There are two types of people in the cleaning world: dishrag people and sponge people. And from my experience, you are typically one type or the other. You rarely see a sponge person using a dishrag and vice versa. But are all cleaning materials created equal? Will you get the same deep clean with a dishcloth you would with a sponge?
Well I’m no longer going to find out, because I just read the grossest article ever that has scared me into never purchasing another sponge as long as I live. A microbiologist at the University of Furtwangen in Germany and his team identified 362 different species of bacteria living in your sponge, but that’s not the worst part. They found about 82 billion bacteria living in just a cubic inch of space on your sponge. Gag!! They said even the microwave trick won’t work, because the bacteria grow so rapidly, all it does is basically kill a few to make room for some new bacteria. Awesome.
Are you ready for this next tidbit of info? I need you to mentally prepare yourself for this quote because after reading it I ran and trashed my sponge on the spot. You might, too.
“That’s the same density of bacteria you can find in human stool samples. There are probably no other places on earth with such high bacterial densities,” study author, Markus Egert said.
And there you have it. Anyone want to clean with a sponge after reading that? Were you a sponge user, too, or have you always preferred a dishcloth to clean your counters, etc.? Will you still use a sponge? Are you gagging a little?
Sorry to be the barer of gross news!
~Mavis
Tami says
Always a dishrag person..handmade at that…and so glad now!
Alison says
I’m not worried about it. We run our dishwasher AT LEAST once per day, and the sponge is always in it (I have two in circulation at a time). We don’t seem to be perpetually sick by all of the bacteria, so I’m not concerned. Growing up in a house with dishrags, I just can’t go there. They always smelled moldy – yuck! My sponge never stinks.
Cheri says
I stopped using sponges a year or so ago for this reason and because they are wasteful. My husband still likes to use them for dishes sometimes, so we keep one around, as well as magic erasers. I hardly ever use sponges myself, though. Yuck.
Maria says
I have used a sponge for as long as I remember. My mom did it too. We barely get sick. I change the sponge every month or so. So I don’t see the problem since I haven’t experienced anything wrong about it. I do use the sponge only to wash some dishes and I use a cloth to clean my counters. So I don’t think I will change or throw away my sponge. To each its own . Btw..i love your blog! I may not comment often, but I always read it
Cheri says
Just a thought–If you like sponges, you can make your sponges last longer and be more sanitary if you boil them for a while on occasion. I used to do this before I just stopped using them altogether.
Lesa says
I’ve always been a dishcloth person. I buy ones I can bleach with my whites so they stay germ free. I also only buy white towels/hand towels/washcloths for that same reason. I can’t stand a moldy smell in my bathroom linens.
Katie says
Would the same bacteria not be on a dish rag? And not all bacteria is bad bacteria. There’s a lot of bacteria on your skin that your body needs. I’ve always used a sponge for dishes and we hardly ever get sick. I replace it regularly. I do use rags to clean counters and in place of paper towels. So we’re a “both” kind of family.
Anon says
The bacteria is on your sponge but not on your dishcloth because you regularly wash your cloths.
I work in a microbiology lab, and we have had dish sponges in our kitchen before. We would periodically culture the sponges, and we would find some harmless bacteria types, but we would also find types of bacteria that can make you very sick, such as E. Coli, Staph aureus, MRSA, and others that you wouldn’t recognize the names.
Not only is the bacteria dangerous, but some strains produce toxins that are heat-stable, so you can’t sterilize/cook the toxin away. Very dangerous.
It is difficult to get a good heat penetration into a sponge through boiling or putting the sponge in the dishwasher or microwave. So using those methods are just a false sense of security. After a couple times, we just got rid of the sponges altogether.
Anyway, I just don’t understand the whole argument that we’ve never gotten sick before, so we’ll keep on with the same behaviour. So I’ll keep on not wearing my seatbelt because I haven’t died in a car accident yet. Or I don’t have lung cancer, so I’ll keep smoking.
These are the same germs that are found on your toilet seat, or on the bottoms of your shoes. You wouldn’t wash your dishes with those, so why are you using the sponge?
Sarah says
Your argument is flawed. It’s not as though the nation’s top science institutions are warning me against sponge use (as is the case with smoking and driving without a seatbelt) and I’m just blithely carrying on, putting myself and everyone who enters my house at risk. No one has gotten sick from their sponge. Do you know how many bacteria-filled sponges are being used across America at this very moment? And yet, clearly there is no major public health crisis stemming from their use. Use one, don’t use one, whatever. But to compare sponge use to smoking and driving without a seatbelt is absurd.
