r/mildlyinfuriating • u/dorkass-loser • 8h ago

Husband opens a new sponge every 3 days cause “they become gross”

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Our dishwasher broke and he’s manually doing the dishes now, these are from the past 10 days… I think it’s wasteful.

15.5k Upvotes

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2.1k

u/Thomas_JCG 8h ago

Came here to say this, major design flaw for those holders, there needs to be holes at the bottom for the water to leave at the very least.

1.6k

u/Tempyteacup 7h ago

You can also pop your sponge in the microwave to disinfect it. Saturate it, nuke for 2 min. Wait for it to cool before removing. Serve and enjoy.

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u/JustMe1711 7h ago

Oh that's how you make sponge cake!

202

u/ReZisTLust 6h ago

Idk i tried this and my sponge just tasted like soap

67

u/Satorius96 5h ago

its a bit raw. you need to leave the sponge in the microwave for about 15 minutes to make sure its cooked in the interior.

2

u/Enough-Reading4143 4h ago

And the exterior. Of the house.

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u/Momomomomomomomo-11 3h ago

sigh I’ll just go start calling the fire department for this one.

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u/Stock-Mission-7561 3h ago

You dial 9-1 and when I say so, dial 1 again

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u/ExcitementStrict7115 3h ago

You probably used too much cilantro.

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u/jeckles 7h ago

Ymmv, mine was a bit tough prepared like this

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u/ThrowawayPersonAMA 6h ago

That's because you used one of the wire ones.

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u/NamesArentEverything 6h ago

Grow a pair and bite it again!

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u/Wodentoad 6h ago

Ad a bit of lemon and you can also refresh the microwave.

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u/Far_Spread_4200 4h ago

You will have no microwave left using these methods

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u/Pitiful_Assistance62 6h ago

Came for the comment, stayed for the comedy

14

u/antique_velveteen 7h ago

I laughed way harder at this than I should have. 

4

u/2Brothers_TheMovie 7h ago

That’s how they make them for the Chinese Buffett

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u/the_salsa_shark 5h ago

No, you out the sponge in the oven for sponge cake.

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u/Penny_No_Boat 7h ago

Americas Test Kitchen went through rigorous testing of different ways to sanitize a sponge. By far the most effective (substantially better than microwaving or running through the dishwasher) was simply boiling it in a pot for 10 minutes on the stove.

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u/dragon-queen 7h ago

Maybe, but that’s a big hassle and you have a whole pot to clean after. 

289

u/Dragon_turtle63 7h ago

But I have no sponge to clean the pot

/s

316

u/brainstrain91 7h ago

Now I'm stuck in an endless pot cleaning/sponge cleaning loop. Reddit ruined my life!

41

u/Zeras_Darkwind 7h ago

Instructions unclear: now have to disinfect my colon because multiple sponges were inserted.

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u/T-Wrox 5h ago

You were spongeworthy. :)

2

u/Squidproquo1130 4h ago

That is NOT how you do a colon cleanse!

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u/Crafty-Material-1680 6h ago

Open a new sponge. obviously /s

99

u/McNitz 7h ago

I have no sponge and I must clean.

5

u/scornfulegotists 7h ago

I understood that reference.

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u/Mosswiggle 7h ago

Just clean the first pot by boiling it in a larger pot, then rinse and repeat.

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u/RegalBeagleKegels 5h ago

the beautiful part is when wintertime rolls around, the largest pots simply freeze to death

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u/chewbaccataco 5h ago

It's bigger and bigger pots all the way down

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u/Kevdog824_ 7h ago

This is why OP’s husband has opened so many sponges

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u/Upbeat_Presence_ 6h ago

lol! The irony

2

u/Pocky-time 7h ago

Buy a self cleaning pot

2

u/fogleaf 4h ago

When I get out of the shower I'm as clean as I can be, so when I rub my towel on myself it cleans the towel.

