Make Old Sponge Like New

Guest Writer:  Ruth Morse

I like to use sponges for wiping down things like kitchen counters. We all know the problem with sponges: they get disgusting after a while, especially in hot, humid weather. I routinely put them in the dishwasher for a cycle and thought I had all bases covered.

Not so! I ran across an article in webmd.com that informed me that, while putting sponges in the dishwasher does clean them, it does not disinfect them and they can still contain bacteria like E. coli. Yuck!

Webmed.com conducted some disgusting tests to see how well nuking a sponge would work on bacteria. You do not want to hear the details of how they did the tests. All you need to know is that they discovered that two minutes in the microwave will kill 99% of all living germs and spores! They feel you should nuke your sponges on a regular basis and recommend doing so every other day.......

Every. Other. Day. Of. Your. Life.

Oh well, I thought--their directions sounded easy.

Make sure you only zap sponges and plastic scrubbers that do not contain steel or any metal. Make sure the sponge is WET, not dry.

1.  Set your microwave at full power for 2 minutes.  Put sponge on glass tray and hit START.

2.  Watch your sponge spin.  Say THAT fast.

3.  Carefully remove your sponge because it will be hot and should not be handled immediately after zapping.

Here is my BEFORE sponge.

Here is my DURING sponge.

Here is my AFTER sponge.

WHOOPS! In an economy kick, I had cut my sponge in half. Don't try to figure out why, it was a dumb idea. In fact, DO NOT CUT YOUR SPONGE IN HALF. Turns out smaller sponges dry out a whole lot quicker than full sized ones. FYI--a dry sponge in the microwave WILL start to burn.

Oh.

I was going to take a final picture of my sponge in the garbage can, but I didn't have the time to gift wrap all the garbage under it so the picture would look good.

Wait! Here we are again with a trash connection! Valerie will be so pleased.

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...and one more thing......
uh, I'll get back to you when I remember it.
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The Cheap Senior Citizen is a Guest Writer who occasionally shares helpful hints she has learned through her experience.
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