I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for restaurants.

The reason - household sponges.

I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
sanitize.

You?

Dimitri

"Dimitri" > wrote in message
...
> I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for
> restaurants.
>
> The reason - household sponges.
>
> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
> sanitize.
>
> You?

I started doing that after I heard it somewhere.

On Sep 24, 1:29*pm, "Dimitri" > wrote:
> I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for restaurants.
>
> The reason - household sponges.
>
> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
> sanitize.
>
> You?
>
> Dimitri

I don't use sponges in the kitchen - I use dishrags, and wash them
regularly, adding Clorox 2 to the hot water.

N.

On 9/24/2010 1:29 PM, Dimitri wrote:
> I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for restaurants.
>
> The reason - household sponges.
>
> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
> sanitize.
>
> You?
>
> Dimitri

Never use them, use wash cloths and replace them twice a day with clean
ones. They go into the wash, get some bleach in with them and there you
are. I do use a scrub brush as my main dish washing tool. It resides in
a container with bleach in it and is changed daily also. As we both have
compromised immune systems we are careful.

On Sep 24, 2:29*pm, "Dimitri" > wrote:
> I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for restaurants.
>
> The reason - household sponges.
>
> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
> sanitize.
>
> You?
>
> Dimitri

I don't own a kitchen sponge. I purchased a s--t-load of dishcloths
and use them with abandon. I grab a fresh one for any dish washing,
another for counter cleaning, fridge cleaning etc. They are cheap,
wash easily and owe me nothing. Sponges get ratty looking, stained,
wear down.....I can't think of a good reason to have one.

"Dimitri" > wrote in message
...
>I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for restaurants.
>
> The reason - household sponges.
>
> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
> sanitize.
>
> You?

I keep a couple on hand and toss them in the dishwasher every evening. Same
with scrub brushes etc.

Felice

George wrote on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:15:59 -0500:

> On 9/24/2010 1:29 PM, Dimitri wrote:
>> I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set
>> for restaurants.
>>
>> The reason - household sponges.
>>
>> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a
>> boil and to sanitize.

>Never use them, use wash cloths and replace them twice a day with clean
>ones. They go into the wash, get some bleach in with them and there you
>are.

It is much easier to put the kitchen sponge into the covered compartment
of the dishwasher when I remember or sense a smell. This does certainly
remove odors. I don't care to collect a week's worth of smelly rags and,
in any case, I very seldom use bleach since my bath towels are colored.


--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Sep 24, 2:29*pm, "Dimitri" > wrote:
> I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for restaurants.
>
> The reason - household sponges.
>
> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
> sanitize.
>
> You?
>
> Dimitri

No sponge. Handi-wipes and paper towels. I cut the handi-wipes
in half, and use one (mostly for wiping counters) until it looks
unappealing, then I throw it away. I don't tend to put food right
on the counters, so I don't care if they're sanitized. Hell, I don't
care if anything is sanitized; I have a fully functioning immune
system.

I use paper towels for what little hand dishwashing I do (sharp
knives, anything that's too big for the dishwasher).

Cindy Hamilton

Dimitri wrote:
> I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for
> restaurants.
>
> The reason - household sponges.
>
> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
> sanitize.
>
> You?

Ugh, I have to have my green and yellow sponges, but I try to
change them often. I know this is a failing in my kitchen
sanitation. Heh. I'll start zapping mine as you do.

nancy

On Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:29:10 -0700, "Dimitri" >
wrote:

>I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for restaurants.
>
>The reason - household sponges.
>
>I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
>sanitize.
>
>You?

I use a Dobie sponge and it gets sanitized everytime I run my
dishwasher.

On Sep 24, 12:36*pm, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
> Dimitri wrote:
> > I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for
> > restaurants.
>
> > The reason - household sponges.
>
> > I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
> > sanitize.
>
> > You?
>
> Ugh, I have to have my green and yellow sponges, but I try to
> change them often. *I know this is a failing in my kitchen
> sanitation. *Heh. *I'll start zapping mine as you do. *
>
> nancy

The microwave is the best way to sanitize a sponge, that is correct.

"Dimitri" > wrote in message
...
>I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for restaurants.
>
> The reason - household sponges.
>
> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
> sanitize.
>
> You?
>

Little bleach in cold water, soak.