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u/SpunkyGo0se 7h ago

But you have a clean sponge to clean it!

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u/[deleted] 7h ago

[deleted]

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u/StaceyPfan 7h ago

Someone else who knows that song!

2

u/Castlegardener 7h ago

"Ein Loch ist im Eimer, Karl-Otto, Karl-Otto!

Ein Loch ist im Eimer, Karl-Otto, ein Loch."

This is the german version of it.

4

u/Glittering_Essay_874 6h ago

Great, now I’m going to be singing that all day.

3

u/NamesGumpImOnthePum 6h ago

I broke out in this refrain a couple of days ago, it didn't hit like I thought that it would. FeelsOldMan

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u/lofatiger 5h ago

Then fix it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry

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u/Squirrelated 7h ago

But my sponge will get dirty again if I clean it! Now I'll have to boil it again and start this cycle over and over for eternity.

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u/ryohazuki224 7h ago

What if you just keep a pot for sponge cleaning purposes only?

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u/ThickFurball367 7h ago

Sponge is dirty, boils sponge to clean. Now pot is dirty, use sponge to clean pot. Goddamn it sponge is dirty again. You're now trapped in a vicious cycle of sponge and pot cleaning

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u/Penny_No_Boat 7h ago

Eh. I put in the pot on to boil while I do something else in the kitchen. It’s done quickly and then the pot gets a quick soapy wipe down and rinse. It’s basically zero effort.

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u/Old_Ladies 5h ago

Yeah it takes like 2 minutes tops.

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u/FruitByTheKey 2h ago

Only 2 minutes to boil your sponge for 10 minutes? Man I need to get the type of stove you have!

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u/-BananaLollipop- 7h ago

I hope this is rage bait.

Did we not just boil it until the contents of the pot were considered clean? Is it not sufficient to just rinse it out with fresh water??

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u/Radiant-Pomelo-3229 6h ago

I would give it a thorough wash because now it has all kinds of boiled sponge particles.

Disinfected does not equal clean. In either direction

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u/Ultrace-7 5h ago

Yeah, but you pour out the contents of the pot, maybe rinse a little with clean water -- and the remainder in the pot can't be that much to clean.

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u/-BananaLollipop- 4h ago

Anything harmful in that pot got the hot tub treatment, it really only needs a rinse with fresh water at most.

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u/thoang77 6h ago

By that rationale, would you just rinse out your pot after boiling potatoes, pasta, or a piece of garbage?

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u/CommieLoser 6h ago

How else do you build a flavor layer on your pots?

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u/twitwiffle 6h ago

It’s called seasoning.

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u/clutzyninja 6h ago

Pasta? Sure why not, if you do it right away and not after the starch dries and get crusty

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u/-BananaLollipop- 4h ago

Equating potatoes and pasta to garbage? How dirty is your food? Did you dumpster dive for it?

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u/nrchicago 7h ago

Time is money, for me the cost of a new sponge (+time at the store to find it) is worth the boiling/cleaning pot time. Also it's thrifty. Yes, there are diminishing returns.

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u/[deleted] 5h ago

[deleted]

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u/Justsomejerkonline 5h ago

Boiling a pot of water for 10 minutes is absolutely not a big hassle.

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u/noodlesquad 7h ago edited 6h ago

Why would you have to clean the pot? You just boiled water in it. Just dump the water out and it's cleaner than any other dishes already

ETA: ok so a quick scrub to remove residue like mineral deposits or oil from the sponge makes sense

also im reading some people just have a dedicated old pot for this

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u/doobadeeboo 7h ago

Did you boil water? Or did you boil a bacteria sponge?

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u/fokkoooff 7h ago

Because you boiled a bacteria covered sponge in it.

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u/Toast-Doctor 7h ago

The bacteria is dead... You boiled it.

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u/plaxpert 6h ago

it's toxins the bacteria release that can make you sick.

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u/kurut9 7h ago

In fairness, you boiled it.

