Tip of the Week
Give Your Kitchen Sponge a Bath
Whether you're doing the dishes or wiping down the counter, be sure that your sponge isn't leaving behind a toxic mess. Though soppy kitchen sponges and dishrags are notorious breeding grounds for bacteria, avoid the temptation to pick up an antibacterial or antimicrobial option. Antibacterial products are usually treated with the pesticide triclosan, which provides no additional protection beyond that of plain soap, according to researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and may even contribute to the rise of some drug-resistant bacteria. Not only that, but when triclosan is exposed to water treated with chlorine (and most municipal water is ), it can form the probable human carcinogen chloriform. Kitchens aside, triclosan is showing up in places it shouldn't be, such as breast milk and U.S. waterways, where sunlight can convert it to carcinogenic dioxins that wind up in fish and rise through the food chain.
There are "greener" ways to lighten the bacteria load in sponges.
• Wring sponges out after each use, and, between uses, keep them as dry as possible.
• Disinfect sponges at least once a week by boiling them in water for three minutes or more, or soaking them in water with a splash of bleach or hydrogen peroxide. You can also pop them in the microwave for a minute or two.
• Never clean cutting boards used for meat with a kitchen sponge. Use a washable dishrag instead.
It's also a good idea to replace sponges often, but keep in mind that many sponges are made from non-renewable petroleum. Opt for plant-derived, biodegradable cellulose sponges instead (Natural Value cellulose sponge, available at Westerly Natural Market at www.westerlynaturalmarket.com, or at www.naturalvalue.com, $.99 for one). Check out your local hardware store if the supermarket doesn't carry any, or skip the sponge altogether and stick to washable, reusable dish towels.
© The Green Guide, 2008
Discuss this blog
posted by edc1951 on 2007-10-24 20:22:34
Awhile back I saw a chart which I cannot now find, but it compared the cleanliness of sponges after they had been cleaned in a variety of ways (including those listed above) According to the chart the only method that really gets the sponge clean is the microwaving, although my mother swears that leaving it propped on its side until dry also gets rid of all the germs.
posted by rrkoty on 2007-12-06 08:25:00
Sponges,with those millions of "tunnels" can really never be bacteria free.We here in India traditionally use coconut coir for most of the cleaning work in and around the kitchen - vessels, kitchen platform, gas stove etc.Here's how it is used : A piece of coconut coir is slightly beaten with a hard object - by which the powdery soft particles fall off - leaving the strong fibres in place.These coconut coir fibres are excellent cleaners, and appear to improve the efficiency of scouring powders, ie, less quantity of cleaning powder would be required for a given quantity of dishes.Most important, this material is 100% eco-friendly,costs virtually nothing (neighboudhood shops selling coconuts would happily give away the coir free of cost !)Unlike sponge,coir does not appear to give out bad odour even if left in the damp cleaning powder dispenser. Surely, there may be many places where coconuts and therefore coir could not be readily available.But then, here is a product with virtually no manufacturing costs,its bio-degradeable and it only needs to be transported to the end user.Certainly worth trying as an alternate to bacteria loaded sponges !
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