(Warning:The music is loud,can’t edit it now that is is published.) Remove Bacteria from a Sponge?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 16 вер 2024
- #cleaning #bacteria #realworldresults #disinfect #sanitize
My apologies that the music in the middle is loud. I cannot change it now that it is uploaded. You can hit mute to get through it.
In this video I test various methods of removing bacteria from a kitchen sponge. I tested 4 methods: microwaving for 1 minute, setting it in the dishwasher, soaking in vinegar for 5 minutes and washing with dishsoap!
**SUPPORT ME!**
I appreciate your help, it allows me to buy more products to test!
paypal.me/lincap
www.venmo.com/...
*****
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Visit my Amazon Store where I post links to most of the products I have tested on this channel
www.amazon.com... (paid link)
******
Come & join me on Patreon for early results, video brainstorming, and more!
/ fieldoffocus
*******
Leave a UA-cam Super Thanks!
******
Purchase something for me to test from my Amazon List
www.amazon.com...
******
Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommon...
~~~SHOUTOUT TIME!!~~~
~Thank you for buying me some coffee~
Witfilda!
TJ!
~Thank you for joining my Hyperfocused Patreon Community~
Vyviane!
Kayla!
Mary!
C Leonard!
Ryan!
Kimberly!
Stephanie!
Jamie!
Pamela!
Katie!
~Thank you for the UA-cam Super Thanks~
CDGMR1!
Bereever!
~Thank you for the PayPal Support~
Highland Rim Studio
**CONNECT WITH ME**
Email: field.of.focusyt@gmail.com
linktr.ee/Fiel...
field_of_focusyt (I am trying to remember to post more here!!)
Mail:
Linda Strickland
10 State Rd #246
Bath, ME 04530
Thank you for your support!
Force of Nature (affiliate link)
www.forceofnat...
******DISCLAIMER: All of the bacterial experiments that I perform are conducted in my home which does not have the same conditions as a laboratory, and is for entertainment only.******
I am aware that the music is loud in the middle of the video. I cannot figure out how to change that since it is already uploaded. My apologies. Feel free to hit mute during the part where I show you how I sample etc.
I found your video's volume ok on my desktop PC speakers that is I felt no urge to change the volume between spoken and music parts though yes, the music was a bit but not excessively louder.
The technical nitty gritty ... UA-cam will automatically reduce the volume if it considers it excessive. In the (analog) past -12 dB volume was considered the limit for production but in the all digital world of online video and streaming it seems 0 dBFS has become the new standard. Which may result in distortion when an equalizer or other post processing is later applied but the viewer. UA-cam itself wants -13 dBFS … -15 dBFS but -9 dBFS for short bits are ok. If your videos volume is considered too low or too loud by youtube the automated upload processing will renormalize the volume to something in that range.
Thank you for telling me this. I just got bombarded with comments saying the music was too loud, and a few that is was horrible. Horrible I can't change now either ! 😂 It is good to know that youtube will reduce volumes if it is too loud. And as for horrible, well I try to pick different music for my videos from the free creator library. Thanks for reaching out. I appreciate it!
@@FieldOfFocus Picking music for a video is a bit of a pain. Somebody will always dislike it. Then there is youtube's creator library. At the same time it's pretty large and not large enough. So many youtubers are using it that it's guaranteed there have been hundreds of videos using any particular track before. There's also a legal catch. To my understanding the terms allow the use of the library for youtube. That is the terms don't grant any usage rights for other video platforms. You could always license music from another site. Or even have something created for your exclusive use. I tend to look around for music under cc0 / public domain from other sites as licensing doesn't make sense for my videos which are not monetized.
A final word on the volume. I was listening on desktop speakers. The user experience with headphones, ear buds or a mobile phone may be pretty different. There is some music with feels like somebody is piercing the ear drums with pencils on headphones - but is perfectly ok on speakers.
Yes!! I have been using the UA-cam creator music since it is free and easy for licensing. I really appreciate your taking the time to comment.
You could use the UA-cam editor feature (if it's still exist. I haven't use it since ages ago). I think using YT editor, you don't have to re-upload and it's still retain the view count. You might try it. 👍
When a dish sponge starts to age, it becomes a dedicated sponge for cleaning the sink, & I pull out a new sponge for dishes.
I do that too.. ahhah!
Me too.
Same!
And use a lot of bleach.
@@trinacogitating4532 I use the ScrubDaddy sponges 🧽. They are resistant to bacteria. And I disinfect them at least twice weekly. ScrubDaddy sponges never smell 👃 in my experience.
a tip I found earlier this year - I was making up hanging flower baskets, and I saw this lady cut up a sponge and put it in with the dirt. She said it would help retain water in the basket and I'm pretty sure it worked. The pots held a little extra water and I could actually skip a day of watering and the plants were still ok. A re-purpose use for your old sponges if you do any planting.