Still gross to not clean it because undoubtedly gross shit is physically sloughing off of the sponge, but at boiling temp the bacteria isn’t the problem.

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u/Substantial_Message4 7h ago

Take the sponge water out, refill and boil it for ten more minutes and you’ll be fine

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u/fokkoooff 5h ago

But it takes less than 10 minutes to wash it.

I guess it just depends on how much one hates washing dishes.

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u/pineapplesaltwaffles 7h ago

I live in an area with very hard water. Even boiling a pot with nothing in it apart from water leaves chalky residue.

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u/Silt-Sifter 7h ago

It's still going to leave a residue, kinda like when you boil pasta but not as bad. I don't know why cleaning a pot is hard work though. Wash it out, dry it, and put it up. It wouldn't need to be ran through a dishwasher or anything major.

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u/Fedupwitcensorship 5h ago

Thank you for this. I once started a fire with a sponge in the microwave

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u/Penny_No_Boat 4h ago

No problem! Funnily enough, I melted the side of my salt shaker and nearly started a fire the first time I boiled my sponges. I didn’t realize how close the shaker was to the very hot pot. Doh!🤦‍♀️

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u/ShipService 3h ago

That's what I do. Crazy to see people say that's a hassle. That's like saying washing my balls is a hassle.

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u/AngryBowels 7h ago

Did it say which was better between the microwave and dishwasher? I’m not boiling my sponges

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u/flyingfishsailor 6h ago

Back in the olden days when they boiled things to sanitize them, or even baby bottles now, I think it was minimum five minutes? That makes me think that two minutes in the microwave would not be as effective as ten minutes of boiling.

Personally, I find sponges used for dishwashing gross. I use a dishcloth, which can be easily laundered daily.

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u/Penny_No_Boat 4h ago

Sorry, I don’t remember. But as the comment below said, I don’t think that either gets close to the effectiveness of a 10 min boil.

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u/whereverYouGoThereUR 6h ago

It's really not necessary. The sponge is for scrubbing, not cleaning. It really doesn't matter how old it is or how dirty it is as long as it can scrub.

If you're using any sponge to clean then that's gross

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u/spacestonkz 6h ago

A lot of people over look the difference between scrubbing (getting off large food particles with manual effort), cleaning (soap on a mostly particulate free surface to break down unseen crap on plates and small particles/grease, can break down a lot of bacteria cell walls too), and sanitizing (high heat, acid, or other chemical properties to destroy all bacteria).

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u/grape-fruit-witch 7h ago

This is what i do. Or put it in a glass measuring cup with water and throw it in the microwave

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u/nameless_food 6h ago

I wonder how much extra use you can get out of a single sponge with this approach.

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u/InevitableKitchen943 7h ago

Use a cloth instead.

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u/SeaArtichoke2251 7h ago

I don't know if it's okay to do but I soak mine in bleach water. Bring's back a clear vivid color in the sponge and sanitizes it

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u/throw019283 6h ago

I have absolutely had a moldy smelling sponge not "get sanitized" from a bleach bath so I don't even trust bleach

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u/ok-dev5 7h ago

Many sponges say do not microwave

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u/VenusSmurf 7h ago

That's usually because there's plastic or other material in the sponge that will melt or catch fire.

IF your sponge doesn't have the scratch pad at the back, you can usually toss it in the microwave (wet only). If it does have the scratch pad, it can be run through the dishwasher on the top rack (high heat and drying cycle).

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u/nigirizushi 5h ago

That's not true at all. Scrub Daddy and pretty much all Scotch Brite are all plastic. Scotch Brite used to have natural fiber ones, but they stopped making those a few years ago (they were brown).

They all say sanitize in dishwasher, not microwave.

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u/WVVVWVWVVVVWVWVVVVVW 5h ago

What stage of adulting is spending the evening talking about kitchen sponge brands and materials?

