For those who still hand-wash dishes (like us)

[Lyric]

Did you know that if you microwave your wet dish scrubby-sponges for a minute or two every other day, it keeps them sanitary and smelling nice, so they last practically forever? It works better than anything else we've ever found.

:hi:

We have this kind:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41A3jTxTliL._SL500_AA280_PIbundle-8,TopRight,0,0_AA280_SH20_.jpg

Get them wet, stick them in the microwave, and zap away the germs. :)

[leftyclimber]

1. As long as they are not Brillo pads.

Or so I hear.

:hide:

[Orrex]

4. You clean those by jamming a 9-volt battery into them.

[leftyclimber]

12. Oh, is that how that works?

I will try that with my Brillo pads and report back. :evilgrin:

[Orrex]

13. First soak it in lighter fluid, which is an effective sanitizing agent

[leftyclimber]

15. Thank you for your sage advice.

I will get right on that.

At some point in the distant future.

[Orrex]

2. No shit? That's awesome!

I thought about trying that, but I was afraid I'd end up with the villain in Godzilla vs. The Sponge Monster.


Thanks for the tip!

[Lyric]

10. Yep, it really works, and we've never had a problem with any "melting"

or fumes or anything like that. Just make sure they're good and wet when you stick them in the microwave. We usually soak ours and then put them into a glass microwaveable dish for about two minutes on "High."

This actually works on ones that are *already* starting to smell a little, too--just wash them with hot water and soap, rinse the soap out, then stick them into the microwave for a couple of minutes to finish the job.

It saves a TON of money in the long-run; we only have to buy a new pack a few times a year.

:hi:

[BarenakedLady]

3. good tip

:thumbsup:

[lizziegrace]

5. I just threw one of those out tonight

It had been used too long, so I thought. I'll make sure to sanitize the next one.

Thanks!

[DarkTirade]

6. Unfortunately, a lot of us who don't have dishwashers... also don't have microwaves.

:P

[Orrex]

8. Do you take your dishes down to the river and beat them o n a rock?

[DarkTirade]

14. Only the fine china.

[sohndrsmith]

22. but boiling them for 30 seconds might provide the same result - unless

they'd disintegrate from that. My guess is they wouldn't, though...

I don't know about anyone else, but my housemate (and in the past, young kids) who would use the kitchen sponge for cleaning up lots of other things. So we always have two sponges, and they're usually identical, so I always cut a corner off one - that is the "non-dish" sponge. This sponge is for cleaning anything that isn't used for eating, or with cleaning products other than dish soap.

[DarkTirade]

23. Maybe that's why they last so long here...

the hot water is hot enough to give off steam. :P

[MrCoffee]

41. +1...no dishwasher, no microwave, no cable.

[DarkTirade]

47. Well, I had cable installed when I moved in. But just cable internet. No cable TV.

:)

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

7. Honestly, I go through sponges like socks

I use them a couple times and toss them. I know that microwaving them kills everything, but I'm neurotic. We finally have a dishwasher, though.

[Orrex]

11. If you use them like socks, no wonder you go through them so fast

They're meant for washing dishes!!!!!!!!!11!!1!

[FlyingSquirrel]

19. Speaking of socks

My wife actually tosses the sponges into the washer with clothes. Not sure if you'd be neurotic about that too, but it seems to do a fairly good job on them.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

24. I'd be neurotic about that

[FlyingSquirrel]

27. Had a feelin'. You could also soak 'em in bleach & water for a few mins.

That's cheap & easy

[Manifestor_of_Light]

32. Bleach and H20 does NOT work.

I tried soaking the sponges in clorox and water.

Makes the sponges fall apart. OOPS!!!

[FlyingSquirrel]

33. Depends on how strong the solution is and how long you soak 'em

A weak solution for about a minute is all you need. Maybe a teaspoon of bleach to a cup of hot water.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

38. We don't keep bleach in the house

We use all natural cleaning products.

It's best I just keep tossing out sponges.

[Jamastiene]

35. I'm the same way.

It might be a total catastrophe in every other room in the house (and sometimes it is), but in the kitchen, things just have to be clean. I'm super paranoid about the major illnesses (salmonella, e. coli, etc.) you can get from not handling things right, but I'm also paranoid about getting sick with the stagnant germs that have no fancy names.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

39. Yeah, I'm definitely not a neat person

I'm just a germophobe.

