Do you use sponges to scrub vessels? Here's how to use it safely

The overall health and immunity of the family members often depend on the neatness of the house. If you fall ill regularly, the real reason might be the things used for cleaning the house. The sponge scrubbing the vessels could be the breeding ground for many harmful bacteria. We may even mistake many diseases caused by these cleaning sponges for food-borne diseases. Changing the sponges regularly, using them properly and replacing sponges with other materials could significantly reduce the risk of falling ill. 

Studies say there are more bacteria on a kitchen sponge than in the toilet. Up to 54 million bacteria can be found in 1 cubic centimetre. While using the sponge, the bacteria spread to the vessels and other surfaces and lead to severe food poisoning. Our food returns to the vessels and plates from soiled sponges, causing stomach diseases, meningitis, pneumonia, fever, dysentery, and blood poisoning that could be fatal.

Pathogens on the sponge
Campylobacter, a type of bacteria found on sponges, could also be seen in raw chicken, unpasteurized milk and rotten sprouts. This may lead to diarrhoea, stomach pain and vomiting. Meanwhile, another bacteria, Enterobacter Cloacae, could cause infections, pneumonia, septicaemia and meningitis. Besides, the e coli bacteria on the sponges are the main reason for food poisoning. E coli could also affect the kidneys and lead to haemolytic uremic syndrome. If not treated properly, these diseases could be dangerous and even lead to death.

Klebsiella bacteria found on the sponges can resist antibiotics and could lead to pneumonia and urinary infection. Moraxella osloensis, which causes odour in unwashed clothes, is seen on kitchen sponges, too. Salmonella, mostly seen in dirty water and stale food, could also grow on kitchen sponges to cause fever, diarrhoea and stomach ache. The symptoms of these diseases could prevail for hours or up to weeks. Staphylococcus, which causes skin infection, is another bacterium that is often found on sponges. Besides, it could also lead to serious conditions like impetigo and cellulitis.

How to destroy the bacteria
In a study done in 2007, it was found that microwaving the sponge could destroy up to 99.9 per cent of bacteria. Moreover, microwaving is more effective than boiling the sponge. You could prevent cross-contamination by not using the same sponge for all the vessels. The same sponge shouldn’t be used to clean the vessels in which raw meat was kept and other plates. Do not soak the sponge in water. Microwave the sponge for two minutes to kill the bacteria and keep them in a dry place. Besides, using and discarding plastic sponges may be harmful to the environment. You could instead use alternative methods like scrub brushes, silicone brushes, metal scrubs, and a dishwasher.