If we are to believe the investigation by the French Consumer Safety Commission (CSC), a sponge should only be kept for two days! However, for the majority of people, a sponge will last until it is deformed, too dirty or smells like death. Without going so far as to change it several times a week and making the purchase of a sponge, although not very expensive, become a thorn in the budget, let us understand here that it is appropriate to adopt the right actions to avoid health problems because of the bacteria that live there.
Find out how to clean your sponge and sanitize it without bleach in our article. This will make it more effective in wiping and scrubbing dirt.
1) Have good daily habits with your sponge
- A good rinsing is important after each use to remove dirt, but also residues of food or dishwashing detergent which could accelerate the arrival of microbes.
- Wringing carefully after use will reduce humidity (and we know how much germs love that!). Let it dry between uses.
- We don’t do all the surfaces with one and the same sponge! Just because you rinse it afterwards doesn’t mean you can scrub the floor, shine the stainless steel sink, apply ceramic glass cleaner to the hobs and then clean the dishes with it. Use them judiciously on dirt and prefer to have several (of different colors if possible to distinguish the different uses).
2) Disinfect the sponge regularly
Whether it’s a natural biodegradable or classic sponge, a sponge can be cleaned and disinfected! This ensures good absorption when wiping in the household and ensures the hygiene of the house. There are three good actions to disinfect your sponge very effectively without chemicals:
- Give him an overnight dip in a mixture ofwater and fresh lemon juice or white vinegar. This will remove unpleasant odors from it and degrease it.
- Put the damp sponge in for a minute in the microwave setting it to the most intense heat. This technique effectively removes germs, but will not be suitable for a sponge that contains metal.
- If you are lucky enough to have a dishwasherslip your sponge in for the next cleaning with everything else (normal heat). You will say goodbye to 99% of bacteria with this disinfection technique.