FYI Your Kitchen Sponge Contains as Much Bacteria as Poop

I admittedly hold on to kitchen sponges until I've scrubbed holes into them — I mean, why add more waste to the world? However, a study conducted by Scientific Reports confirms the unimaginable, and I can never go back to my old habits. The average kitchen sponge secretes as much bacteria as human fecal matter. I know. I nearly passed out when I read that too. The New York Times added that there is no — I repeat — NO effective way to sanitize sponges. In fact, trying to microwave or boil sponges only makes them harbor more harmful bacteria. Microbiologists recommend replacing your sponges every week, so why not let Monday be the day to start off fresh?

Throwing a few dollars in the trash every week in sponges makes me uncomfortable, but I learned a little trick from my mom: cut sponges in half or in fourths. That way, one full-sized sponge lasts longer. I personally love dehydrated sponges like these yellow pop-up sponges, as they can't harbor any bacteria while in a dried pancake form. I like to cut them before rehydrating them too.