Paul

On 9/24/2010 2:27 PM, James Silverton wrote:
> George wrote on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:15:59 -0500:
>
>> On 9/24/2010 1:29 PM, Dimitri wrote:
>>> I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set
>>> for restaurants.
>>>
>>> The reason - household sponges.
>>>
>>> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a
>>> boil and to sanitize.
>
>> Never use them, use wash cloths and replace them twice a day with
>> clean ones. They go into the wash, get some bleach in with them and
>> there you are.
>
> It is much easier to put the kitchen sponge into the covered compartment
> of the dishwasher when I remember or sense a smell. This does certainly
> remove odors. I don't care to collect a week's worth of smelly rags and,
> in any case, I very seldom use bleach since my bath towels are colored.
>
>
I don't collect a weeks worth of smelly rags James, they never smell,
are rinsed, go into the utility room in a basket and are washed every
few days. Our bath towels are colored too, the dish rags go in with the
whites. Everyone does things differently, not wrongly.

On Sep 24, 11:29*am, "Dimitri" > wrote:
> I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for restaurants.
>
> The reason - household sponges.
>
> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
> sanitize.
>
> You?
>
> Dimitri

It's a wonder we every made it through childhood what with many moms
using the same old dish rag for several days.

On Sep 24, 12:36*pm, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
> Dimitri wrote:
> > I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for
> > restaurants.
>
> > The reason - household sponges.
>
> > I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
> > sanitize.
>
> > You?
>
> Ugh, I have to have my green and yellow sponges, but I try to
> change them often. *I know this is a failing in my kitchen
> sanitation. *Heh. *I'll start zapping mine as you do. *
>
> nancy

If you ate enough dirt as a kid you'd have a healthy immune system.

George wrote on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:07:19 -0500:

> On 9/24/2010 2:27 PM, James Silverton wrote:
>> George wrote on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:15:59 -0500:
>>
>>> On 9/24/2010 1:29 PM, Dimitri wrote:
>>>> I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set
>>>> for restaurants.
>>>>
>>>> The reason - household sponges.
>>>>
>>>> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a
>>>> boil and to sanitize.
>>
>>> Never use them, use wash cloths and replace them twice a day
>>> with clean ones. They go into the wash, get some bleach in
>>> with them and there you are.
>>
>> It is much easier to put the kitchen sponge into the covered
>> compartment of the dishwasher when I remember or sense a
>> smell. This does certainly remove odors. I don't care to
>> collect a week's worth of smelly rags and, in any case, I
>> very seldom use bleach since my bath towels are colored.
>>
>I don't collect a weeks worth of smelly rags James, they never smell,
>are rinsed, go into the utility room in a basket and are washed every
>few days. Our bath towels are colored too, the dish rags go in with the
>whites. Everyone does things differently, not wrongly.

Who said wrong? :-) I guess it depends on the size of your household.
Most of my stuff is wash and wear but I have one full load of towels,
athletic socks and underwear once a week.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

> I don't use sponges in the kitchen - I use dishrags, and wash them
> regularly, adding Clorox 2 to the hot water.
>
> N.

After the Mythbusters episode where they were testing the amount of
bacteria on household items, and found the kitchen sponge to be far
and away the filthiest thing they could find, I stopped buying sponges
and went to dishrags, which are used once and washed in the washing
machine.

Chemo the Clown wrote:
> On Sep 24, 12:36 pm, "Nancy Young" > wrote:

>> Ugh, I have to have my green and yellow sponges, but I try to
>> change them often. I know this is a failing in my kitchen
>> sanitation. Heh. I'll start zapping mine as you do.

> If you ate enough dirt as a kid you'd have a healthy immune system.

One time we went on vacation and before leaving, I did the usual
thing, took out the garbage so I wouldn't come back to a stinky
house.

Return trip wasn't a good one, 7 hour delay in the airport and
wound up walking in the door at 2:30am. Arrived to a stench
that would make you think a raccoon died in the house somewhere.
The end to a perfect day. Argh.

Nope, not a raccoon. I learned my lesson, before you leave for
vacation, toss the sponge. It seemed fine when I left. There's
a reason they call sponges Bacteria condos.