I put a small bowl in the bottom of my flower basket. So the extra runoff is held there for the roots for later.
That is a great tip!! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vermiculite!
It's seriously worth it as a soil ammendment, for at least a couple good reasons.
Not sure its impact re sourcing/mining, but the aeriated soil benefit is a healthier soil.
Be careful which plants you pit that way. Some need to dry out between waterings, or their roots will rot.
Thank you! I’ll try this.
The best way hands down is to dry them outside in the sun....the ultraviolet light sterilizes everything better than chemicals and the sun's heat also helps. The added bonus is that it's free and effortless. You may need to rotate them with a couple of extra sponges to use while the others dry in the sun. Same goes for rags, wash cloths, towels, and other laundry items...the old-fashioned clothes line is not used much anymore but laundry dried that way still has advantages.
You would like this one: Washing & Drying in the SUN to Remove Bacteria? -VIEWER REQUEST- Tested w/Petri dishes! ua-cam.com/video/MioFTSuBQHA/v-deo.html
@@FieldOfFocus I will go and watch that. Thanks.
India has plenty of sunshine. Whether it's the sponge for dishwashing, or clothes or any other, we put them on clothes line out in the sun. Of course,after washing with soap and rinsing in water.
@@FieldOfFocus definitely sister.
Except then they get crawled on by flies and their buddies …
I take the bacteria-laden sponge, which can get stinky, and put it in a glass with diluted bleach (3 parts water to 1 part bleach ) and let it soak for 30 mins. then rinse. works very well
Thanks for sharing!
I also use bleach, but I dilute it more - 10 parts water to one part bleach.
You’re going to want to dilute the bleach more, for better effectiveness. Bleach actually requires quite a bit of dilution to reach its full potential, and most people are using it too strong.
Dilute to about 10% (1 part bleach to 9 parts water) for better sanitizing.
Source: I worked for a hazmat firm, doing training related stuff for remediation.
Also: (not that you asked) Bleach does kill mould, but when you stress out mould in various ways (heat, bleach, etc) it can cause it to release spores. It’s safer to use lukewarm water and a mould specific cleaning product if you’re cleaning mould without full PPE.
@@faiora I need help with mould in my walls and carpet. May I ask you questions, please?
Thanks for the info that you have provided.
@@faiora PPE?
Many people say that “cleaning” sponges results in more harmful bacteria surviving inside the sponge. I’d be interested to see swabs from the inside of the sponge (cut open and swabbed), and maybe a comparison of how other sponges compare when retaining bacteria (scrub daddy vs scotch brite, etc)
Interesting ideas!!!! I will add them to my viewer suggestion list! Thanks for watching!
That's why letting sponges completely dry is
probably good?
Perhaps one test with an afterwards, dried sponge too?
I sure have learned effective ways to keep my kitchen clean from your tests👍
Just what I was thinking about. The same type of problem with using hand sanitizer too often. The nasty few that survive then often take over because there aren't any lesser bacteria to keep them in check. The really bad ones can also become resistant.
It's very important to let all sponges and dishcloths dry completely between uses. Most bacteria dies if there is no moisture.
It‘s not a question of swabbing inside or outside the sponge. The point is that by disinfecting the sponge several times, you breed resistant bacteria (on the inside and outside). Disinfecting kills off almost all bacteria, leaving the place nice and empty (without any competition) for those few hardy bacteria who managed to survive, which allows them to multiply really well. So every time you disinfect a sponge, you are left with tougher and tougher bacteria that are increasingly hard to kill.
Have you considered boiling the sponge in water with dish soap? The surfactants in the soap reduce water's surface tension, allowing for deep penetration into the sponge. This, along with the high temperature of boiling water that kills most pathogens, makes it a highly effective method for cleaning and sanitizing
For this test, I did not consider boiling the sponge. That might be one to try for the next round of testing. Thanks for watching!
I have a great way to remove bacteria from a sponge - I throw it away after I use it. Plus, I don’t use sponges 😊
Yeah.. I toss mine when they look too old!
It sounds better that microwaving, actually. I cook mine with soda sometimes. (And a don't have a microwave oven).
That's what I do slso
thank you for all these scientific tests! So much better than the "opinions" others post.
You are welcome! I got annoyed watching videos and reading blogs where they say a product "works" with no proof! I appreciate your support!
I never comment on videos, but this was excellent. Love the Scientific Method! I don't have to take someone's word for what works best
Thank you so very much!!! I appreciate your kind words!
Wow this is excellent, I now know to rinse my sponges with dish soap before I put them in the dishwasher…also I wonder how soaking the sponge in a diluted bleach solution or hydrogen peroxide would fare?
I tend to wash with soap, then drench it in vinegar, and microwave it (with the vinegar ) for 2 minutes. The steam from this will also softens any stains inside the microwave, which then becomes really easy to clean.
