How to get rid of odor from dish sponge?
Nancy from Wood Ridge, NJ
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I nuke all my sponges in the microwave for 3 minutes. Make sure they are very damp before you do this.
These are so cheap. Just throw them out before they get as bad as that pic
I will sometime microwave my sponge with some dish soap. After I scrub out the microwave walls and rinse out the sponge, it is clean and fresh.
I also regularly run it through the dishwasher which really helps to keep any odors down. And as soon as it looks a bit ratty, I move it to bathroom cleaning duty instead.
Good luck and let us know what works best for you.
I too gave up sponges. I use 8/1.00 Handiwipes from the dollar tree. Every two weeks, I toss it and get another clean one. But, if you like them, yes, microwave them.
I couldn't live with the smell of sponges and couldn't afford a new one every 2-3 days! Instead I bought a package of cheap bath cloths in white (a color I would NEVER let my guys use!) and these are only for the kitchen.
To ensure clean and pleasant smelling cloths and sponges, do what my mother in law taught me. Add a small amount of bleach to your dish water when washing the dishes. Of course make sure you rinse the dishes after you wash them. You cloths stay nice and clean and don't get stains on them either.
Editor's Note: Use caution when using bleach. Be sure that your dishwashing soap does not include ammonia. The label will clearly say to not mix with bleach but many people miss that warning and don't realize the additive is there. Toxic chlorine gas can form, which can be dangerous.
You've gotten lots of good ideas about odors, but I wanted to warn about using a sponge scrubber on too many pots and pans, then popping them in the microwave. The microscopic
I'm more than careful now, use a stiff brush on metal, and buy a $1.00 Package of 6 cheap sponge scrubbers from the dollar store which lasts several months. Rather than toss a worn one away, I recycle them to use on dirty fingerprints and such on the walls and appliances, as well as for woodwork and shoe cleaning. Save, save, save. Recycle, recycle, recycle. : )
Sponges are likely an open-cell structure, that's why they hold liquid, and bacteria.
Has anyone tried a closed-cell sponge? Seems like it would not retain liquid yet provide the desired scrubbing properties.
Karyn-
From what I've heard it's really dangerous to add bleach to water with dishsoap in it! Many dishsoaps contain ammonia-like chemicals and react dangerously when bleach is added- the resulting reaction can produce highly toxic chlorine and chloramine gases.
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