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All About YOU: What to Do with Dirty Sponges

Rating: 4 out of 5
A sponge is like the back row in study hall -- it attracts all the bad elements. So here’s what you should do with it:

Toss it, suggest YOU docs Mehmet Oz, MD, and Michael Roizen, MD. Instead, buy 10 cheap dishcloths and 2 buckets. Put the clean cloths in one bucket and the dirty cloths in the other bucket along with some diluted bleach. Wash all the cloths once a week.

More Sanitary Solutions
Sponges actually grow bacteria. But if you simply can’t part with your sponges, run them through the dishwasher once a week. You can also microwave damp sponges for a minute to kill germs. But use extreme caution: Wet the sponge thoroughly, and use tongs to take it out of the microwave. (Find out why your faucet beats hand wipes.)

Keeping a Safer Kitchen
Here are a few more simple steps for keeping yourself safe from common illness-causing bacteria: Are your food-handling practices up to par? Read this article -- and take the quiz -- to find out.
RealAge Benefit: Washing your hands frequently and using safe food-handling practices can make your RealAge 0.4 years younger.

References Published on 07/17/2008.
YOU: The Owner's Manual -- Updated and Expanded Edition. Roizen, M. F., Oz, M. C., New York: HarperCollins, 2008.

EDITOR'S PICK
Terry Towels


Another reason to say sayonara to your sponge? Waste! Dishcloths can be endlessly used and abused and still come out of the dryer ready for another day. To clean green, buy a giant pack of white 100% cotton towels from the automotive aisle! At 75¢ vs. $2 each, you’ll save some green, too!

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Tips from the RealAge Community MemberTipsIcon
How do you keep your sponges and dishcloths clean?
Sort by:
taterjo
4 of 7 people found this helpful.
5/12/2009 10:11:54 PM

I don't use sponges or dishcloths. I use the green fiber scrubber without a sponge, a plastic string scrubber and stainless steel scrubber. [Show More]
Coco257
6 of 6 people found this helpful.
5/1/2009 8:42:04 AM

I like sponges because of the green scrubber. I put mine in the diswasher everytime I run it and after each use give it a shot of cleaner wi [Show More]
Pattyjean2
9 of 9 people found this helpful.
4/30/2009 9:33:57 AM

I have never used sponges, never cared for them...have always used
dishcloths, which i have everyday for many years add BLEACH to my
dishwa
[Show More]
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