Awesome! Great tip!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t use sponges, but I still find the video fascinating.
@katebowers8107
If you don't use sponges what do you use to wash dishes
@@cheri7054
A brush. Plenty of people use dish cloths, too.
It might be interesting to test sponges vs. the new swedish cleaning cloths which dry out quickly supposedly.
Interesting idea! Will add it to my viewer suggestion list! Thanks for watching!
Testing the Scrub Daddy scraper.
I am amazed of the reproduction of bacteria in your sink (That's supposed to be a relatively inert space) because each time you rub the sponge pieces it keep getting a big amount of bacteria
Yes that is amazing. I'm obsesses with taking soapy sponges after washing dishes and thoroughly wiping the sink clean with soap. Then I spray something like LA's Awesome or other spray cleaner all over the sink and faucet and let it dry. I want my sink clean enough to be able to drop food in there and not worry.
Thanks for sharing this! I always rinse my sponge with soap then throw it in the dishwasher. Turns out I've been doing the right thing! Thanks again
Sounds good!!!!!! Thanks for watching!
Do you worry about the sponge ending up on the heating coils during the drying cycle and causing a fire?
@@betweenworlds620 that has never crossed my mind, i dont use the heated dry cycle
@@betweenworlds620
Are the heating coils out the open in your dishwasher?
And the sponge should be soaking wet after the washing cycles are done. Could it really go up in flames then?
I'm a big fan of borax and the sun's rays!!! We have medical issues going on in our home and these two items don't fail us.
I have tested cleaning cloths in November sun and I am in the process of editing a video of cleaning cloths in August Sun!
this is fascinating!! The Nurse in me enjoyed this tremendously! Thank YOU!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching!
Dishwasher should of had a full load of dishes to see if it really disinfected the sponge. Love his video! 👏🏽
I was trying to record in the morning and I run my dishwasher at night... so it is what it is!
What I do is every evening, after I’ve cleaned up for the night, I put my sponges in the sink then let them soak overnight in my sink that has boiling water & bleach . That way I clean my sponges and the bottom few inches of my sink.
Glad you have a good system that works for you!!
I tried that in a pot i had to clean. it created black spots in the pot by morning!
@@janem3575maybe the aluminum reacted to the bleach.
I was under the impression that bleach doesn't work in warm/ hot water?
I've been doing 2 mthods; Soak in diluted hydrogen proxide (1:1), or water & bleach, then microwave for TWO minutes. I cant believe bleach & water wasn't tested, but good to know vinegar works so well.
So bleach and water wasn't tested because I chose the ones I chose... I figured as people watch this video more suggestions would come through and I will make a part 2. Thanks for watching.
Bleach demages sponge. I use bleach for everything except sponge. I am thinking about using laundry desinfectant for sponge.
Well of course bleach and water would work - if you want to buy sponges by the case due to them breaking down 1k times faster than they should have.
@@ivanarais1217 instead of bleach, use hypochlorous acid. It is more genial for everything, including your hands, and get this, more efficient and not harmful for the environment or for us. I use it for everything. That's what the lab I worked for uses. We all had a spray bottle with us all the time to wipe after ourselves having or not having a spill. It was just a safe measure. We never had any problem, ever, in our lab
A lot of people are biased against bleach going into the water system. Bleach is kind of old school toxic. I still use bleach to clean sponges tho. I don't have a microwave or a dishwasher. I find coffee things and water bottles that need disinfecting. I fill a container with bleach water and soak everything for about 30 minutes. Then I either rinse and use the items or I let them dry in the sun. I'm pretty sure this kills everything I need to be killed. Then I take the bleach water add a little dish soap and use it to clean the bathroom floors. Done. Bleached bathroom rags go in the laundry after rinsing. Dump remaining bleach water down the toilet and let it soak to remove any stains.
I’m glad u did the 2nd test - I think it mimics real world situations. Thanks! I am a new subscriber. I am enjoying your content.
YES! Thank you for watching and for your support!
I’m 80+ and throughout my life, I washed my sponges in my white clothing (contains bleach) load. When I worked in a kitchen of a hospital (first job!), sponges were kept in bleach/water solution overnight. HTH!!!
Will do more sponge testing and add this! Thanks!
They use bleach also in the center for disease control in what they call hot zones.
Got Bleach?
Nice test. I throw my sponges in the dishwasher when they take on an odor. If I'm in a hurry and sanitizing my kitchen surfaces, I soak my sponges and dish rags in bleach water. Normally, dish rags and towels just go through the washer/dryer, sometimes with added bleach.
I usually toss my sponges once they get yuk so it is interesting to hear how people revive them! Thanks!
i cut up the sponge into four to help my frugal psychosis feel better about THROWING them AWAY! great vid
Thank you for watching and commenting!!