nancy

On 9/24/2010 5:09 PM, James Silverton wrote:
> George wrote on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:07:19 -0500:
>
>> On 9/24/2010 2:27 PM, James Silverton wrote:
>>> George wrote on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:15:59 -0500:
>>>
>>>> On 9/24/2010 1:29 PM, Dimitri wrote:
>>>>> I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set
>>>>> for restaurants.
>>>>>
>>>>> The reason - household sponges.
>>>>>
>>>>> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a
>>>>> boil and to sanitize.
>>>
>>>> Never use them, use wash cloths and replace them twice a day
>>>> with clean ones. They go into the wash, get some bleach in
>>>> with them and there you are.
>>>
>>> It is much easier to put the kitchen sponge into the covered
>>> compartment of the dishwasher when I remember or sense a
>>> smell. This does certainly remove odors. I don't care to
>>> collect a week's worth of smelly rags and, in any case, I
>>> very seldom use bleach since my bath towels are colored.
>>>
>> I don't collect a weeks worth of smelly rags James, they never smell,
>> are rinsed, go into the utility room in a basket and are washed every
>> few days. Our bath towels are colored too, the dish rags go in with
>> the whites. Everyone does things differently, not wrongly.
>
> Who said wrong? :-) I guess it depends on the size of your household.
> Most of my stuff is wash and wear but I have one full load of towels,
> athletic socks and underwear once a week.
>
You must not be married, my wife uses about three washer loads a week by
herself. She still works though. My clothing load is not that heavy as I
am a retired house husband. <G>

On 24/09/2010 6:46 PM, George Shirley wrote:

> You must not be married, my wife uses about three washer loads a week by
> herself. She still works though. My clothing load is not that heavy as I
> am a retired house husband. <G>

I used to do all my own laundry but I was told that I don't do it right.
It's never was something that I could get excited about. I had to wonder
why my wife would worry about me not doing it right if it as my own
stuff and I was doing it myself.

I confess. When the hamper is full of dirty laundry and my socks,
underwear, or T-shirts are running low, and it is a war breeze day and
perfect for drying, I will toss a load in and hang it on the line.

On 24/09/2010 5:55 PM, Chemo the Clown wrote:

>
> If you ate enough dirt as a kid you'd have a healthy immune system.


I was always a very healthy kid. When I was about 3 or 4 years old my
mother caught me drinking water out of the ditch. She ran me over to the
doctor's office to get checked out. The doctor told her that if I was an
example of what happened to kids who drank ditch water he was gong to
start prescribing it.

On 9/24/2010 6:07 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 24/09/2010 6:46 PM, George Shirley wrote:
>
>> You must not be married, my wife uses about three washer loads a week by
>> herself. She still works though. My clothing load is not that heavy as I
>> am a retired house husband. <G>
>
> I used to do all my own laundry but I was told that I don't do it right.
> It's never was something that I could get excited about. I had to wonder
> why my wife would worry about me not doing it right if it as my own
> stuff and I was doing it myself.

Mine won't let me wash HER clothing, okay if I wash mine. Obviously I
know nothing about womens drawers or bras, even after being married to
her for fifty years.
>
> I confess. When the hamper is full of dirty laundry and my socks,
> underwear, or T-shirts are running low, and it is a war breeze day and
> perfect for drying, I will toss a load in and hang it on the line.

I wish we could do that, too many grackles around to hang anything out.
Our daughter had a dryer go out and she replaced it with a clothes line,
the way we did clothes when she was a kid. We had a dryer back then but
seldom used it unless it was raining. MIL used to hang her clothes on
the line up north when it was cold. Wait a bit, go out and break the ice
off them and bring them. She claimed they were dry, I never looked to
see if they were. I don't think the inlaws ever used a dryer until they
moved into an apartment complex for the elderly.

On Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:29:10 -0700, "Dimitri" >
wrote:

>You?

Sponge? What would compel you to use a sponge?

"Mr. Bill" > wrote in message
news
> On Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:29:10 -0700, "Dimitri" >
> wrote:
>
>>You?
>
> Sponge? What would compel you to use a sponge?


Tile kitchen countertop.
Cleaning with Clorox cleaner with Bleach

The sponge has the green scrubber which is used to do stainless.



Dimitri

Dimitri wrote:
>
> I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for restaurants.
>
> The reason - household sponges.
>
> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
> sanitize.
>
> You?
>
> Dimitri

No sponge! Dish brush for the pots, rinsed well after use and bleached
from time to time. 'Spa' bath mitt, synthetic fibre with a rough
texture, also bleached from time to time, renewed frequently. Cotton
dish clothes for the counters and table, changed daily (or even within
the same day) and washed with bleach.

