Must I banish sponges from my kitchen to avoid the risk of contamination?

Banishing sponges altogether isn’t a bad idea.  Believe it or not, you can clean up kitchen surfaces without them.  Keep sponges in your kitchen only if you’re willing to go through the steps necessary to keep them sanitized. 

Here’s what food scientist Susan Brewer has to say about sponges: “The five major causes of food-borne illness (Salmonella, E.coli, Campylobacter, Clostridium perfringens, and Staphylococcus aureus) are often found on sponges because we use them to clean up counters and cutting boards that have been in contact with raw foods that can carry these pathogens.” When used to clean contaminated surfaces and utensils and then later used on other surfaces, sponges spread the contamination around.

Brewer goes on to explain: “Sponges are ideal growing environments for many pathogens: they are porous so they trap pathogens, hold onto water (one of their purposes), and trap and hold food residue. Even if they seem to be 'squeezed dry,' they aren't dry in the interior, so bacteria can grow over time, especially at room temperature.   The temperature of dishwater ( less than 140°F) is too low to kill microbes, and washing sponges in the dishwasher cleans only the outer surface.”

So, if you are determined to use sponges in your kitchen, how can they be sanitized? First, wash the sponge with hot water and detergent to remove food residue. Then move on to any one of these next steps:

• Use a sponge for only 1 day and discard it (an expensive solution to the problem).

• Sanitize the used sponge at the end of every day by soaking it in a solution of 3 tablespoons of chlorine bleach in 1 quart of water for 5 minutes. Rinse, wring out, and let dry.  Warning: don’t overdo  the bleach. If you do, sponges may fall apart.

• Soak the used sponge in straight chlorine bleach while squeezing repeatedly.

• Boil the sponge (with water that’s at a full rolling boil) for 3 minutes.

•  Microwave the washed sponge. Microwaves can penetrate the sponge, so , while it is still wet, microwave it for 2 minutes on high power.  Since microwaves vary in power, it’s necessary to watch the sponge while you microwave to it to be sure it gets sufficiently hot to generate steam.  NEVER MICROWAVE A DRY SPONGE.  You could start a fire that way.

If all of these methods sound like too much trouble just to keep a sponge in your kitchen, here are some alternatives:

• Use  disposable paper towels.  (This can get expensive, especially if you buy sturdy ones.)

• Use a clean dish cloth for 1 day, and then throw it in the laundry with some bleach.(That’s what’s  generally recommended by most food safety people and what’s most economical).

• For especially messy tasks that require something  very absorbent, try ShamWow! ®.  It’s  more absorbent than an ordinary cloth rag, and it can be thrown into a load of wash with bleach (but no fabric softener).  Note: Don’t put this product into the dryer. It will air dry soft.

Sources:

Susan  Brewer, Ph.D., University of Illinois, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition 

housekeepingchannel.com “Sponge, Housekeeping and Cleaning Guide”
www.housekeepingchannel.com/hcp_185-Sponge  

University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.  Cooperative Extension Service.  “Food Safety Hot Topics: Cleaning the sponge that cleans your kitchen”
http://www.arfamilies.org/health_nutrition/Food_Safety/hot_topics/sponge.htm

Links:

housekeepingchannel.com “Sponge, Housekeeping and Cleaning Guide”
www.housekeepingchannel.com/hcp_185-Sponge  

University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.  Cooperative Extension Service.  “Food Safety Hot Topics: Cleaning the sponge that cleans your kitchen”
http://www.arfamilies.org/health_nutrition/Food_Safety/hot_topics/sponge.htm