Leslie says
Wondering if all sponges are created equal. Specifically, my beloved Scrub Daddy. Any thoughts?
Michele says
LOVE IT!!! Loved your response. Denial is never going to get you anywhere.
I personally thought the microwave and dishwasher was killing the bugs all this time. Agghhh
White (bleachable) dishrags it is then.
🙂
Barb says
For me, sponges are only for washing the car and cleaning up cat puke from the carpet (different sponges). I use Handiwipes in the kitchen, toss them in the washer when needed, and use them until they fall apart.
Tammy says
I use the sponges with the scrubby pad on them. I don’ t know…there are germs everywhere.
Rosaleen says
I use both, and usually a soapy sponge on dishes or cookware that are being washed and rinsed in hot water. My spine is washed frequently and sanitized at least temporarily in the microwave. Yup, gems are everywhere, some beneficial, plenty of others NOT.
Patricia says
Grew up using sponges and still do. We use them to wash the dishes and use anti bacterial wipes for the counters and appliances. We also put them in the dishwasher and bleach them in the laundry. I agree that rags smell horrible. Even after being bleached once they are used just once.
Tracy says
I used to be a sponge person but changed due to this same type,of information you posted today. I use dishcloths but have enough to be able to change out daily. They get hung over a bin in the laundry room to dry out before washday so they won’t stink. I do the same with dish towels. I try to keep the bacteria at bay in the kitchen which is easier since we don’t eat meat anymore.
andrea d. says
I use both- sponges for washing the dishes, and they go in the dishwasher or washing machine regularly. And a cloth for counters.
Teresa says
I use both. But change both very frequently. I don’t worry about those germs. I also wash my hands when I get home from anywhere. I do not use antibacterial soap because it kills both the bad and good bacteria. I rarely get sick. Nice warm water and soap. If I’ve had poultry on a surface I wipe, throw that cloth/sponge into the wash and follow up with a disposable wipe. My dish rags do not smell and neither do the sponges. Probably due to the constant rotation.
Angela D. says
I love using a sponge for dishwashing! However, I am very particular about its upkeep: I never use it for wiping anything, only for the dishes. The sponge is always well rinsed at the end of the dishwashing, repeatedly squeezing all soap and food particles (visible to the eye, anyway.) I realize this wastes a lot of water. The sponge is kept standing on end to airdry, preferably in the sun, if possible–never stored under the sink when it’s wet! I use a designated kitchen washcloth to wipe counters but I just can’t seem to wash dishes with one. I really like the scratchy side of my sponges. I throw out my sponge about every 30 days, sooner if I find it smells (and I blame the kids or husband for not thoroughly, meticulously rinsing it!)
Heidi says
I’m a dish cloth gal. I change the cloths and dish towels daily. I also hang them to dry in the laundry room and then in their own hamper. I wash with bleach once a week. Remember, no fabric softener, it affects the ability of the towels to dry dishes.
AmyWW says
I do the same thing. After cleaning the kitchen after dinner each night I put out clean kitchen linens for the next day, Dishcloths and towels get used one day, then hung to dry and laundered with bleach/hot water once a week. They never smell bad. I have noticed that even with this same routine Dawn dishwashing liquid makes my dishcloth stink by the end of the day, so I never use that brand now. Sponges never! Gross.
erin in iowa says
I use wash rags for my counter and the ladies in our community knit these things that are little scrubbies for dishes. At the end of the day it all goes in the laundry. They sell them at Christmas around here. If I think of it I’ll pick one up and send it to you.
Sara says
https://cspinet.org/tip/dangers-sponges-and-dish-cloths
http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/keep_your_sponges_and_dish_cloths_bacteria_free_this_summer
These were just a couple of links that discussed the issue. There are many! Sponges may have germs, but your cloth is not much better unless you change it every day.
Earlene says
I have used both, but using a sponge for the last several years, but I use a new one every week. I also use bleach in my sink while washing pots and pans. I can stand only a sponge for a week and toss it for new. There you have!
Lisa MTB says
I use both, although I only use sponges occasionally, for deep cleaning, and let them dry out between uses. I let dishcloths dry between uses, too, and wash them after a few uses. I have noticed some detergents will leave a bad smell (“moldy”) on the cloths/sponges, so I don’t buy those brands anymore. (If you have this problem a lot and haven’t been able to figure out why, try changing your detergent.)
Beth says
I am a die hard dishcloth girl. We have two sons who use sponges and yes I nag them about it. They just won’t change their wicked ways. The funny thing is, this am I text my oldest son not to use “that sponge” when washing his kombucha jars. He thought that was funny! Then I sat down for lunch, pulled up your blog and low and behold it is a sponge post! Now all I need is a post tooting the virtues of bleach!
