We worked with EMSL Analytical testing lab in Westmont, New Jersey, to find out. Consumers used sponges for a week in their kitchens, and the lab tainted others with three common pathogens: salmonella, E. coli, and pseudomonas.
We tested six cleaning methods to see which removed the most bacteria:
- Dishwasher
- Microwave
- Washing machine
- Bleach soak
- Ammonia soaks
- Vinegar soak
The Best Germ Killer
The bleach solution killed 99.9% of the three bacteria strains from all our test sponges (scrub and regular cellulose), a benchmark based on the EPA's requirement for sanitization of non-food-contact surfaces.
Here's how to do it:
Mix 3/4 cup of bleach in one gallon of water, and soak the sponge for five minutes.
Runners Up
The microwave and the dishwasher were the next most effective, zapping 99.9% of germs from the home-used sponges and from the lab-treated scrub sponges. However, on the lab-treated cellulose sponges, microwaving just missed the mark for E. coli (99.83% reduced), and the dishwasher didn't quite get all the salmonella or E. coli (99.88 and 99.86% reduced, respectively).
Source: www.goodhousekeeping.com/
