All About YOU: What to Do with Dirty Sponges

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:

• Get a meat thermometer. Then, observe these "safe" temperatures.
• Add extra cilantro. Seems this pungent green may strike down bacteria.
• Toss the "3-second rule." If it hits the floor, it's not fit to eat. Here's why.

Are your food-handling practices up to par? Read this article -- and take the quiz -- to find out.

YOU: The Owner's Manual -- Updated and Expanded Edition. Roizen, M. F., Oz, M. C., New York: HarperCollins, 2008.