In a story appearing in Innovations Report, researchers reveal that your kitchen cleaning sponge can breed germs, and obvious cleaning techniques are ultimately ineffective:
The first comprehensive study of contamination in used kitchen sponges worldwide has just been published. The high concentration of bacteria found in these cleaning materials is partially cause for concern. Washing the sponge in hot water or putting it in the microwave is not a long-term solution, say the researchers.
[...] These are environmental and water bacteria, but also bacteria which are typical for the human skin. Particularly for people with a weak immune system such as patients and the elderly, bacteria such as Acinetobacter johnsonii, Moraxella osoloensis and Chryseobacterium hominis can lead to infections. The very commonly found Moraxella osloensis bacteria can also cause kitchen sponges to stink. Faecal bacteria and those which cause food poisoning or dysentery however, were scarcely detected.
However the real cause for concern is: in sponges which according to their users were regularly cleaned either in the microwave or through washing, showed considerably higher levels of potentially pathogenic bacteria. The scientists assume that the cleaning of the sponges can lead to a short-term decrease in the number of germs; obviously in the quickly regrowing communities however, the potentially pathogenic bacteria achieve an ever stronger domination, probably due to a higher stress tolerance.
"Sometimes the bacteria achieved a concentration of more than 5 times 10^10 cells per cubic centimetre," ... "Those are concentrations which one would normally only find in faecal samples.
Journal article: Microbiome analysis and confocal microscopy of used kitchen sponges reveal massive colonization by Acinetobacter, Moraxella and Chryseobacterium species.
[MythBusters covered this is in Season 7. - Ed]
(Score: 3, Insightful) by bob_super on Friday July 21 2017, @12:05AM (1 child)
Give that sponge to your kids to play with, and they'll catch less bugs at school.
(Score: 2) by Rivenaleem on Friday July 21 2017, @08:56AM
There is a product brand-named "Gripe Water [wikipedia.org]" ("Gripe water is a product sold to relieve colic and other gastrointestinal ailments and discomforts of infants. No evidence supports the efficacy of gripe water and its use poses risks to the infant, especially in formulations that include alcohol or sugar")
Well my father, being an Irish farmer, understands a Gripe to be a stagnant run-off drain. He was at first puzzled, but then determined that it would probably be just as good for baby in the long run if they were given a tea-spoon of gripe water daily, as it would surely boost their immune system.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 21 2017, @12:27AM
Your kitchen sponge may be trying to kill you. News at 11.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 21 2017, @12:44AM (7 children)
Is there a recommended cleaning method that doesn't favor re-growth of the nasties? We run sponges through the dishwasher, with strong dishwasher soap, but this isn't every day.
Or maybe a dish rag is a better choice than a sponge?
(Score: 1) by Virindi on Friday July 21 2017, @02:24AM (4 children)
I soak them in boiling water. Seems quite effective by the unscientific "sniff test".
Maybe the real headline here is, people tend to use ineffective methods of killing bacteria? That they should be more realistic about what kills bacteria, hot water doesn't cut it?
(Score: 2) by sgleysti on Friday July 21 2017, @04:16AM (1 child)
Same here. I put the sponge in a pot of boiling water and smash it occasionally with a fork to circulate boiling water through the sponge.
Similarly to Virindi, it always smells neutral after that, but I don't know if that kills other harmful bacteria.
(Score: 2) by riT-k0MA on Friday July 21 2017, @06:42AM
TFA shows that this leads to a buildup of harmful bacteria afterwards, as the non-harmful germs can't out-compete the harmful germs anymore [because they're dead].
Not all germs are bad for you. Most germs present as "challenge germs". It's like gym for the immune system. Fewer challenge germs = weaker immune system = sick more often.
(Score: 2) by Wootery on Friday July 21 2017, @01:45PM (1 child)
But the summary already mentions microwaving (presumably whilst submerged in water?), which is presumably much the same as just submerging in boiling water.
(Score: 2) by Osamabobama on Friday July 21 2017, @05:15PM
I wouldn't assume submersion, but would expect the sponge to be significantly wet before microwaving.
Appended to the end of comments you post. Max: 120 chars.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 21 2017, @10:38AM
I was going to suggest soaking it in fresh blood, to let the immune cells sort them out, but then I realized that whatever doesn't kill them all only makes them stronger for the next round. I guess that the only way to not be beaten by an invincible and undying opponent such as pathogens is to not go forth and fight them until you absolutely have to. When there is a conflict, only effective weapon is a surprise weapon.
Also, pushing someone else into dogfight with nasties is clever strategy, so I guess it is boil with degreaser (detergent), rinse well, microwave, cool, soak with probiotics slurry, rinse, and dry.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by richtopia on Friday July 21 2017, @12:25PM
Perhaps steam in a pressure cooker? I think that is the most aggressive you can get with household items and not resorting to some serious chemicals.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 21 2017, @12:52AM (3 children)
Put'em where they can dry out.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday July 21 2017, @12:59AM (2 children)
Define "dry". And, how do you monitor the humidity inside of the sponge? Even if we agree that the sponge is dried out, how many of the organisms inside of the sponge are killed by drying out? Some maybe, but certainly not all.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 21 2017, @02:09AM (1 child)
Define germ-free environment.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday July 21 2017, @01:51PM
That might be at the bottom of pool filled with formaldehyde. Maybe.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 2) by julian on Friday July 21 2017, @01:19AM
Keep it in a dish filled with isopropyl alcohol. It will need a covering to prevent evaporation.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 21 2017, @01:25AM
So there's no reason for you not to eat shit! Clinton 2020.
(Score: 3, Informative) by leftover on Friday July 21 2017, @01:44AM
Yet another "first study" of the long-known and often-studied. Every high school biology class includes this.
With all of the important problems of pollution, contamination, and environmental fuckery going on, can't
even budding scientists locate something significant to study?
Bent, folded, spindled, and mutilated.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 21 2017, @03:17AM (2 children)
So how many of these bacteria end up on "clean" dishes. And has anyone ever got sick? If these are normal skin bacteria, they can't be that bad.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 21 2017, @04:21AM (1 child)
TFS: "sponges which according to their users were regularly cleaned either in the microwave or through washing, showed considerably higher levels of potentially pathogenic bacteria" ("pathogenic" means able to cause illness).
(Score: 2) by riT-k0MA on Friday July 21 2017, @06:44AM
In other words, don't sterilize your sponges. It kills the "good" germs that keep the "bad" (pathogenic) germs in check.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 21 2017, @04:52AM (2 children)
I replace kitchen sponges when they have been crumbling to bits from long use. No antibacterial cleaners or soaps are used.
My immune system has likely had so much exercise, I could eat soup off the floor or participate in US politics and never get sick, not physically anyway. Russian assassins with their polonium would be out of luck - tho I suppose USian assassins could just do me like they did Seth Rich...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 21 2017, @10:42AM (1 child)
Perhaps we need a new line of products: instead of antibacterial, soap and cleaners WITH good bacteria spores added. We just need to select our best smallest domestic germ and cultivate it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 22 2017, @12:47AM
No need to painstakingly cultivate germs in lab and add them to sponges. Instead create intercontinental exchange network for quick delivery of used sponges to properly mix the diverse germs worldwide.