Ask the experts: Is it better to disinfect kitchen sponges in the microwave or in the dishwasher?
I don't recommend either.
The inside of a sponge must reach
boiling temperature (100 degrees
Celsius) to kill any bacteria, and
most dishwashers don't get hot
enough to do the job. What's more,
the drying cycle can't fully dry a
sponge's insulating layers.
A microwave will work, but
it's tricky. A study released this
year from the University of Florida
found that putting a soaking-wet
sponge in a microwave on full
power for two minutes kills 99
percent of the bugs hiding inside.
Not all microwaves are created
equal, however: Two minutes could
be too short for a weak appliance or
too much for a powerful one. Also,
"soaking wet" can mean various
things to various people-and if
the sponge dries out too much, it
can burst into flames.
Expert choice
The best option is to avoid sponges altogether and instead use a dishcloth. Then toss the used dishcloth into your laundry bin. Have enough dishcloths so that when you add them to kitchen towels, tablecloths, and napkins, you can make one load of kitchen laundry per week. (Use an energyefficient washing machine.) A tablespoon of citrus solvent in the wash cycle will remove grease. -Ellen Sandbeck, an organic landscaper in Duluth and author of Organic Housekeeping (Scribner, 2006)
The best option is to avoid sponges altogether and instead use a dishcloth. Then toss the used dishcloth into your laundry bin. Have enough dishcloths so that when you add them to kitchen towels, tablecloths, and napkins, you can make one load of kitchen laundry per week. (Use an energyefficient washing machine.) A tablespoon of citrus solvent in the wash cycle will remove grease. -Ellen Sandbeck, an organic landscaper in Duluth and author of Organic Housekeeping (Scribner, 2006)