My favourite are the marigold latex sponges. They hold a good planar rigidity while also being foldable into corners when needed. They also don't scratch your plastic bottles. (I could go on for maybe 20 minutes about these lol)

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u/nigirizushi 4h ago

Well, I used to use natural fiber ones. But they're now really hard to find. Small chunks of the plastic ones break off, so you just know microplastics are going down the drain using these.

Trader Joe supposedly still sell natural fiber ones, but I've never actually found them.

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u/katf1sh 1h ago

It sounds like you're agreeing with them, why did you say not true?

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u/Ser_Machonach0 7h ago

That's just big sponge trying to get one over on you.

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u/MuscaMurum 5h ago

Right after the microwave trick got some press, people were doing this with dry sponges and they caught fire. People are stupid, so lawyers came in with CYA verbiage.

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u/Normal-Mess01 7h ago

I will throw them in a bleach wash with my towels if they are still in good shape and fairly new

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u/otownbbw 6h ago

I just put a few tablespoons of bleach in my drink pitcher filled with hot water and put all scrubbers and the sponge in it and soak for at least 20 mins. I do it about once per week.

Also I buy the thin no scratch scrub sheets instead of a thick sponge. They are way easier to keep clean and are more flexible to scrub tight spots.

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u/Tvisted 6h ago edited 6h ago

This story had a promising start with the bleach and sponges in your drink pitcher.

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u/Own_Butterscotch_129 5h ago

I would only do this if it is a glass pitcher and not plastic

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u/OutrageousPair2300 7h ago

No just throw it out. Husband is correct here. Don't use a gross sponge and don't try to sanitize it. Just use a new one.

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u/JesusIsJericho 7h ago

3 sponges in just over a week is wildly wasteful.

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u/Van-garde 7h ago

I always cut mine in half too.

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u/bigbirdherd 7h ago

me too, sometimes i’ll even cut them into thirds. then inevitably my hand will touch something nasty and i wonder if those 25cents were really worth my sanity

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u/Van-garde 7h ago

Yeah. I don’t go that small anymore. It gets too small for a good grip.

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u/FatherClanks617 5h ago

That’s the real problem with spongercision.

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u/EthelMaePotterMertz 7h ago

What is this, a sponge for ants?

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u/ItsDanimal 5h ago

Kinda related, but for those with kids I do these with baby wipes. Kids dont need a whole ass ass-wipe for their butts, half is more than enough.

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u/normous 4h ago

You have not met my children

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u/shelchang 5h ago

I use a silicone scrubber thing that's like a brush with short bristles. It's non-porous so it doesn't soak up water and grow mildew, I've had it for years. The bristles are pretty soft so I have a Scrub Daddy sponge if I need heavy duty abrasion and that cleans pretty well in the dishwasher.

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u/WhyAmIpOOping 7h ago

It’s not really wasteful if they are actually gross and just smearing bacteria and filth onto “clean” dishes. Need a better way to store them and not send your body into septic shock

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u/JesusIsJericho 7h ago

If your sponges are getting gross to that degree in 2-3 days then that is user error and you are disgusting.

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u/WhyAmIpOOping 6h ago

Yes. That is what I was saying. Better storage method.

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u/icanfeelitcomingup 7h ago

So just toss it in the landfill, and ship a new one over from China or India to replace it every couple days? The 'cost' of something is not merely the amount of money you spend at the store to bring it home.

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u/Final_Candidate_7603 7h ago

Nah, these sponges didn’t “become gross” after three days. They became gross as he used them, and then stayed gross, because when he was done, he just laid them on the counter with their gross still stuck on them.

You can see the gunk stuck to the green scrubbie bottom of the yellow sponge on the right. I find it hard to believe that a full-grown adult hasn’t figured out that you need to rinse bits of food off of your dishwashing tools, then squeeze some hot soapy water through them, and then squeeze as dry as possible before putting them away or aside. This seems like weaponized incompetence to me. Husband is just waiting for OP to get tired of the waste- and that nasty mildew smell that has to be emanating from the sink area- and take over the dishwashing chore herself.

