If porous things like certain ceramics are bad to use because they trap and grow bacteria, how come we can use the same sponges for things like washing our body and for dishes?
In: Biology
You can easily clean out the center of a sponge by using it with soap, then rinsing it and wringing out.
You cannot wring out ceramic without shattering, so you can’t clean the center much, so more bacteria can grow.
Sponges *do* and *will* hold bacteria if you don’t clean them regularly and throw them away when they start to seem gross.
because we are constantly exchanging the water held by the sponge. the sponge is also exposed to soap frequently.
if you set a sponge in a tub of dirty water and left it there for several days, it would be moldy and unsuitable for further use
for example; the beef broth will seep into the ceramic and spoil; if not properly cleaned before the next use that spoiled beef broth will contaminate the next foodstuff
I switched to using wash rags for dishes. I can use them a couple times then toss in a hot wash. I also use a silicone body scrubber. It is one solid piece so no places for mold to grow.
Also sponges and body scrubbers are completely filled with germs. The fact we reuse them so often and for so long just shows how clueless most humans are about what’s nasty and what isn’t.
Kitchen sponges hold more bacteria than any other surface in your home.
“Loofah-style body sponges are intimate with many unclean areas of the body and then sit around allowing bacteria to multiply within the nooks and crannies of the sponge.” Think about it: the warm, moist environment of a shower is a paradise for germs. Using a loofah is basically providing bacteria with a free ride to your skin.
Sponges are very porous and have large openings. They’re also very flexible and malleable so they’re fairly easy to clean with water and soap that is readily soaked in and then you can wring them, squeeze them, and generally get the water everywhere and dislodge anything that may be sitting inside the pores. But the pores on rigid materials can’t effectively be cleaned with anything. You can’t wring a ceramic object and no brush is fine enough to get into all the pores, but bacteria can and will settle in them and eventually pose a health hazard. That’s not to say that sponges can last forever but the whole point of sponges is that you use them for a few days to a couple of weeks and then throw them out and use a new one.
You’re supposed to use a different sponge for the dishes and washing your body, even when you do the dishes in the shower.
You are not supposed to use the same sponge for both washing your body and doing the dishes, I can’t even remember the last time I’ve heard of someone bathing with a sponge, And even your dish sponge you are supposed to replace fairly frequently It’s why they sell them in packs of like 20 for just a few dollars, although if you’re really desperate you can usually sanitize them well enough with boiling water
You’re doing WHAT with that sponge?
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