How to Clean a Sponge to Kill Germs, Using 4 Easy Methods

When it comes to kitchen necessities, sponges are the absolute G.O.A.T. From minuscule tasks like sopping up a splatter while making chili to bigger missions like scrubbing your oven, dishwasher or toaster, the world would be a very grim and dirty place without sponges. But because they’re constantly doused in soap and water, it’s easy to forget that sponges need to be cleaned too. Find out how to clean a sponge in order to kill germs below.

While your sponge spends a lot of time submerged in water and other cleaning products, it’s not actually self-cleaning, which means you have to give it some TLC. “Cleaning a sponge weekly will help prevent you from spreading bacteria from dish to dish as well as to your sink and countertops which can help keep you and your family from getting sick,” our friends at the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) tell us.

According to a 2017 study by Scientific Reports, kitchen sponges are a hotbed for germs and bacteria. “We found 362 different species of bacteria, and locally, the density of bacteria reached up to 45 billion per square centimeter," microbiologist Markus Egert, who led the study, told NPR. "That's a very huge number of bacteria. There's hardly any habitat on Earth where you'll find similar densities of bacteria, except for the human intestinal tract." Yikes!

While sanitizing your sponge every week makes it less gross, this handy kitchen helper still won’t survive forever. For optimal hygiene, the ACI also recommends folks replace a sponge every two to three weeks, or as soon as it starts to look and smell like it has seen better days.

The good news is, because sponges are so easy to sanitize, you don’t need to make a day out of it. With one of the four methods below, you can disinfect your sponge while tending to other errands around the house.

In addition to reheating last night’s lasagna, the microwave can also effectively kill 99 percent of bacteria on your sponge, including hazardous bacteria like E. coli, says the USDA. But before you throw your kitchen cleaner into the microwave, make sure it doesn’t contain steel fibers or other metals and ensure that it’s wet. Fill a microwave-safe container with water, place your sponge inside and microwave for four minutes. Let it cool down for 10 to 15 minutes, then wring out any excess water.

Like microwaves, dishwashers are also highly effective in zapping away germs from your sponge. All you have to do is put your sponge in the dishwasher and press the “heated dry” button on the appliance. That’s it. When the dishwasher is done doing its thing, your sponge is ready to use.

Surely we can’t talk about cleaning and disinfecting without mentioning bleach. To disinfect your sponge, Clorox recommends soaking it in ½ a cup of bleach mixed with a gallon of water. Let it soak for five minutes, then rinse and dry. Keep in mind, bleach has a strong smell, so open the windows to circulate air in the room.

If you want to get rid of germs the natural way, try vinegar. Add 3 cups of water and 1 cup plain white vinegar to a large saucepan, says Housewives How To's. Then bring the mixture to a boil and add your kitchen sponge. Let everything boil for two minutes, then turn off the heat and let the solution cool until you can safely handle the sponge. Squeeze it out and let it air dry.