How to Sanitize Your Kitchen Sponges

Soak your dirty sponge in bleach to sanitize it.

There are many surfaces and items in the home that can harbor germs and bacteria. With anti-bacterial hand gel and cleaning products, you may think you are eliminating the problem by cleaning it up. However, a lot of times to do the cleaning, you reach for a sponge, which can actually be distributing more germs and bacteria wherever you wipe. But through the use of a common household ingredient, you can get rid of almost 100 percent of the germs in the sponge.

Things You'll Need

• Bleach
• Container

Instructions

1. Rinse all cleaning products out of the sponge under running water. Then wring it out until nearly dry.

2. Combine 3/4 cup of bleach with 1 gallon of water in a container and place the sponge in it. Let it sit for at least five minutes.

3. Remove the sponge, rinse it out and let it air dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Vinegar works almost as well as bleach for this purpose. Both methods kill more than 99 percent of the germs in the sponge, according to testing conducted by EMSL Analytical in Westmont, New Jersey.

References

• Good Housekeeping: How to Clean a Germy Sponge