As of: April 4, 2024, 9:46 a.m
By: Christoph Gschoßmann
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Kitchen sponges are real germ deterrents. But how dangerous are the bacteria and viruses in it really? A study provides information.
Kassel – Be honest, how often do you change your kitchen sponge? Once a month? Or rather less often? Do you sometimes put it in the laundry or in the dishwasher and then use it again? The results of a study on the bacteria in dishwashing sponges might make you rethink their behavior.
According to the results of the study by Furtwangen University, from a microbial perspective, sponges are among the “most densely populated everyday items” in the household. A total of 54 billion bacteria per cubic centimeter live on the kitchen utensils. But it's not just the sheer number of bacteria that is worrying: they include pathogens such as Salmonella or Campylobacter bacteria, which can pose a health risk. The researchers make the clear verdict that the sponges are “actually not hygienically useful cleaning utensils”.
Many bacteria from risk group 2 can be found in kitchen sponges
The 362 different types of bacteria found in the sponges multiply primarily on the foam. Its pores offer a huge surface area for the bacterial strains. About half of them belong to the so-called risk group 2. This means that they are potentially pathogenic. After all, fecal bacteria and diarrhea pathogens were only detected in small quantities. The study was carried out by a team of researchers from Furtwangen University and the Justus Liebig University of Giessen. It was published in the journal “Archives of Microbiology”.
A dishwashing sponge: How many bacteria and viruses are in it? © Becker&Bredel/Imago
“Germ Hotel Kitchen Sponge”: Mushrooms and algae hide in it
And it's not just bacteria that live on the sponges. “But there are a whole range of other microorganisms, such as archaea, fungi, protozoa, algae and of course viruses. Until now, hardly anything was known about their occurrence in the 'Küchenschwam Germ Hotel',” explains study leader Markus Egert.
Five used dishwashing sponges were examined in the study. 98 percent of the microorganisms the scientists found were bacteria. The second most common (1.6 percent) were sequences of eukaryotic organisms, i.e. organisms with a real cell nucleus. The researchers found genes from fungi, algae and single-celled animals such as amoebas. There are also extremely high levels of bacteria on bed linen.
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The microscopic picture of the kitchen sponge is diverse and lively. But you shouldn't worry about the non-bacterial microbes. Egert says: “From a hygiene perspective, our study gives the all-clear. It does not appear that the non-bacterial microbiota of a kitchen sponge poses any particular health risks.” The new study shows that bacteria are the main problem in dishwashing sponges.
Change kitchen sponges at least once a week
So should you throw away all of your dishwashing sponges and avoid them altogether in the future? Not necessarily, but according to a previous study by the University of Furtwangen, the sponges and cloths should be changed regularly.
But how often should a new sponge be used? According to the experts, dishwashing sponges and rags should be replaced at least once a week. But do the sponges have to go in the trash or can they be washed and cleaned again?
Cleaning kitchen sponges with hot water: what's the point?
There are various tips and instructions circulating on the Internet on how to clean sponges. The dishwasher, washing machine and microwave are all mentioned as options for cleaning the utensils. After all, high temperatures have an effect here. But scientists advise against this.
Because the number of bacteria only decreases for a short time. In addition, according to the study, the stronger bacteria would still survive. Reusing - generally a praiseworthy process for the environment - is definitely the wrong approach here, for the sake of health.
(cgsc)