Kitchen Sponge Has More Germs Than a Toilet?!

What’s the best way to clean your dirty sponge? And when is it time for a new one? The Doctors share some best practices when it comes to one of the dirtiest cleaning tools around.

About The Doctors:

The Doctors is an Emmy award-winning daytime talk show hosted by ER physician Dr. Travis Stork, plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Ordon and OB-GYN Dr. Nita Landry.

The Doctors helps you understand the latest health headlines, such as the ice bucket challenge for ALS and the Ebola outbreak; delivers exclusive interviews with celebrities dealing with health issues, such as Lamar Odom, Teen Mom star Farrah Abraham, reality stars Honey Boo Boo and Mama June, and activist Chaz Bono; brings you debates about health and safety claims from agricultural company Monsanto and celebrities such as Jenny McCarthy; and shows you the latest gross viral videos and explains how you can avoid an emergency situation. The Doctors also features the News in 2:00 digest of the latest celebrity health news and The Doctors’ Prescription for simple steps to get active, combat stress, eat better and live healthier.

Now in its eighth season, The Doctors celebrity guests have included Academy Award Winners Sally Field, Barbra Streisand, Jane Fonda, Marcia Gay Harden, Kathy Bates and Marisa Tomei; reality stars from Teen Mom and The Real Housewives, as well as Kris Jenner, Caitlyn Jenner, Melissa Rivers, Sharon Osbourne, Tim Gunn and Amber Rose; actors Jessica Alba, Christina Applegate, Julie Bowen, Patricia Heaton, Chevy Chase, Kristin Davis, Lou Ferrigno, Harrison Ford, Grace Gealey, Cedric the Entertainer, Valerie Harper, Debra Messing, Chris O’Donnell, Betty White, Linda Gray, Fran Drescher, Emmy Rossum, Roseanne Barr, Valerie Bertinelli, Suzanne Somers; athletes Magic Johnson, Apolo Ohno and Danica Patrick; musicians Tim McGraw, Justin Bieber, Clint Black, LL Cool J, Nick Carter, Kristin Chenoweth, Paula Abdul, Gloria Gaynor, La Toya Jackson, Barry Manilow, Bret Michaels, Gene Simmons and Jordin Sparks; and celebrity chefs Wolfgang Puck, Guy Fieri and Curtis Stone.

[ashleynctzen]

I always clean the sponge and squeeze all the water out after I'm done using it, my mom doesn't and when i smell it, it smells like death.

[justice]

Growing up my mom would buy washable dish cloths and after each night they had to be switched out. To this day sponges still freaks her out.

[emz]

If your sponge looks anything like the one in the thumbnail then yeah it probably does 😷🤢

[Masi]

I always clean my sponge and sink with bleach, and change my sponge every week

[jennyjohnson]

I just learned by sniffing my supposedly-clean cutting board (while cutting veg for myself, 6 months pregnant) & by sniffing the countertops, why my glass stovetop has had milky smears all over it for a week. My mom's new caretaker has been wiping these things down with a wet old sponge & zero detergent.

Came here and found my suspicions confirmed about how disgusting this is.

[D_Marrenalv]

What about rinsing it in hot water, squeezing it out, and pouring some rubbing alcohol, or white vinegar, on it? Then rinsing it out again in hot water..
How would that work?

[nicksimchak]

I have always felt that after using a sponge once or twice it is no longer clean, no matter how much I try to disinfect it.

[hificat]

I never use these sponges to clean cutting boards. Only pots, pans, and things that will be exposed to enough heat to kill any bacteria that might be left from the sponge.

[JazmineHorizon]

lol two sponges for a dollar at dollar tree... stack up! even better use a dish rag and laundry often...

[tricias]

Then what is the best thing to wash your dishes with?

[GothikQueen]

Thank goodness I have a dishwasher and when I don't use it, I wash the dishes with my own hands and soap :)

[kakiexo]

I can't stand bleach so that's out the question.

[ashleyeast]

So, what's better cleaning your dishes with? A rag or something else? Would think a rag would hoard bacteria in it like a sponge too 💁

[AP-geud]

How about just throwing them away at least once a month...they have them at the $1 store

[Phlegethon]

People are too clean, most germs are harmless.

[danielvitolo]

Yes, I’m gonna do this every night on top of cleaning/sterilizing the whole kitchen, and cleaning the rest of the house. Yea right. I clean every day, bit I’m not gonna sterilize sponge every single day. I do it like twice a week and replace twice a month. These people must have a ton of free time on their hands.

Did you forget that people work double time now just to afford normal bills and living? Unless your body produces the speed drug naturally, you will pass out from all the extra stuff people want you to do these days. I’m not just talking about sponges. Everything you google, will tell you to take an extra hour to do something everyday, if you did them all, you would have to have 35 hrs in a day, plus another 15 hours for work and maybe 2 hours of sleep. So 52 hrs a day is gonna be hard to accomplish. Love these TV host who make millions and pay others to do all their chores while they sit on their butt and tell you how many things you need to be doing. Must be a great life!! Wish I has it!!! God Bless to all, Relax a little and never stress yourself out over these “people” who know it all!

[handsomeblackman]

Wow the black lady on stage is beautiful.