sponge

These days, stylish, eco-friendly cleaning products like Method abound, and I've even armed you with recipes for healthy cleaning solutions. In our refrigerators, organic food is becoming commonplace. But, there's one thing in the kitchen that hasn't undergone some sort of eco-conscious evolution, and that's the sponge.
So, I was delighted to try the Twist Euro Sponge #10 ($4), which is made from sustainable pine trees, is antibacterial, 100-percent biodegradable, and dishwasher safe. I didn't think that the sponge could compete with my go-to grocery store variety, but I was wrong. The sponge absorbs spills as well as any paper towel, and easily cleans the grit off a messy frying pan. It's also already outlasted my standard sponges, within only a couple weeks. No, it doesn't have the toughness of steel wool, but what does? Aside from functionality, it's also the most beautiful sponge I've used. My favorite thing, though, is that it's packaging can be transformed into a bird feeder once it's opened — bird feed not included.

If you have a dishwasher, toss your dish-cleaning sponge into the dishwasher on the top rack once a week. It'll keep your sponge and the pots, pans, and dishes that you wash by hand so fresh and so clean. That way, you can reuse your sponges over and over rather than buying new ones when they get yucky. Your sponges may look clean when you rinse them, but only a run through the dishwasher will kill off bacteria.

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Since today is officially Ask a Stupid Question Day (thanks for the heads-up, YumSugar), I've got a potentially stupid question for you. Over here at CasaSugar HQ, we've been plagued with an offensively musty-smelling dish sponge for the past few days. I'd heard that microwaving the sponge would cut the odor, but it didn't seem to work.

I'd rather not use bleach to fix this problem, and I'd rather not throw the sponge away, given my eco-senstive attitude. But I need some help! Any savvy Casa readers know of a good cure for stinky sponges?

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The cheapskate in me has been inspired by an Ayurvedic spa treatment I recently had. Before beginning the massage, my esthetician used a stiff brush to briskly go over my dry skin. Not only did it exfoliate dead skin cells, it also increased circulation, and the herbal oil she used left me feeling luxuriously moisturized.

I was so impressed by how good the dry skin brushing felt that I've pulled a MacGyver and have started doing something similar at home. Before stepping into the shower, I gently buff my body with the rough side of a regular kitchen sponge. You can buy these patterned O-Cel-O sponges at your local drugstore for about a dollar, and as long as you use a light touch, you'll be able to get rid of dead skin. They're too rough for your face, so don't think about using this on your complexion; instead, use it on feet, elbows and any other tough, rough skin. After the shower, follow with moisturizer and you'll have the "aah" of the spa—without the "eek" of a high price tag.

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Remember when microwaves were first introduced and we spent hours blowing up marshmallows? Well, the news that microwaving sponges for two minutes kills bacteria created a similar such phenomenon. One important tidbit of info, though:
the sponge must be wet when you put it in the microwave!

Many news outlets received complaints when folks experimented at home with their microwaves and sponges. When nuked, the dry sponges were fried and created quite a stink. Another note: stick to nuking wet sponges only, and put plastic dish scrubbers in the dishwasher.

It is party season and did you know your kitchen sponge is the hostess of the most-est. Yep, the average kitchen sponge can play host to upwards of 7 billion bacteria. Yikes!

Most of the bacteria comes from surprise - food left on dirty dishes, especially raw foods like meat, poultry and veggies.

Sponges that were tested after 3 weeks of use were found to contain fecal bacteria. That's because some people go to the bathroom and don't wash their hands. Gross. Or people use the same sponge to scrub behind the toilet that they use to wash their dishes. That's beyond gross.

Want to know what you can do to make your sponge a less hospitable home for bacteria? read more