James Silverton wrote:
>
> George wrote on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:15:59 -0500:
>
> > On 9/24/2010 1:29 PM, Dimitri wrote:
> >> I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set
> >> for restaurants.
> >>
> >> The reason - household sponges.
> >>
> >> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a
> >> boil and to sanitize.
>
> >Never use them, use wash cloths and replace them twice a day with clean
> >ones. They go into the wash, get some bleach in with them and there you
> >are.
>
> It is much easier to put the kitchen sponge into the covered compartment
> of the dishwasher when I remember or sense a smell. This does certainly
> remove odors. I don't care to collect a week's worth of smelly rags and,
> in any case, I very seldom use bleach since my bath towels are colored.
>


Our kitchen goods, such as dish cloths, table mats, tea towels etc are
washed as a separate load, with oxygen bleach. The dish cloths are also
bleached with chlorine bleach. The used cloths, towels etc awaiting
laundering are hung to dry on a line in the utility room so they don't
sit around wet until washed.

"Dimitri" > wrote in
:

> I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for
> restaurants.
>
> The reason - household sponges.
>
> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a
> boil and to sanitize.
>
> You?
>
> Dimitri

Never have used them.
I use a cotton dish rag.

On 9/24/2010 6:44 PM, Nancy Young wrote:
> Chemo the Clown wrote:
>> On Sep 24, 12:36 pm, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
>
>>> Ugh, I have to have my green and yellow sponges, but I try to
>>> change them often. I know this is a failing in my kitchen
>>> sanitation. Heh. I'll start zapping mine as you do.
>
>> If you ate enough dirt as a kid you'd have a healthy immune system.
>
> One time we went on vacation and before leaving, I did the usual
> thing, took out the garbage so I wouldn't come back to a stinky
> house.
> Return trip wasn't a good one, 7 hour delay in the airport and
> wound up walking in the door at 2:30am. Arrived to a stench that would
> make you think a raccoon died in the house somewhere.
> The end to a perfect day. Argh.
>
> Nope, not a raccoon. I learned my lesson, before you leave for vacation,
> toss the sponge. It seemed fine when I left. There's
> a reason they call sponges Bacteria condos.

How do you store your sponges? When I leave one out for a week it just
gets dry and hard.

On 25 Sep 2010 01:32:33 GMT, sandi > wrote:

>"Dimitri" > wrote in
:
>
>> I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for
>> restaurants.
>>
>> The reason - household sponges.
>>
>> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a
>> boil and to sanitize.
>>
>> You?
>>
>> Dimitri
>
>Never have used them.
>I use a cotton dish rag.

I use a Dobie for any hand dish/pot scrubbing. I use paper towels for
cleaning surfaces... I have cotton and linen kitchen towels but I
don't use them for cleaning, I use old/threadbare bath towels to sop
up spills. I don't own any sponges except for two large natural sea
sponges; one to wash the car, one in the tub/shower to scrub me.

On Sep 24, 1:29*pm, "Dimitri" > wrote:
> I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for restaurants.
>
> The reason - household sponges.
>
> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
> sanitize.
>
> You?
>
> Dimitri

>
>
I only use dishcloths and use a clean one every time I do dishes.
Dishcloths and dishtowels are washed in the washer with nothing else.

On Sep 24, 4:07*pm, George Shirley > wrote:
> On 9/24/2010 2:27 PM, James Silverton wrote:
>
>
> > It is much easier to put the kitchen sponge into the covered compartment
> > of the dishwasher when I remember or sense a smell. This does certainly
> > remove odors. I don't care to collect a week's worth of smelly rags and,
> > in any case, I very seldom use bleach since my bath towels are colored.
>
> I don't collect a weeks worth of smelly rags James, they never smell,
> are rinsed, go into the utility room in a basket and are washed every
> few days. Our bath towels are colored too, the dish rags go in with the
> whites. Everyone does things differently, not wrongly.- Hide quoted text -
>
>
Mine aren't smelly either. Once I've done dishes the cloth is rinsed,
wrung out, hung to dry, then into the dishcloth/dishtowel receptacle
and when I have a small collection they are then washed in the washing
machine.

On Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:29:10 -0700, "Dimitri" >
wrote:

>I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for restaurants.
>
>The reason - household sponges.
>
>I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
>sanitize.
>
>You?
>
>Dimitri

Thanks for posting a timely topic. I don't like sponges and prefer
rags but Louise likes sponges. I just tossed the last one out. I
don't mind green scrubbies but from now on they'll be stored in a cup
of bleach under the sink.

Several years ago Louise made herself some chicken on a night I was
out. I never had any. The next night she hurled for 8 hours. She
knows the exact move that got her sick and she handles chicken with
extreme care now. But she did learn what food poising feels like.

She's pet sitting for her daughter and went there Wednesday night.
The kitchen sink was a mess and the sink strainer was full of shit
that was several days old. Being a mom Louise dug in the stinky mess
and cleaned it up and got the drain working. Daughters often do what
mom does so there was only a sponge. In this case the sponge was
probably only part of the problem.