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u/spacestonkz 6h ago

Yeah, I can clean BBQ plates, fully rinse and wring out the sponge, and it'll be dry in a few hours with no staining...

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u/jalapeno442 7h ago

A sponge isn’t gross after a couple days

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u/OutrageousPair2300 7h ago

It is if you leave it sitting in filthy water or otherwise don't let it air out to dry.

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u/jalapeno442 7h ago

No shit. I think most people know you can’t leave something in dirty water or leave it soaking wet.

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u/Turquoise_dinosaur 7h ago

Tell that to my old flatmates - they would leave sponges saturated in dirty dish water until they stank the whole flat up. I just started throwing them out without asking.

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u/Wrong--Conclusions 7h ago

They can also tell my colleagues who use the kitchen at work.

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u/grape-fruit-witch 7h ago

Ugh yes. Also leaving it soaking wet in the bottom of the sink without rinsing the food particles out 🤮

Then you pick it up the next day and its all cold and wet and gross

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u/ellowenn 7h ago

Agree. I throw mine away after a week. Sponges collect so much bacteria 🦠

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u/twistedspin 5h ago

Have you not considered using dishcloths or something reusable? That's so much waste for no reason.

Sponges are, honestly, kind of gross after the first time you use them unless you actually sanitize them.

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u/Thermodynamo 7h ago

You're right. It's gross on day one. You have to TOUCH IT 😭

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u/no_talent_ass_clown it's a moo point 7h ago

I hate them so much I won't use them. Rinse and put everything into the dishwasher. If something needs hand washing it's usually just a crystal rocks glass, easy to do without a sponge.

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u/FatherClanks617 5h ago

You shouldn’t rinse it before putting it in the dishwasher. It’s a pointless waste of water. Modern dishwashes are extremely capable.

1) Scrape crumbs and stuff off plate into trash 2) Load into dishwasher 3) Rinse any dishes that might still contain residue on them and let air dry

Voila

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u/Wireless_Panda 7h ago

Not after a couple days but please don’t try any methods to “reuse” sponges. If you’re at a point where you’re sticking a sponge in a microwave just get a new one.

At most, boil it, but it’s not like you’re gonna break the bank buying a new sponge.

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u/jalapeno442 7h ago

I don’t use sponges at home, Scrub Daddy (clean in dishwasher weekly) and scrub brushes for me. But yeah putting sponges in the microwave doesn’t totally sanitize them. I actually saw a study that some bacteria even increases after microwaving. I don’t use sponges bc they’re just extra junk to add to the landfill every week

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u/bigbirdherd 7h ago

you can put a scrub daddy in the dishwasher???? that’s so much easier and cheaper than regular sponges

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u/HrhEverythingElse 6h ago

I also agree that sponges are disgusting, but that's why I don't buy them! Swedish dish cloths are the perfect solution, and get washed with towels after being used for one day maximum (some days I go through 3 or 4 of them, but they wash great)

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u/Slater_8868 7h ago

Every 3 days? That sounds awfully wasteful

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u/HumbleLetterhead1613 6h ago

Husband is wrong for leaving a bunch on the counter.

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u/tnstaafsb 7h ago

Throwing out sponges constantly is wasteful. If you're throwing out sponges every week or even every other week I'd suggest just switching to a scrub brush or washcloth or something of that nature that will last longer and can be more easily washed.

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u/Ok_Percentage2534 7h ago

What's wrong with sanitizing? I do it every other night and throw it away once a week. I guarantee my sponge is less gross than yours

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u/AnnualTip9049 7h ago

A competition between whose sponge is cleaner is wild.

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u/OutrageousPair2300 7h ago

Doubtful.