I wonder what the results would be on a new sponge from the package.
I use old sponges when I’m potting up a plant, pop it at the bottom to keep the soil moist.
ha, :p
I don’t leave food or grease on it and empty what’s left of the boiling water I use for my tea on it daily. I also hit it with spray bleach a few times a week.
Thank you, that was a quick response, i appreciate the additional testing you did. I always suspected that sponge was not "clean"
Any time you rub a sponge on a dirty sink, especially the drain, there will be bacteria on it! Thank you for watching!
Thank you for your dedicated research! This is one of my new favorite channels! ❤
Wow, thank you! I truly appreciate your support!
Other interesting tests could be baking soda water with pH 8.5 (bacteria don't like alkaline solutions), direct sunlight, grow light (ultraviolet content), any combination of these with prior treatments. Incidentally a famous heart surgeon once said there is no place in the kitchen for sponges.
YES! I have tested the fall sun, and should have the summer sun video out soon for cleaning cloths. And I do have a UV wand that I am starting to test! Great suggestions!
The dishwashing soap is my disinfectant, lol! I never disinfect my sponge...never got sick from my sponge too. If ever it stinks or is starting to break apart, just change the sponge! Saves all the time disinfecting sponges. It's been years since I got any stomach flu too. The only time I will get sick in my tummy, is sometimes when I eat papaya and avocado combinations. But never from my undisinfected sponges. My personal habit is to squeeze your sponge dry and then air dry it every time you washed dishes, so it never gets stinky too.
I do mine in the microwave with a bit of vinegar in the bowl (couple of tablespoons or so) and then nuke it with the soft side up for 1.5 mins and then flip the sponge over and nuke it again with the scouring side up for another 1.5 mins - let cool down and use. If I don't have vinegar handy then I'll use a bit of bleach and water for the liquid in the bottom of the bowl. Gets rid of the bacterial odors as well and lasts for awhile before I have to either redo or replace.
Thanks for your thoughts!!!
Soaking it in rubbing alcohol (or actual ethyl alcohol, if possible). The ideal alcohol/water concentration is 70% -- which is what microbiologists use. It should kill all bacteria. However, I don't know whether alcohol might dissolve a normal cleaning sponge. I'd still start with some soapy squishing -- soap itself is very hard on most bacteria.
Forget the vinegar. Mix up a mild bleach water solution with a drop or two of dish detergent in a gallon bucket. Then use the sponge to wipe down your counters and sink. You will have disinfected the sponge, and the surfaces you wiped down! Just rinse out the sponge with water after and let it dry. The bleach with a little dish detergent is a very common thing for wiping down food prep surfaces in commercial kitchens.
Thanks for your thoughts! I personally am not looking for the one and done way, I test various products for their efficacies. Bleach most certain is considered the standard, but not everyone likes using bleach, so I test a variety of products! Thanks for watching!
Mix bleach and dishwash is toxic for your information
@@FieldOfFocus Plus using bleach breaks down sponges very fast so it would be great to have an alternative.
@@sundoesshine8583 commercial kitchens don't typically use sponges. They have dedicated cloths.
@@tf4606 I don't live in a commercial kitchen but thanks?
Another good test would be for how long you’d have to leave the sponge in the microwave to kill virtually all bacteria.
I pretty confident that ‘cooking’ a sponge just a bit longer in the microwave would do an excellent job of cleaning it too.
The dishwasher works better at sanitizing if you use the sani rinse option.
Thanks for this one! I am so pleased to have the science to back up the use of vinegar. My grandmother used it for lots of things.
Awesome! Glad it was helpful!!
I spray my sponge with Clorox clean up, let sit and then rinse. My mother used to use comet cleanser with bleach to clean the sink (and sponge) at the same time.
Thanks for sharing!
This was good. I just discovered your channel and will have to check out more of your videos - they sure look interesting! I hope you don't mind this Canuck saying, I like your New England accent. ☺
Hello!! Thank you for your kind words and support!!!! 😊
I got rid of sponges and bought a dozen micro fiber wash clothes. After use, they go in the washer. I have one color for dishes and another for general cleaning. I also use a micro cloth on my swiffer mop.
I like this idea. Thank you for mentioning it.
I saturate the sponge in soapy water to which a splash of bleach had been added, and I microwave that for 1 minute. Try that. (The sponge will degrade after several treatments of that, so I just throw it away at that point.) I also use new sponges for dishes - the older ones are for countertops, the oldest ones are for other cleaning jobs and they're thrown away after one use.
I don't have a dishwasher. Don't live in north America. They aren't common here.
Suggest: rinse, microwave, rinse, microwave again. Because I don't like to waste vinegar, nor it's smell, and microwave and water cost very little.
i wash them with the laundry. i change my sponges out every other day or every few days depending on the temperature. they get smelly real fast.
Fine application of the Scientific Method!