Laura says
Oh no, bleach is the devil. White vinegar only please. 🙂
Leslie says
Laura, what is it about bleach you don’t like?
KBonikowsky says
I believe this article is a response to that study that balances it out. Quote: “I started becoming a bit skeptical. Something smelled fishy here. This conclusion just didn’t fit with my firsthand experience as a scientist.”
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/09/11/548926054/can-you-really-not-clean-your-kitchen-sponge
Hopefully, it will ease some anxiety!
Leslie says
Oh cool!
Carla says
Thank you. A very rational and clear article.
Meredith says
I have always thought of sponges as bacteria magnets and never use them. I only use thick knitted dish cloths. They won’t smell bad if you use them for only one day and let them completely air dry before throwing them in the laundry. For cleaning raw meat juices I use clorox or lysol wipes, not my dishcloth, and if a dishcloth or towel touches the floor, it is done being used for the day and I get out a new one.
Delores says
I used to use sponges, but they just never seemed to last as long as washcloths, so I eventually, slowly made the change. Plus, I can knit a washcloth. 🙂
Sarah says
I find it hard to get worked up about bacteria. Bacteria are everywhere, and sponges aren’t making people sick, so I think it’s fine. What bugs me about sponges is that we throw them out every week or two, and I don’t like waste. But I agree that cloths get smelly in a hurry because they never dry. I’ve actually just purchased something new, which is a sponge/cloth hybrid that can be washed and dried and reused. My friend says they are great, so I’m going to give it a whirl.
Kathy says
I fit into the third category: paper towels. Dish towels and sponges are little germ magnets to me.
Mimi says
Sponges are gross. I rotate my huge supply of dish cloths often and never use them for bacteria heavy (raw meat etc.) cleaning. For that I use a clean cloth rag + vinegar/soap solution and use it only once before washing.
My husband would never think to wash a dish cloth though. He would use the same one for months if I wasn’t watching. Sponges and husbands are gross.
Patricia says
There is another report on those types of reports saying that the microwave or dishwasher cleaning method does kill the bacteria that you need to. Do not to use them to clean up raw meat juices but to use a disposable paper towel for that instead. Makes sense.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/09/11/548926054/can-you-really-not-clean-your-kitchen-sponge
Teckla says
I’m a die hard dish cloth user. And I generally only wash mine once a week. However, I use very warm soapy dish water, always rinse the rag thoroughly when finished, then hang it over the sink divider or somewhere else so it can dry between uses. I don’t have a problem with smelly rags. I wash towels and dish rags with bleach each week. Never have had a problem. I also do use them occasionally to clean the counter after preparing raw meat, but again they are immediately suds-ed with dish soap and rinsed thoroughly before being retired to the laundry to dry until they are once again washed with bleach. I do not re-use them until they have been washed. I dislike sponges and Handi-wipes very much. They get so slick and gross feeling that I hate touching them, even if they are rinsed carefully between uses. I also dislike the waste of tossing them so frequently. So I guess it’s mostly personal preference and what we get used to. Either one can be bad if not cared for properly. “Each to his own, said the old woman as she kissed the cow!”
Jill says
Knit my own washcloths and change everything out daily. Anything truly gross gets a paper towel.
Rajena says
I am a dishcloth person only because I can’t be buying as many sponges all the time that I need to keep them clean. I could never rinse them properly and then they stunk and into the garbage they went. Dishcloths get changed at least once a day or more depending on what I am wiping (such as poultry cleanup or floor cleanup). I have found that the dishcloths will only get stinky if you leave dish soap in them. Its probably the same for sponges because I couldn’t rinse all the soap out but I wasn’t experimenting back then. The bacteria doesn’t scare me but the smell is always off putting.
Lisa L says
I’m glad I wasn’t eating anything when I read that!
Wendy says
I use plain green scrubbies and dish cloths which are changed out daily. Sponges always seemed icky to me and a bit wasteful so I never really used them. I regularly bleach use bleach on my (white enamel) sink and counters. I have a two rag system for cleaning and paper towels only for windows and cleaning up nasty jobs so I can throw them away.
Gina S says
Dish rag girl, here! Sponges just don’t seem to absorb as well imo. Am I the only one who thinks this? I always rinse the rags in vinegar water every day. Then, I do one load of all dishtowels, dishrags in bleach water in the washing machine every week. Honestly I’ve never had stinky towels doing them this way.