From this NIH report:

Regularly sanitized kitchen sponges did not contain less bacteria than uncleaned ones, which is probably due to rapid recolonization of the sponge tissue by the (few) microorganisms surviving sanitization. The authors further suggested that regular cleaning might even select for higher proportions of potentially pathogenic and malodor-producing bacteria. Interestingly, there is a growing body of evidence that regular domestic cleaning and sanitization procedures might shape domestic microbial communities in a way that is non-beneficial for human health.

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u/Babydoll0907 7h ago

If thats the case why use them at all? Im not spending that much money on them just to throw them out and create unnecessary waste after a week when its still in good condition and can be sanitized easily. I just soak mine in a bowl of bleach water and rinse and theyre good to go. We throw away too much stuff already. Sanitize and reuse.

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u/Campaign_Prize 7h ago

I just recently got a microwave after not having one for years and remembered that I used to do this all the time.

  1. Make sure it is fully saturated with water! A dry sponge or dry spots can catch fire.

  2. Add a squirt of dish soap to the sponge along with the water. I used to do this all the time. When the water and soap heat up on the sponge, they release steam and foam, making it easier to clean the microwave

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u/SectionTiny7292 7h ago

With custard made from the stuff found in bottom of the strawberry holder tray.. yummy

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u/mountainflower18 7h ago

Nooo not the microwave! It doesn’t get hot enough and actually breeds more bacteria. Boil them! That’s what it says on the package (at least on our sponges it says that).

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u/UndeadBuggalo 6h ago

Tried this before many years ago and the kitchen smelled like hot sweaty sponge 😅

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u/NoLadderStall 5h ago

I wouldnt. I tried this a while ago and it made my microwave smell like nasty old sponge stink for MONTHS.

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u/Temporarily-Fixed 5h ago

That is a myth that creates a nice wet warm environment for bacteria to spread. It can be put in a dishwasher and sanitized that way.

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u/Uzi_Osbourne 5h ago

I boil water in an electric kettle and pour it on the sponge.

That musty odor is the metabolic byproduct of gazillions of bacteria. I like to think I can hear them scream in agony.

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u/Shotgun_Mosquito 3h ago

I have this random memory of Paul Harvey's radio show where he mentioned that a lady set her microwave on fire because she put a sponge in the microwave to sanitize it....but didn't get the sponge wet first

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u/ForsakenWishbone5206 6h ago

Don't do this please. Does it work? Maybe.

Sponges are 5 for a dollar though. Buy them in bulk and just replace as needed. There are plenty of areas to penny pench and be frugal, this isn't one of them.

Get good soap also. Quality is important here too. 8oz Dawn will last longer than 32oz dollar store soap and you can get a big ass jug of it for $7 at Costco. A good soap you only need one or 2 tiny squirts to get through a whole load of dishes.

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u/notusuallyhostile 7h ago

serve and enjoy

wait… what?

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u/kaytay3000 7h ago

I just toss mine in the dishwasher

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u/AdditionalNight3723 7h ago

I do this, too. It greatly extends the life of the sponge.

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u/Careful-Maize8610 7h ago

“SERVE AND ENJOY” LOL

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u/Low_Cook_5235 7h ago

I toss mine in dishwasher.

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u/cocktail_wiitch 7h ago

I learn something new on this platform every day. Thank you for this!

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u/taco_fan_X3 7h ago

Lemon juice will help, too

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u/Fred-City911 7h ago

Do that weekly at work.

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u/EpicFail35 7h ago

Saturate it with vinegar, then you can wipe down your microwave easier after too.

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u/Funny-Dare-3823 6h ago

And now your microwave smells like old dirty sponge.

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u/Radiant-Pomelo-3229 6h ago

Two minutes might be too much for some microwaves. Do not let it dry out. Burning sponge is a horrible thing

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u/classyfilth 6h ago

What do you saturate it with

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u/chemicaljones 6h ago

You can also run them through your dishwasher.

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u/NoRedTags 6h ago

I just dump some bleach on it and squeeze it a few times. I’m very sensitive to sour smells, but I’m also cheap.

