Even if you know instinctively that your kitchen sponge can get pretty nasty, the numbers still might shock you: 54 billion bacteria per cubic centimeter (yes, billion with a B) can be found on a kitchen sponge. For those keeping track, that’s similar to concentrations of bacteria you might find in your toilet. Ew.
According to previous HuffPost reporting, this sponge conundrum is made worse by the fact that cleaning your sponges may not be as effective as you’d hope — in fact, it can even increase certain types of bacteria. Not all scientists agree on this front: NPR argued that sponges can be effectively cleaned, but both the experts cited in that story and in the study referenced in previous HuffPost reporting concluded with a suggestion of replacing kitchen sponges on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
Buying new sponges every couple of weeks can be costly, though, not to mention wasteful when longer-lasting alternatives exist. Enter: These bamboo scrub brushes you can find on Amazon, just $10 for a pack of three. That’s slightly more than a three-pack of regular kitchen sponges, but considering how much longer you can keep using them, it’ll save you money in the long run.
Dish brushes were found to have lower bacterial levels than sponges in a 2022 study, mostly because the brush bristles dry much faster, killing more harmful bacteria. The use of a handle also prevents hand contact with the cleaning surface. Dish brushes can also be replaced less frequently, with experts recommending every three to four months rather than every couple weeks.