Thursday night she came home saying the smell of onions at work from
some ones food was horrible and made her gag. Then she went and
zuked. When she came out she said it was the same feeling she had
with the chicken years ago. Before she went to the "I don't want to
talk" stage we went through what we'd eaten for the last few days and
the only place it could have come from was that sink. She was using
soap and washed her hands but somehow something got in her system.

She's going on 30 hours of wrenching now and I'm hoping it will be
better very soon.

I'm saving this thread for her to read when she recovers I think I'll
have no problem converting her to rags.

Lou

On Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:29:10 -0700, "Dimitri" >
wrote:

>I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for restaurants.
>
>The reason - household sponges.
>
>I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
>sanitize.
>
>You?
>
I absolutely hate sponges, but hubby insists on using one. He does
all the wrong things, keeps it constantly wet - etc. etc. I use a
dish brush when I want to clean my dishes.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

"Dimitri" > wrote in message
...
>I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for restaurants.
>
> The reason - household sponges.
>
> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
> sanitize.
>
> You?

I have no sponges in the house at all. We just don't use them. I have
assorted brushes that I use and replace on a regular basis.

Dimitri wrote:
> I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for restaurants.
>
> The reason - household sponges.
>
> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
> sanitize.
>
> You?
>
> Dimitri

I do that every now and then as well as toss it in the dishwasher daily.

itsjoannotjoann wrote:

>>
> I only use dishcloths and use a clean one every time I do dishes.
> Dishcloths and dishtowels are washed in the washer with nothing else.

Why with nothing else? Do you think they're going to harm other items?
I'd just toss 'em in with my whites (which get bleached) and then into
the dryer with everything else.

Lou Decruss wrote:

> Thanks for posting a timely topic. I don't like sponges and prefer
> rags but Louise likes sponges. I just tossed the last one out. I
> don't mind green scrubbies but from now on they'll be stored in a cup
> of bleach under the sink.

The bleach will just cause the sponge to disintegrate quickly. I soak (a
minute or so) sponges in bleach/water (aprox 10% solution)on occasion
and notice it wears those spongies down! My sponges dry out after use
laying in the dishrack which fits into my sink. I keep one sponge for
dishes and one (with the corner cut off for recognition) for quick mop
ups elsewhere in the kitchen.
No one in my family has ever had food poisoning.
I also tend to toss the sponge into the dishwasher or microwave
routinely which sanitizes them, and of course rinse it out well after
using.
I get the impression some people are slobs and let food residue sit in
the sponges and get gross.....ugh!

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> We usually have 3 sponges in use at any one time, one in each
> bathroom and one in the kitchen. They are all the type that have the
> ScotchBrite white "scrubby" on one side. The bathroom sponges are
> generally used with a cleanser that contains a certain amount of
> bleach, so I don't bother "sterilizing" them. The kitchen sponge is
> only used with stainless steel cleaner to scour the kitchen sink. I
> use the same santizing method for it that you describe.

Since you mention it, I did forget to say I have one scrubby
sponge to clean the counters/etc. and one to use with dish
detergent to wash those pots and dishes that don't go into
the machine.

nancy

On Sep 24, 2:27*pm, "James Silverton" >
wrote:
> *George *wrote *on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:15:59 -0500:
>
> > On 9/24/2010 1:29 PM, Dimitri wrote:
> >> I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set
> >> for restaurants.
>
> >> The reason - household sponges.
>
> >> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a
> >> boil and to sanitize.
> >Never use them, use wash cloths and replace them twice a day with clean
> >ones. They go into the wash, get some bleach in with them and there you
> >are.
>
> It is much easier to put the kitchen sponge into the covered compartment
> of the dishwasher when I remember or sense a smell. This does certainly
> remove odors. I don't care to collect a week's worth of smelly rags and,
> in any case, I very seldom use bleach since my bath towels are colored.
>
The sponge releases it's nasties slowly, including into the rinse
cycle. Nasty.
>
> James Silverton
>
--Bryan

"Dimitri" > writes:

> I heard most homes would FAIL the sanitation standards set for restaurants.
>
> The reason - household sponges.
>
> I regularly zap mine in the nuker to bring any liquid to a boil and to
> sanitize.
>
> You?

I quit using sponges in favor of brushes years ago. Works better, uses
less soap, and easier to sanitizee. Jes soak in water/bleach solution
for half an hour. Besides, brushes last almost forever. I've been
using the same one, now, for three yrs.

nb