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 [1] 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 [2]. In fact, trying to microwave or boil sponges [3] 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 [4], as they can't harbor any bacteria while in a dried pancake form. I like to cut them before rehydrating them too.