Sponges
Sponges aren’t exactly spotless—actually, far from it. You may use them to clean your dishes and wipe down your countertops, but if you’re not cleaning your dish sponge on a daily basis, all you’re doing is spreading germs around your house.
According to research published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology in 2003, kitchen sponges are frequently contaminated by pathogens like E. coli and salmonella. And you can easily transfer these potentially harmful bacteria onto other surfaces when you use them to clean.
Fortunately, killing the bacteria on your sponge is relatively simple: Just pop it in the dishwasher for a full wash and dry cycle and you’ll have killed about as many pathogens as any cleaning method can.
According to Good Housekeeping, you can also disinfect your sponge in the microwave. Simply saturate the sponge in the microwave with water, then heat it on high for one minute to two minutes.
