That's Fit

How many of you use that old sponge at your kitchen sink until it is about ready to crumble apart forcing us to get another one out of the pack under the sink? Guilty by admission. How many of you use the sponges on a handle that will dispense soap to wash dishes. I Used to. Dish washing sponges are full of concavities, millions of them and these concavities help produce foam but are also a breading ground for lots of different bacteria. Most of the bacteria nestled inside sponges comes from food when we wash dishes or wipe counters, especially raw foods, like meat or poultry and vegetables.

Some people put sponges in the microwave to kill bacteria. Well lets blow this myth out of the water. The spores that some kind of bacteria make to survive harsh conditions do not contain much water and they might survive microwaves. Bacteria that spill food may be killed in a microwave, but the toxins that they produce are the actual substances that make us ill, and they are not destroyed by microwaves. Improperly cleaned microwaves are a breeding ground for germs and bacteria also.

Wooden and poly cutting boards are full of crevices and if you wash them with a sponge that is full of bacteria you are just pushing bacteria deep into the board creating a risk for food poisoning or infection.

So how do you protect yourself from these bacterias and germs breeding around your kitchen sink and in your sponge. Start healthy habits when cleaning. Wash your hands even before you pick up the sponge to wash dishes. Leave your sponge very dry and without any residue of organic material by cleaning your sponge after you wash your dishes and by all means keep it away from your cutting board. Soak your sponge in vinegar which is a natural bacteria killer. Most important is to change your sponge every week. Oh come on, you can't complain about that. You can buy 4 sponges for $2. The cost of a trip to a hospital for food or bacteria poisoning is $200. Cost of the sanity to know you are safe.......... PRICELESS.