Thanks for your support!
I tried the microwave method, and the sponge came out still smelling. Then I got a resealable plastic container and poured enough vinegar to cover the sponge and I leave it in there all the time when not using it. I pull it out, squeeze it out then use it, rinse it and put it back.
Thanks for sharing what you do!
THANK YOU so much for this! I always wondered which method was actually best for removing bacteria from my sponge. Now I know! You're the best!
Glad it was helpful! I appreciate your support! I enjoy testing all sorts of products!
Science awesomeness teaching kids through household chores.
Thanks for watching!
You are the besssssst!!! Thank you for these thoughtful tests!
Thank you so much for the support!
Excellent work!
My only suggestion is to soak the sponge for a longer period of time. I.E over-night.
Cheers
I love how your testing considers realistic application! I’ve been microwaving my sponges but I recently got a portable dishwasher so I think I’ll start tossing my sponge in when I use it. Not sure I could handle putting my kitchen sink sponge in though, i’ll try the vinegar for that one lol.
I am glad you enjoyed my video!! When I test my products I do so with real world situations! Thanks for watching!!
Interesting. I suspect that microwaving uses the most amount of energy? However, if that's not a major factor, why not extend the length of time that the (sponge) bacteria is exposed to the microwaves (and even the positioning / saturation.) I always place the soaking wet sponge into a small bowl of water and then microwave for 2-3 minutes with pauses. It appears that energy saturation may have played a part in your results. Microwaving is often spotty. Hence, the cooking instructions to remove, stir and replace. Fun to think about! Thanks!!
I would assume the microwaves themselves are not responsible for the sanitizing, but rather simply the heat.
@@xHICKORYx Agreed. The microwaves provide the energy that heats the affected molecules. However, the energy is not evenly distributed perhaps permitting random colonies of bacteria to avoid lethal heat levels? This is common in microwave ovens. Haven’t you ever burned your mouth on a portion of food, or encountered cold sections of food? Distributing the heat would perhaps improve your initial results? E.g. immersing in water / soapy water / or simply removing and repositioning. Just some inquisitive blather… Thanks! :-)
Wash the dishes that can't be washed in the dishwasher by hand in the sink, give the sponge a good rinse, then place the sponge in the top rack of the dishwasher with the rest of the dishes. Great results and it's something you can do regularly to keep the bacterial load down!
Thanks for your thoughts!
That's backwards! Wash your sponge in dishwasher and then use the CLEAN SPONGE to wash the dishes you have rinsed off and going to wash by hand.
@@carolecampbell8813 the food in the sink dishes will load the sponge up with bacteria as it sits waiting for the next wash. A sterilized sponge left sitting doesn't have this issue. It's up to personal preference but I like my method because it never gives the bacteria a buffet followed by time to multiply. The sponge is still clean when it is used on my dishes.
Great video! Someone already mentioned hydrogen peroxide but I’d like to second the suggestion of trying that on sponges in a future video. My aunt swears by using hydrogen peroxide on her sponges. She cleans them with dish soap and water first then squeezes out the excess water and saturates it in straight hydrogen peroxide and lets them dry that way. I’m skeptical about it, I always just dispose of them after they get to be too gross like you mentioned you do.
YES! My next sponge test I will add hydrogen peroxide! Thanks for watching!
I enjoyed this video. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it
The dishwasher is the way to go, you do it regularly and multiple times. But people usually I think mean when sponges get mildewy after soaking it for a while.
One minute of microwaving isn't long enough to kill bacteria. I microwave sponges and dishrags for three minutes. I use vinegar to clean my vegetables. After your video I may consider microwaving them in it.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Microwaving vegtables? I don't think that will remove the pesticides. Also im imaginging a tamato blowing up in the microwave.
Strong case for washing veggies in sink, I had fresh spinach, didnt wash it. Bit into my salad. That graveley stuff in it was not dirt. It was poop! Beyond nasty.
This is also why i don't buy organic milk. You get extra poop from the cows udders, but the pasteurization makes it safe to eat. There is not an efficient way for organic dairy farmers to clean. Sorry if this grosses anyone out.
Love this! I was surprised by the vinegar - my guess was the dishwasher would be a lot better than the other methods. My solution is that I just don't use sponges in the kitchen - ever! 😂
I love guessing and then seeing the results!!
So you never wipe anything?
@@wandamusictube Haha! Ohmygosh, what a GREAT question! 💗
I wipe my counters several times a day. I use white cotton towels I get at Costco - 14x17. They are a bit over $20 for 50 of them. They are SO handy! I use them for all sorts of clean-up and wash them with a bleach cycle.
I like to use window cleaner solution if I want to cut oil or clean after handling meat. But usually, I just use water, which is a GREAT solvent. It carved out the Grand Canyon!
