How to Clean a Sponge

Posted on October 11th, 2009 by Elaine

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A kitchen sponge is very useful, whether for wiping stains and spills, cleaning dirty dishes or wiping the table. Over time, though, it can become infected with different spores, yeast and germs, which can be transferred to your food and other utensils. The best way to prevent this is by cleaning your sponge regularly. Here are several methods.

Using The Microwave

What You’ll Need:

Microwave
Microwave-safe container
Dishwashing soap
Paper towel

Procedure:

Get a microwave-safe container that’s big enough to submerge the sponge in. Fill it with water.

sponge cleaning

Get the dirty sponge and squirt dishwashing soap all over it.
Squeeze the sponge, creating soap suds. Run tap water over it lightly, so the soap will disperse throughout the sponge.
Put the sponge in the water-filled container, then cover with a paper towel. This prevents over-bubbling and spills later. Put the container in the microwave.
Microwave the sponge for two minutes, on high setting. There will be plenty of bubbles forming; don’t panic, since this will actually help clean your sponge.
Take the container carefully out of the microwave, and leave it for five minutes, so the water will cool first.
Rinse the remaining soap under cold water.

Using Salt

What You’ll Need:

Container
Water
Salt
Dishwashing soap

Procedure:

Fill up the container with cold water, then pour ¼ cup of salt in it. Stir and dissolve the salt in the water completely.
Get the sponge and wash it with the dishwashing soap and water, removing as much grime and particles as you can. Squeeze it, so particles on the inside will dislodge.
Submerge the sponge in the salt water, leaving it to soak overnight.
The next day remove the sponge from the salt water. Rinse and wash it for the last time.
Air dry the sponge completely before using it.
If you want to know other uses of salt, read how to make use of household salt.

Soaking In Bleach

What You’ll Need:

Water
Bleach
Container

Procedure:

In a clean container, make a mixture of water and bleach, at a 9:1 ratio.
Soak the sponge in the mixture for three minutes.
Remove the sponge, then rinse well. The smell of the bleach might linger. Make sure you rinse out the bleach completely.

If you’ve tried all these methods, and the stink or slime still remains, buy a new sponge instead. It’s not very expensive anyway. Remember, a dirty sponge has no place in a clean kitchen. For more information regarding this article, read how to get rid of sour sponge smell.