly. Billions of bacteria can grow in sponges, says Mohammad, but not all of them are dangerous.
Harmful bacteria—or pathogens—like Salmonella, E.coli, and Listeria can grow quickly and spread from sponges to hands, kitchen surfaces, and other equipment. Depending on the surface and type of bacteria, they can linger for days and make people sick.
Sponge Alternatives to Consider
If the germ factor has turned you off sponges, there are other, cleaner options like Swedish dishcloths which act like washable, sturdy paper towels. They dry quickly so bacteria isn’t as prevalent.
Kitchen brushes may also be a cleaner way to scrub your dishes. Several recent studies have found that bacteria grow and thrive better in sponges than kitchen brushes because brushes dry faster than sponges and may be less of a friendly environment for germs.
“Many brushes are also dishwasher safe and last longer than sponges when properly cared for,” says Ek, who suggests using paper towels to mop up spills.
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