There are a lot of ways that will have a similar effect. You can use very hot vinegar, almost boiling. You can probably use multi-surface lysol disinfectant. You can use rubbing alcohol. I would think soap, followed by alcohol, followed piping hot vinegar would pretty much obliterate the bacteria on the sponge. Of course you need to be sure that the sponge material will survive all these treatment. And even if it does not visibly change, it material might be subtly chemically altered in a way that could make it harmful to use to clean utensils with it.
I use cheap (also would be alcohol based) bulk mouthwash in a spray bottle to disinfect the dishwasher. It really stops the dishwasher from smelling funky when not used for a few days.
When doing tests like these I think it’s important to have the same starting conditions.
I think you could notice small differences in the ‘before’ section of your tests.
I would have let a little water into the sink and would have mixed all sponges at the same time in it.
I don’t think it’s critical though and I di think the results of your tests are valid.
Okay so what I do with sponges is wash them with dish soap then run them through the clothes washer - and most importantly - the dryer as well. I am wondering how well THAT kills bacteria. 😂. Nice job with these tests. Thanks!
Thanks for your support! You might find this interesting. This isn’t a sponge but is cloths Is It Enough?? Laundry w/ Tide Pods & Drying Cloths To Remove Bacteria?? I Tested w/ Petri Dishes! Is It Enough?? Laundry w/ Tide Pods & Drying Cloths To Remove Bacteria?? I Tested w/ Petri Dishes!
ua-cam.com/video/gPSyRFN3-Zo/v-deo.html
Great video! Lots of advice out there but very few comparative tests. I do use a cellulose sponge to clean my drain. I rinse sponges in water after each use and let them dry in a rack. Microbes need moisture to grow. Once a week after rinsing a sponge and wringing it dry, I douse it with vinegar and microwave for a minute, and then, after it cools, rinse it with water and wring out. No more stinky sponges. My logic is low pH combined with high temperature is better than either separately. Works for pickles. Please test my method with your dirty drain test protocol. I believe my method also removes hard water deposits that can promote microbe growth in sponges as reported by a research paper from Europe 4 or 5 years ago.
I find that bleach methods attack cellulose sponges and shorten their life. Boiling cellulose sponges in baking soda and water definitely shortens their life.
You might also test synthetic plastic sponges like Sponge Daddy brand.
I will add to my viewer suggestion list! Thanks!
I do several things. Of course let it dry between uses when possible. Frequency I have 2 sponges in use. I may add bleach to some dishwater so I make sure after to leave sponge several minutes in soapy bleach water, rinse well. I also throw them in washer with dish cloths, dish towels using bleach to wash. I'm pretty confident that my sponges are clean.
Thanks for sharing! I was confident in lots of cleaners until I started testing! Thanks for watching!
A strong solution of sodium hypochlorite takes care of my sink tools. I let the scrubbee soak for about 8 hours, and it is like new after a good rinsing.
Thank you SO much for these videos!
Thank you so much for your support!
I had no problems when I could get Debbie Meyer's Genius Sponge...anyone who's used them knows they were the best sponges on the market...I loved them so much I was desperate and paid $20 for a pack of 4 on Ebay...I really want to know why they were discontinued, probably because they out sold everyone...
Sorry to hear the sponge you like is not available! Thanks for watching!
I was only here due to the disclaimer. But I really enjoyed the video and your presentation
Glad you enjoyed it! How was the sound to you? I got sooooo many complaints about it, I felt I had to put the disclaimer in the title. 🫤
@@FieldOfFocus it’s wasn’t ear blasted loud. I wouldn’t honestly say it was loud. It was just slightly raised but fine to me.
Great video, I really appreciate your thorough testing! I soak mine in a container of water with just a splash of bleach. I read the comments and so many people toss them. Please consider the environment and use them as long as possible. In landfills, sponges other than natural ones (made from plastic or oils) can take up to 58 years to decompose. Natural sponges take up to 5 years to completely decompose. Pure cellulose sponges can decompose within a few weeks in soil. Synthetic sponges, on the other hand, can take hundreds of years, and may never fully decompose at all.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
@@callycharles2515 wether we buy synthetic or not there here or will be in our environment.
so is there a solution, really.
This was useful, thank you!
Thank you for your support!
I usually boil water in a kettle and pour it over the sponge. It eliminates all smells so I know it works.
Interesting.. I will add that to my next number of tests!! Thanks for watching!
For extra assurance, I soak the sponge in a bowl of freshly boiled water for a few minutes. Thanks
Me, too
Wring out sponge, and sprinkle liberally with Baking soda both sides. (A 'salt' that works very well).
I love your videos so much! I started using vinegar mixed with dish soap for my dishes and from what you showed in this video I would say it's very effective. It is very strong so I don't recommend doing the dishes without glows while using this, but my dishes are squicky clean. 😊
oooh that is nice to hear!!!!! I am glad you are enjoying my videos!! Thank you for watching and commenting!