[Pithlet]

9. I will try that little tip.

I used to use those on my pots and pans but hated how smelly they got and throw them out so quickly that I felt it was wasteful.

[enigmatic]

16. Thanks for this

:thumbsup:

[RiffRandell]

17. I use old wash cloths.

Much cheaper and greener, since I use Method products for cleaning. Then I wash them in free and clear detergent.

[suninvited]

18. I actually did know that tip

but, I am sure that many do not.

[DeepBlueC]

20. does it work for cellulose sponges?

During the winter I just sit them on the very warm kitchen radiator but soon enough I could use another option.

[Lyric]

21. I'm not sure what the difference is between cellulose sponges

and the kind we use. Ours have the rough "scrubby" side, and then a soft, squishy other side that's like a normal sponge. Is that cellulose? If so, then yes, it works perfectly.

:hi:

[DeepBlueC]

29. no cellulose ones have the uneven holes, big & little

no scrubber side. They are the only kind I like & I go through them pretty quickly. I know you can rinse them, in a weak bleach solution then dry, but that is a pain in the ass & more housework than I can accommodate.

[Lyric]

30. Well I would say, try it and see.

One minute at, say, half power--just to be safe. I'm guessing that as long as you make sure they're wet enough, you'll be fine.

:hi:

[DeepBlueC]

36. umm, how do you know if it works?

as long as the sponge emerges in one piece? I'm going to try it (full power!!!) :hi:

[Lyric]

37. Yep! lol

If it comes out okay, then you should be fine. :)

[elleng]

25. THANKS.

Used to have GREAT sponges (when I had more money) that would last forever; put them in washer occasionally.

FLAT sponge

http://www.thisnext.com/item/A335995D/E0F46925/Williams-Sonoma-Flat-Sponges

Am going to house where I had them, and HOPE I'll find some! If not, will microwave what I've got!!!

[RiffRandell]

26. They're still not good for the environment.

I stopped buying sponges long ago.

[Kali]

28. a little bleach will work too

sponges gross me out - bacteria hatchery. I use cotton dish cloths and throw them in the washing machine with kitchen towels and that sort of thing (with bleach, of course)

[Flaxbee]

31. discovered that little trick a few months ago....

and it really is very helpful. I still pitch the sponges when they get grubby / start to pill, but I've extended the life of my dish sponges by months with this trick.

I buy the 3-pack Scotch-Brite pink sponges w/white scrubby surface.

There are times I wish I had a dishwasher, but it's not too often; our window right now looks out over a lake so the dish-time can be kind of contemplative. If I had a huge dinner party, I'd be hating life, but with only two people in the house, it isn't bad.

Thanks for posting the tip! :hi:

[sohndrsmith]

34. come to think of it - washing dishes is not only cathartic in and of itself, but

you can't do it without washing your hands. I'm no paragon of cleanliness by any stretch (I think making things TOO sterile can make one sick - or at least less resistant to some things over time) but I'm a big proponent for reasonable and regular hand washing. I have a lot of health problems but they're all heredity or bad-luck related, not things I've "caught"... maybe that's just coincidence, though. Who knows...

[MorningGlow]

40. Good reminder

I did know that, but I never actually do it. I think that's because by the time I contemplate pulling out a new sponge, the one in use has become decimated by melted cheese in the scrubby parts (I use the same brand). NOTHING gets that out.

[fizzgig]

42. doing that can also help you clean your microwave

i had some crud caked on the inside of my microwave, my boyfriend zapped a sponge for a few minutes and the stuff wiped right off. :)

[bikebloke]

43. My sponges fall apart before they can schtink

Though I had one of those plastic net scrubber balls that finally grew funky. I poured boiling water over it.

[Shell Beau]

44. Someone told me to do that. It just icks me out for some reason.

I would rather toss my dish rags into the washing machine!

[Midlodemocrat]

45. I do that every night.

Because I do a lot of handwashing like pots, pans, etc.

[ceile]

46. I'll try that.

Good tip.

[applegrove]

48. Works for cloths too.

[demmiblue]

49. I have a little spray bottle full of vinegar

I spritz the sponge after I wash the dishes. It not only disinfects the sponge, but it also disinfects the counters.