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"No one likes the idea of cleaning dishes with a germy sponge. But we&amp;#039;ve all heard about several methods for cleaning them. Which is best? 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&amp;#039;s requirement for sanitization of non-food-contact surfaces.  Here&amp;#039;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&amp;#039;t quite get all the salmonella or E. coli (99.88 and 99.86% reduced, respectively).  Here&amp;#039;s how to do it: Put a sponge into a regular dishwasher load, using the &amp;quot;heated dry&amp;quot; setting. In the microwave, saturate the sponge (we used 1/4 cup of water for scrub sponges and 1/2 cup for cellulose); heat on High for one minute (scrub) or two minutes (cellulose). Keep an eye on it.  The Rest  A five-minute soak in full-strength vinegar averaged 99.6% bacteria elimination; in full-strength ammonia, 97.0%. The washing machine proved least effective, killing on average 93.0% of bacteria. When It&amp;#039;s Time to Replace No matter how diligent you are about cleaning, your kitchen sponges won&amp;#039;t last forever. Clean sponges weekly, and toss shabby ones (about every two to eight weeks, depending on use). TELL US: Could your sponge use a good cleaning? More Cleaning Tips: \u2022 The Best Way to Clean Plastic Food Colors \u2022 5 Smart Ways to Stretch Your Cleaning Products \u2022 10 Genius New Uses for Dish Soap "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/a18731/how-to-clean-a-sponge/?link=how-to-clean-a-sponge&dom=yah_life&src=syn&con=blog_gh&mag=ghk>