Soap = base
Vinegar = acid.
They cancel each other out.
Can you show scientific evidence?
I microwave mine while it is soaking in a dish of vinegar 👍
I always used to boil mine after I washed them, but now I get a new one.
The best way to prevent bacteria growth from a dish sponge is to keep it on the store shelf.
If someone uses one in my kitchen sink, I put it in the garbage can.
Did you ever test for bacteria with a diluted bleach solution? I ask becasue I always have a bottle of diluted bleach; 50% beach, 50%water, at the ready which I use everyday. But, the fact is I don't really known if my diluted bleach solution is any more effective than soaking the sponge in vinegar. Thanks for sharing the results of your experiments.
Not for the sponge, but I have tested bleach on hard surfaces.
When I was in high school in the 1950s, my biology teacher used Lysol (probably cresol or benzalkonium chloride; they changed the formulas several times since then) to disinfect the petri dishes. They should have been autoclaved besides. If I want to disinfect something today, I use alcohol or sodium hypochlorite; did you test for those in earlier videos? But this raises the question of whether bacteria are harmful, and whether removing them from a kitchen sponge does any good. Bacterial have gotten a bad press, but as I learned in biology, most of them are harmless. And if you can pick up bacteria on a sponge, it's probably in your kitchen environment anyway. The next step in your study should be to expose mice to new and infected sponges. to see whether exposing them to infected sponges does any harm. But vigorous cleaning in food production facilities does seem to reduce infectious disease, as the Boar's Head company found out.
Thanks for your thoughts!
What difference does it make to rinse a just-used sponge in soapy water, then thoroughly squeeze-out the water before letting it dry? I know that process eliminates stinkiness, but does it retain bacteria when moistened again? In my kitchen, sponges move through a sequence of uses, starting with washing things that go into my mouth, then to decreasing stages of use eventually ending with dirty jobs (the floor, etc.) - before being tossed. Thanks for these fascinating, useful tests!
Thanks for watching!
Biology/genetics laboratories use dilute bleach solutions to clean bacteria and viruses. The bleach breaks down cell walls - no more bacteria. I rinse out the sponge to get most of the excess out, and then use bleach to clean up the remainder. Physical cleaning with detergent does carry off a lot of the contaminant - it just can't get it all.
Of course! Labs most certainly use dilute bleach. Thanks for your thoughts.
Just, last month, I talked to a person I met at Safeway about this subject. She insisted on using a Pro clean seamer at 315 degrees F. at 75PSI. She seemed certain of it so I bought one.
Awesome. Gonna try the vinegar method.
Great! Glad you enjoyed the video!
The best way to disinfect a sponge is to soak it high concentration H2O2, hydrogen peroxide. I use 35%, not 3.5%, for my hot tub and other purposes. I buy it online in gallon jugs and attach a pump dispenser. Put sponge in a container of the same size, put on latex gloves and pour a couple of ounces onto sponge, squeeze a couple of times, let sit for 5 minutes and rinse, fresh as can be…
Omgoshhh! My inner nerd really really enjoyed this 🤩
I am so happy! Thank you so much for watching! 😁
Would have like to see chlorine or oxygen bleach as well. At one time I was responsible for “ industrial level sterilization” of food packaging equipment. We used alkali chlorinated detergent soak followed by an acidic chloramine solution soak. 200 ppm available chlorine. Soak times were 20 minutes. The surfaces were: stainless steel, rubber, and plastic. I think the small colonies of bacteria were likely airborne because I saw one in the control area.
The approach I take uses diluted bleach and a shallow Pyrex Snapware glass food storage container and lid just a little larger than the 3M sponge. I fill an old 1 gal bleach container with water and add 2 tablespoons of 7% bleach. I put this solution in the dish and drop the sponge in it, then snap on the top. Whenever I want to use the sponge, I take the sponge out, squeeze out the lightly chlorinated water (smells like safe pool water) and use it normally with a little soap. Sometimes I just put the sponge on top of the closed dish, as it serves as a convenient sponge holder. When I want to disinfect during the day or overnight, I simply drop the sponge in the dish and snap the cover on. When the water in the storage dish gets low or dirty, I empty the dish, clean it if needed, and replenish the water from the 1 gal container under the sink, perhaps once every other day. After about 1 month, I replace the sponge when it starts to fall apart. But for the entire month, no bacteria, a clean smelling sponge, and no fuss. This system is very cheap and works great. Using an old bleach bottle ensures the diluted chlorine water container won't leak. If you'd like to test this, please do. I can't imagine bacteria surviving water with a little bleach in it, and I have been happier using this method over microwaving or using vinegar. Cheers and thanks for testing sponge methods.
Thank you for sharing what works for you!