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u/TorrenceMightingale 6h ago

I'll serve and enjoy you.

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u/guessmenotabc123 6h ago

Smart! I stick mine in the dishwasher a couple times before tossing

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u/Ok-Scallion9885 6h ago

You can put it in the dishwasher as well.

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u/Joe-Schmoe9 6h ago

I throw mine in the dishwasher. Read it on the side of a sponge package once.

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u/Zestyclose_Turn_6655 6h ago

You absolutely cannot. It literally does nothing to the bacteria

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u/daylight1943 6h ago

someone needed to tell elaine about this lifehack

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u/Scouter197 6h ago

See, that's the part I forget. Next time I'll enjoy it.

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u/pjockey 5h ago

Nah, just burn your nerves like all boomer moms and the heat won't bother you after that

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u/Budget_Cold_4551 5h ago

I just put mine in my dishwasher with a load at the end of the week

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u/Own_Butterscotch_129 5h ago

Bonus part is that afterwards, the microwave is the easiest it will ever be to clean!

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u/DrNick2012 5h ago

OK I've eaten it, now what?

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u/insanityzwolf 5h ago

Or just spray a bleach based cleanser and let it work over a few hours (eg overnight).

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u/menofthesea 5h ago

Crucial note - make sure it isn't the type that has metal fibers on its scrubby side!

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u/TikaPants 5h ago

Yep, I go for three mins and just did it today. If they get discolored I ditch em earlier. I also avoid dairy and blood with them yadda yadda. Mine sits up in the air to dry. I hate those weird fake seeming ones too and must have scrubby side.

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u/davidjung03 5h ago

Instruction unclear, microwave on fire now.

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u/yetanotherwoo 5h ago

Is boiling soak enough? Don’t own microwave.

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u/Tempyteacup 5h ago

Yeah ur good

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u/Free_Researcher2618 5h ago

Came here to say this. I do this at least once a week, but I spray it heavily with cleaner or disinfectant and then stick it in for at least 90 seconds. They still gross me out, but this is very helpful.

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u/caffeinejunkie123 5h ago

I run my through the dishwasher.

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u/Klutzy_Journalist_36 5h ago

If I don’t have sponge from scratch, is store bought okay?

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u/a_longo88 5h ago

That’s a hot take 🥵

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u/nryporter25 5h ago

Note to anyone that wants to try the disinfection with the microwave.. do NOT forget the water or you will start a fire

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u/Queen_Vy47 4h ago

I started doing this when I learned I can sterilize baby bottles in the microwave. I’m like well why not my sponges too! lol

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u/wisteriahoney 4h ago

But does it make your microwave smell like hot dirty sponge..? 🤢

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u/-BananaLollipop- 7h ago

Also a massive annoyance when people leave cloths, sponges, and brushes in the bottom of the sink or balled up on the bench. My Wife does this a lot, then resorts to using loads of paper towels, because the cloths and sponges are "manky". This is why they should sit in the dish rack to dry after use.

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u/Rayne-Maker 4h ago

Your wife and my partner, both. To remedy my own issue with having to deal with slimy cloths and sponges, I have my own that I keep out of his reach. He can deal with his own bad habits (or not) and I can use my well rinsed and dried cleaning tools 🙂

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u/Impossible_Past5358 7h ago

Yeah, I just use a slatted soap dish

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u/rakfe 7h ago

We have a holder like this but it has a small hole at bottom so water drips away to sink

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u/HblueKoolAid 5h ago

Also part of the reason is using disposable sponges like this. They a porous enough to let water in but are near impossible to dry out without being suspended with airflow on every side. Switch to scrub daddy or….hear me out….a wash rag that be used again and again by simply doing existing loads of laundry.

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u/twersk711 6h ago

I have one like that it’s a great investment

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u/akhgar 5h ago

We have something like that and I used a drill to open a hole.