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2022年世界杯名单猜测

your kitchen sponge may 'have a higher number of bacteria than there are people on earth'

a new study found that salmonella and other bacteria survive better on sponges than on kitchen brushes.

by maija kappler

published jun 10, 2022

2 minute read

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2 minute read

join the conversation

ditch the sponge and pick up a kitchen brush

researchers found that when it comes to cleaning a sponge, from bleaching to boiling, no method makes a major difference in killing bacteria. getty

salmonella has a much higher survival rate on kitchen sponges than on brushes, according to a new study that may have you rethinking your dishwashing tools. the study, published in the journal of applied microbiology, also found that a variety of other bacteria live on our used sponges. while none of the other bacteria was pathogenic — meaning none of it directly causes disease — the rates were surprisingly high. one single sponge “can harbour a higher number of bacteria than there are people on earth,” trond møretrø, one of the study’s co-authors, told cnn.

researchers collected both used sponges (14) and used kitchen brushes (35) from people in norway, and used sponges (20) from people in portugal — brushes weren’t included on the portuguese side, the study explains, because kitchen brushes are rarely used in portugal. all participants were asked about their cleaning habits, and how recently they had bought their cleaning products.

sponges carried more salmonella

they found that sponges, overall, carried more salmonella and other bacteria than brushes. in fact, salmonella survived longer in sponges that were kept in the sink than on the counter or in a container. there was also more salmonella in sponges that weren’t given time to dry between uses.

but researchers were surprised to learn that many of the hygiene practices they thought would eliminate salmonella didn’t work: there was no major advantage to washing a sponge with soap and water, bleaching it, or putting it in the dishwasher. previous studies have found that methods of cleaning sponges, like boiling or microwaving them, are not actually efficient at getting rid of bacteria.

so what’s a diligent dish washer to do?

“the way the consumers used their sponges did not matter much regarding growth of bacteria,” møretrø told cnn. “it is very difficult for consumers to avoid bacterial growth in the sponges as long as the sponges are not replaced daily.”

the primary reason for this, he explained, is that sponges are rarely given the chance to dry fully between uses. even a damp sponge carries a major bacteria risk.

“salmonella and other bacteria grow and survive better in sponges than in brushes, the reason is that sponges in daily use never dry up,” møretrø said. “the sponge is humid and accumulates food residues which are also food for bacteria, leading to rapid growth of bacteria.”

brushes, on the other hand, are much more quick to dry between uses. in one experiment, researchers purposely added salmonella to brushes. some of the brushes were then kept in a plastic bag, where they were humid, while others were hung to dry. the brushes that had dried had much less bacteria than the humid ones.

and of course, cleaning supplies don’t last forever — it’s a good idea to replace a kitchen brush every month or two.

maija kappler is a reporter and editor at healthing. you can reach her at mkappler@postmedia.com

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your kitchen sponge may 'have a higher number of bacteria than there are people on earth'

a new study found that salmonella and other bacteria survive better on sponges than on kitchen brushes.

sponges carried more salmonella

your kitchen sponge is responsible for more bacteria than your toilet

u.s. salmonella outbreak linked to italian-style meats

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your kitchen sponge may 'have a higher number of bacteria than there are people on earth'

a new study found that salmonella and other bacteria survive better on sponges than on kitchen brushes.

sponges carried more salmonella

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