You Can Kill Germs With Your Microwave
January 30, 2007 by Kristen King
Filed under Women's Health
This was another one of those reports that I read and just say, “Um, duh?” but evidently it’s been scientifically proven that microwaving your kitchen sponge can kill germs and potentially harmful bacteria.
“Basically, what we find is that we could knock out most bacteria in two minutes,” says researcher Gabriel Bitton, professor of environmental engineering at the University of Florida, in a news release. “People often put their sponges and scrubbers in the dishwasher, but if they really want to decontaminate them and not just clean them, they should use the microwave.”
Have you ever microwaved your sponge or dishcloth? If so, you probably already know the important details. For those new to the idea, keep these tips in mind:
- Microwave only sponges or plastic scrubbers that do not contain steel or other metals.
- Make sure the sponge or scrubber is wet, not dry.
- Two minutes should be enough to kill most disease-causing germs.
- Be careful in removing the sponge from the microwave because it will be hot and should not be handled immediately after zapping.
Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King
I heard that, but never the details. Thanks.
I still would rather wash all my kitchen towels in the hottest cycle with good, solid soap, though.
But I’ll try the sponge thing.
I usually just pop the sponge into the dishwasher with the dishes after I finish up with it.
But I should probably replace them more frequently than I do.
well i just did a science expiriment (because im a geek) and i found out that your microwave doesn’t kill a lot of germs that are on your food that you spill in the microwave. its actually worse if you clean it out then put it back in then just clean the big stuff out and turn on the microwave.