We have to give our immune systems something to do
buzzy110,
Aug 2, 7:40pm
Lol. I don't use sponges. I prefer dish cloths. They are more environmentally friendly.
An acquaintance uses sponges. She is absolutely religious about changing them every 2 or 3 days. I am therefore, constantly surprised at how often they get some sort of bacterial and viral infection, some of them quite severe.
I'll go for years/decades with no infection, either on my skin, around my head and lungs or in my stomach, whilst every winter I get from them an ongoing litany of infections and ill health woes they have, have had, or are willing themselves not to get.
I believe that griffo4 is smarter than the researchers.
lythande1,
Aug 2, 9:47pm
Yes. depends. any tummy bugs in those years?
I put mine in the dishwasher every 2 days, once it starts to shred, it's out.
rivercottage1,
Aug 3, 3:48am
clean dish cloth every day, kitchen scrub brush and scourer go thru the dish washer once or 2x a week. clean Tea towel every day as well.
dibble35,
Aug 3, 7:01pm
Im not as 'clean' as some on here. I tend to wash/swap my tea towels and dish clothes once a week. I never clean my scrubbing brush other than rinsing it under hot water at the end of washing the dishes. I very very rarely get any sort of tummy upset or infection. Maybe once every few years. I was raised before all these anti- bacterial soaps, sprays and hand sanitizers were common, and I still refuse to buy any of them if I can help it. Dont believe in them! Lol. I reckon i've got pretty good immunity to most bugs, im lucky.I feel.
lilyfield,
Aug 4, 3:11am
I cannot remember ever cleaning my scrubbing brush there is no disinfectant in my house and I do not peel or wash fruit before eating and guess what-- I am healthy and old
crazynana,
Aug 5, 10:22pm
I too am healthy and old. I do use disinfectant when cleaning the toilet and the shower floor but I am quite sure half the allergies these days are caused by too much concentration on germs. When we were kids we played outside in the mud or whatever was about and ate fruit straight from the trees etc. I have never had a tummy bug, any so called childhood diseases and had four days off school the entire time I was there because I had hurt my foot and couldn't walk. I do wash my dishcloths and tea towels most days but not always. If I remember I put the scrubbing brush in the dishwasher as I use it to scrub dirt off spuds carrots etc. I think we oldies have built up our immunity whereas all these anti-bacterial things have made peoples immunity lacking.
eljayv,
Aug 5, 10:50pm
If you're concerned you can pop them in microwave for two mins
dibble35,
Aug 6, 12:26am
Apparently that doesnt work, they still found 'germs' there. Think it was in the above article that I read it. ETA - Here it is "The other surprising result of the study was that cleaning sponges may be less effective than previously thought. Microwaving and boiling sponges can initially reduce about 60% of the bacteria on them, according to the study, but won’t sterilize sponges completely."
awoftam,
Aug 6, 2:26am
We have immune systems for a reason. We were not built to live in a a germ or bacteria free world. Both have received a lot of bad press; they are necessary and have their jobs to do; building our immune systems being one of them.
jenner4,
Aug 6, 3:50am
Dish cloth, clean one every day, same with tee towel and hand towel
tjma,
Aug 10, 7:44pm
Clean dish cloth, tea towel and hand towel everyday.
issymae,
Jan 6, 2:44pm
threw sponges out years ago-dishwasher so use cloth for bench etc-not the blue or pink ones-new one every few days and used one washed with tea towel, hand towel and line dried-just replaced long handled dish brush and bottle brush- these are used to scrub plates etc before going in dish washer- don't use bleach or disinfectant - paper towels are very handy for mopping up spills- no illness from bacteria
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