Got a stinky, smelly sponge? Time for “no more stink” and all done in 3 minutes with natural sponge cleaning process! I love this method. It is so fast and easy, I can do it everyday, no harsh chemicals involved.
I hate sponges.
They are so gross, disgusting and nasty – even before they start smelling! They are home to billions of disgusting organisms.
In fact, Discover Magazine share that, “Looking at 14 different used kitchen sponges, the researchers found up to 54 billion bacteria per cubic centimeter, spanning 118 genera. Many of these pose no harm to humans, it should be said, but among the species the researchers also found varieties of E. coli, Klebsiella, Staphylococcus, Salmonella and others implicated in food-borne illnesses. They found that the bacteria appear most often on the surface and visible cavities of the sponge, and their analysis indicated rapid growth.”
I actually get really sick feeling when I am not at home and see sponges being used because of reading facts like the above one and not knowing if that sponge is being disinfected (naturally) regularly.
However, they are so, so useful and easy to use for cleaning and more specifically, scrubbing. My cleaning is far more efficient.
So to save money and instead of pulling out a new sponge everyday, I found a cool trick that helps to deodorize and clean your sponge for healthy cleaning.
It is easy and cheap and it is so easy in fact that I do it everyday as part of my cleaning routine.
Here’s what you need to naturally deodorize and disinfect your sponge:
shallow bowl or a plate with a bit of a lip
Your sponge
An essential oil that you really trust
Water or white vinegar
For the essential oil, I am not going to strictly promote one brand or type as there are many that are sufficient. I will show you what I use and if you would like to order, I would love for you to order through me if you would like. I personally choose to use Young Living, because it does have good reviews, especially of one of my favorite oils….Thieves! I really, really do love Thieves oil from Young Living!
As a bonus, since I am a history buff and LOVE all things history, I love the history of the creation of this oil!
But for the oils, you can use Thieves from Young Living, doTerra’s On Guard, or lemon, or a combination of clove, cinnamon, lemon, rosemary, eucalyptus (all ingredients found in Thieves). The point is, get a naturally disinfecting oil from the brand you trust.
Check this simple sponge cleaning and disinfecting trick out:
Place your sponge, porous side up.
Sprinkle a few drops on the oil.
Add water to the bowl/plate.
Stick the bowl is the microwave and microwave for about 3-4 minutes.
Afterwards, DON’T TOUCH IT for several minutes! It will burn you! But the smell will be fantastic and your sponge will be cleaned and disinfected without harsh chemicals! For me, this means I can feel comfortable with washing my dishes since it is something we eat off of.
Rinse your sponge and then wipe your microwave clean as the steam will have softened the particles. Congratulate yourself as you just completed two cleaning tasks in one!
By doing this, I feel more comfortable about using the same sponge daily until it falls apart. I have seen reports on what Thieves can do, so I am trusting it.
But I suppose that part #2 of this should be a follow up with a homeschool science experiment and compare two sponges – one with traditional daily use and rinsing clean and setting out to dry and this method and see the results.
