You use your kitchen sponge for all kinds of things. You can use it to scrub pots and pans, clean dishes or wipe the counters. However, research shows that they may not be the best kitchen tool. They harbor more bacteria that almost any kitchen tool. Markus Egert, microbiologist, Furtwangen University in Schwarzwald (Germany), says that used sponges have been colonized with a wide variety of microbes including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Egert says that there is an “entire universe” of microbes. There are 54 billion microbes per cubic centimeter.
This is a comparison of your kitchen sponges to feces.
To give you some context, the bacteria found in feces samples would roughly be equivalent to what one finds on a human. Your kitchen sponge could be just as filthy as human feces. Egert says that although the quality of the bacteria is different, it’s still similar in quantity. Egert’s team published a study in July 2017 that found kitchen sponges to be “microbiological “hot spots that spread and collect bacteria. Egert says that cleaning the sponges can lead to a selection of bacteria that are more resistant. Wood vs. What’s the Healthiest and Cleanest Plastic Cutting Board?
Can the bacteria on a kitchen sponge make you sick? Egert says that most of the bacteria on sponges come from water, soil or food. Egert says that although the bacteria found on kitchen sponges are not known to cause illness, that does not mean they do exist and spread disease. Trond Moretro, a Microbiologist from Nofima in Tromso in Norway said sponges were a breeding ground for bacteria as they sat at room temperature and never dried out. They are also covered with food residue. His team published an article in September 2022 of the Journal of Applied Microbiology that revealed that sponges harbor a variety of microbes, both harmless and dangerous. This included Salmonella. Moretro says that the majority of bacteria they found are not harmful.
Despite this, harmful bacteria such as Listeria, Salmonella and E. coli that are found on kitchen sponges could be used to spread disease. Even if you do not eat any meat, bacteria that can cause disease are spread by raw fruit and vegetables.
Moretro says that a brush is the best way to wash your dishes. In a study published in January 2021, Moretro found that brushes dried out faster and were “more hygienic” than sponges. Moretro tested both brushes and sponges with bacteria and discovered that kitchen brushes dried faster than sponges at room temperatures. Moretro says that bacteria are killed when brushes are dried. If you use a scrub brush instead of a sponge you can increase the water temperature in your sink to make it more effective at killing bacteria. The handle will allow you to keep most of your hands out of the water. He says that if you use a brush, it’s best to replace the sponge every time. If you want to ensure that your kitchen is free from dangerous bacteria which could lead to foodborne illness, then a kitchen scrubber will be your best friend. The information in this article should only be used as a source of general knowledge and not for medical advice.