Suggest waiting until hot sponge has dried after microwave treatment. Then I expect similar results to dishwasher as likely you have heated drying in dishwasher. Dessication itself will improve efficacy of sanitization.
Thanks for your thoughts
Your accent combined with science talk is amazing. Subscribed because I enjoy just listening. The learning is a bonus.
😊 thank you for your support!
I use vinegar for everything, good to know that it works well on kitchen sponges too!
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it!
I use a 50% aqueous solution of Pine Sol in a spray bottle to clean my sink. I started using it primarily because of my roach problems. Not only does it kill roaches within seconds of contact, it cleans the sink and countertops, smells fresh, temporarily keeps the roaches at bay and removes bacteria.
Glad you found something that works for you!
I have microwaved all kinds of sponges and rags. Some things shouldn't be microwaved like those absorbant mats you are supposed to put your just washed dishes on to dry. (At least the Dollar Tree cheepos I have). Or kitchen rags with that nylon scratchy on one side that just melts in the microwave. I find if you keep microwaving a sponge from the time it is brand new regularly, it really makes a difference and keeps the sponge fresh and new. If the sponge is already starting to decompose, though, it doesn't seem to help nearly as much to prevent decomposition if at all.
Thanks for your thoughts. Agreed you have to be careful what you microwave!
Even when washing microfiber anything, never wash or dry with heat. I have a drying matt like you mentioned. But i did my homework before investing in a bunch of vehicle microfiber cloths. Using heat on them destroys their grab-iness
Not sure how much of a difference it would make, but I usually rinse with dish soap and then microwave my sponge for 2-1/2 minutes. Both temperature and time should make a difference. Seems to do the job.
Sounds good! I will be doing some more test later on! Thanks for watching!
Great content. I soak my sponges in bleach and water. Let it sit for 10 minutes, rinse and air dry.
Sounds good!!!!
This makes me wonder about my homemade knitted dishcloths.
I usually wash them in the washer on the sanitizing cycle, and then every so often boil them for ten minutes. I have wondered just how clean those cloths are, and whether it's better to use disposable ones. I prefer using reusable things though, rather than disposable ones, so have stuck with my knitted ones thus far.
I'm sure you have many experiments on your list, but I'd love if you could add this one to the list.
I do have a bunch of videos in my laundry playlist that I test cotton cloths you might be interested in that but I haven't tested knitted cloths! ua-cam.com/play/PL6P5xAP9Rj6Jp_mEprHAtUIvXu2KtDM7r.html
@@FieldOfFocus Thank you!
Please test the difference between sponges and dish rags THANK YOU
I have many videos about dishrags and cleaning cloths in my Laundry Playlist
ua-cam.com/play/PL6P5xAP9Rj6Jp_mEprHAtUIvXu2KtDM7r.html
As long as it’s damp you can nuke it for a minute. Or run it through the top shelf of your dishwasher, make sure you wedge it in good so it doesn’t get knocked down to the heat element.
I generally use isopropyl for the sponges. It’s cheap and I just keep it next to the sink .
Thanks for your thoughts!
is it cheaper than vinegar ?
@@sandstorm8874 I buy the 70% and the 91% at my local Target . It’s maybe $3? I use on doorknobs and similar after the family has had bad runs of colds and flus as well as in the kitchen area. I like it for sponges because it evaporates quickly and can help speed up complete drying as well as disinfecting.i Ali wipe down countertops after I wash them to remove all cleansers as I cut cloth on the counter.
@@FieldOfFocus I’ve been using alcohol as well and on the counters is that a test that you’ve done or will do?
I spray straight bleach on my sponges and then rinse it well. I hate sponges never used them before marriage but hubby loves them. I always used a dishcloth that I change on the daily.
Thanks for sharing what you use!
I'm glad you did the second set of testing because i feared my method was a giant failure all these years! 😆
Phewf
YES! I know I have some more tests to run but this was a good start!
My microwave died when I was microwaving a sponge.
Now, it was starting to go in the first place, but every time I did microwave a sponge in any microwave, the magnetron sounded much different. I'm no engineer so I don't know why this is happening, but I assume whatever it was just kicked it enough to finally go over the edge. Still, worries me about doing it ever again.
I use dishwasher method and has always worked well
Awesome!
I soak mine in water with a little dish soap and a tiny amount of bleach. It not only sanitizes, it removes all stains and makes them look quite new again.
Thanks for your thoughts!
I boil a kettle of water and set my sponge on my clean metal sink. I then pour the boiling water over the sponge.
Thanks for sharing what you use!
What a great video! You just saved me a lot of money because I've been compulsively throwing out sponges after a few days, even with washing in hot hot water and dish soap. What about those Swedish dish cloths? Thanks for the science!
Thanks for watching! I will add Swedish Dish cloths to my viewer suggestion list!
Thanks for doing this. I'm late to the party, but happy for this information.
Thank you for watching and commenting!!