Dishwashing is a daily household chore, and for many, perhaps the most hated. Well, if you even know how many dangerous substances can be on the dishwashing sponges you use to keep your home clean!
It is now a well-known fact that hand washing dishes requires a lot of tap water, which can have serious consequences in terms of sustainability and environmental issues. But less is said about the fact that washing up can actually harm your own health. In this article, we show how much bacteria can hide on sponges and answer the question of what can be done to combat them. Stay tuned!
You'd never guess you're washing up with a "bacteria dish"
But the sponges used for traditional hand washing provide the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. By way of comparison:
"A single dishcloth can harbour more bacteria than there are people on Earth" - points out Trond Moretro of the Norwegian food research institute Nofirma.
Why is that? Research shows that the size and texture of dishwashing sponges are conducive to the adhesion of pathogens, and that we provide constant moisture for them to multiply while we use them. And this combination offers more ideal conditions than many petri dishes made specifically for bacterial growth. As a result, 362 different bacterial species can be present on a single dishcloth at the same time, reaching densities of up to 45 billion per square centimetre. But you could also look at it this way: your dishwashing sponge can have a concentration of bacteria as high as your toilet bowl.
We would also almost certainly say that you don't change the sponge often enough. We tend to throw away a used dishwashing sponge only when we can smell it is "dirty". This smell is probably caused by one of the bacteria in the sponges, Moxarella osloensis. You can already guess that if you only get a new sponge at this point, it's already bad. On the other hand, you can't change it every day either, because even if you're protecting your health, you're doing the environment a great disservice with all that rubbish. Experts recommend a weekly change.
What is a good alternative then?
No doubt you will need some utensils, but you can't wash all the plates, glasses and cutlery by hand. A common solution (and partly wrong) is to 'clean' dishwashing sponges in the microwave, as we tend to think that the high temperature will kill the bacteria in the sponge. However, research shows that the strongest and most dangerous bacteria can survive microwaving without any problems, so you can only kill some of them.
You can also try soaking the dishwashing sponge in vinegar, which , according to the Good Housekeeping Institute, kills a significant amount of bacteria due to the disinfectant effect of vinegar.
Researchers, on the other hand, are keen to recommend an alternative to the sponge: the use of a dishwashing brush, which is just as effective as a sponge.
"Salmonella and other bacteria are more likely to remain in the sponges than in the brushes, as the sponges are never completely dry during everyday use." - explains Moretro.
But that still doesn't mean you won't have bacteria on your dish brush, just less to worry about than with a sponge. And it's another matter that a brush is less comfortable to wash with, since it's mostly used to remove stubborn dirt.
It may seem obvious that if you invest in a dishwasher instead of washing up by hand, you won't have to worry about sponges anymore. It's not only safe, it's also a water-saving method that can significantly reduce your ecological footprint and you're already taking a big step towards an environmentally conscious household. But let's face it, it's not easy to replace hand washing completely, you'll still end up washing the occasional glass or plate.
However, a combination of the two seems like a good solution: you can put the dishwashing brush in the dishwasher to disinfect it, so when you do have to wash up by hand, you don't have to worry so much about bacteria.
And while you're at it, it doesn't matter what you wash the dishes with
Do you know what's in the dishwashing liquid you use? In a previous article, we told you that traditional cleaning products can contain a lot of toxic ingredients - like fragrances - that can harm your health and that of your family when you're cleaning your home. Think about it: you don't know exactly what ingredients you're using to clean the plate you're going to eat off!
You're much better off switching to natural detergents, which are just as effective at removing greasy dirt from plates and glasses, but you don't have to worry about damaging your health by washing up. CYCLE dishwashing liquid contains all natural ingredients - such as acetic acid and other organic compounds, recycled water, citric acid and lemon essential oil.
