Today I will be showing you how to clean a sponge using 9 simple yet effective methods.
Why do dish sponges smell so bad?
The reason why most dish sponges smell so bad after time is because of three things; they have a lot of food on them, they aren’t being cleaned regularly and there is a lot of water soaked into the sponges. I will now show you the best ways to clean your dirty dish sponges.
1. Soak it in boiling water
Cleaning a sponge with boiling water is one of the best ways to remove bacteria from it. To clean your sponge with boiling water, you just need to fill up a pot with 3 cups of water and let it boil. Then place the sponge inside of the boiling water and let it sit there for 4-5 minutes. After that let the pot cool down and take out the sponge and squeeze the excess water out of it.
2. Clean it with vinegar
The best vinegar to use when cleaning a sponge is one that is for cleaning and not for cooking/eating. Before you clean your sponge, make sure to rinse it under running water so that they are no food particles left on it. After rinsing it you should place it into a small bowl filled with 2-3 cups of vinegar and let it soak for 10-30 minutes. After letting it soak take out the sponge and rinse it using dish soap and water.
3. Throw it in the washer
This is probably the easiest method in this article. All you have to do is just place the sponge inside of the washer and use your favorite laundry detergents (make sure to select the warm water option). After washing it, you should know to place it inside the dryer so that the heat can kill the remaining bacteria.
4. Place it in the microwave
This is one of the most popular ways to clean a sponge and it’s for a good reason. A lot of kitchen sponges are filled with a good amount of bacteria and germs and one of the best ways to kill germs and bacteria is to expose them to high temperatures of heat. Do you know what else produces a lot of heat? Your microwave!
To clean your sponge using a microwave, what you need to do is rinse the sponge so that there aren’t any food particles on it, then place it inside the microwave for one minute. Remember to keep an eye on the sponge as it can catch on fire.
Does microwave kill sponge mold?
The simple answer to this is yes because a microwave produces a lot of heat and which isn’t great for mold, germs, and bacteria but I would suggest that you shouldn’t use a sponge that had any type of mold on it, it’s always best to get a new one.
5. Clean the sponge in the dishwasher
Using a microwave to clean a sponge is great but using a dishwasher can be better because it won’t only heat it but it will clean it as well. Before you place your sponge in the dishwasher you have to rinse it first so that there won’t be any solid particles on it. When cleaning your sponge using a dishwasher make sure to place it on the top rack and choose the “heated dry” option, it might be different for you.
Will the dishwasher kill the mold on sponges
A dishwasher will kill any type of bacteria that’s on your sponges including mold. I still don’t recommend anyone to use a sponge that had mold on it because mold can cause some health issues so it’s best to get a new sponge.
6. Disinfect it with bleach
Bleach is great at cleaning a lot of things. So using it to clean your sponges isn’t a bad idea. Some people usually avoid bleach because the odor is too strong and harsh but all you have to do is wear a face covering, dilute it in water and wear gloves so that it doesn’t irritate your skin (it only does this to people with really sensitive skin).
To clean your sponge with bleach your first need to pour 1 cup of bleach into a bowl and add 3 cups of water into it. Now place the sponge into the bowl and let it sit there for 5 minutes. After that just rinse it with warm water.
7. Soak in Fabuloso Disinfectant
This is very simple, all you have to do is soak the sponge in a bowl filled with fabuloso disinfectant for 10-20 minutes, then take it out and squeeze the excess liquid out of it. Doing this will make the sponge clean and smell way better than before.
8. Clean it with rubbing alcohol
Rinse the sponge so that there are no food particles on it and pour 1 cup of rubbing alcohol onto it. Let the sponge soak up the rubbing alcohol for 20 minutes, then squeeze it out and rinse it using warm water.
9. Soak it in hydrogen peroxide
Get a small dish and pour 2 cups worth of hydrogen peroxide into it. Then place the sponge into the dish. The sponge will start to foam which means the method is working. Let it sit in the bowl for 5 minutes, then take it and rinse it under running warm water.
How to keep dish sponge from smelling
Most times the dish sponge usually starts to smell after a while. There are many reasons for it to smell, it could be that there is a lot of small food particles stuck on them, the other reason could be that there is a lot of water inside the sponge. To keep your sponge from smelling make sure to clean it every week, and also make sure to rinse it and squeeze all the excess water out of it after you use it.
When is the best time to get rid of a sponge?
The best time to get rid of a cleaning sponge and get a new one is when mold starts to grow on it and also if you’ve had it for over 5 months.
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