Negligence is a 'legal cause' of damage if it directly and in natural and continuous sequence produces or contributes substantially to producing such damage, so it can reasonably be said that if not for the negligence, the loss, injury or damage would not have occurred.
Soak the sponge for 30 minutes. Drop the sponge into the dish of soapy water. Squeeze it two or three times with your hand, then allow it to soak for approximately 30 minutes. The dish should have enough water in it to completely cover the blender sponge. If there isn't enough water initially, simply add more as needed.
Pour 1 cup of bleach into the bleach dispenser and start a wash cycle using hot water. Put a white towel in the washer to provide mass that will move around during the cycle, cleaning the sides of the washer bin. Remove the towel when the cycle is complete.