Disinfection of kitchen
sponges has been a topic of research in the past, with the goal of determining
the most effective disinfection method, types of pathogens, and how to prevent
the spread of these pathogens that can cause illness. Kitchen sponges provide
an ideal environment for bacterial growth. They come into contact with food,
are porous, and hold moisture well, therefore are known to contain large
amounts of diverse bacteria that can lead to foodborne illnesses. Knowing how
to properly eliminate the number of bacteria can help prevent the spread of
foodborne pathogens. A group of researchers published a study in 2017 found
that “Nearly half (45%) of the homes tested positive for a foodborne pathogen,
and 12% had multiple pathogens present in the kitchen.” (Borrusso &
Quinlan, 2017) Due to the large number of pathogens found in the kitchen, it is
imperative to study the most effective disinfection method of the common
kitchen sponge.
Another study focusing on using microwaves as a
disinfection method found that “microwave treatment is an effective and simple
method to drastically reduce the bacterial load of kitchen sponges by five to
seven log-scales.” (Jacksch et al., 2020) With the microwave being partially
effective in eliminating bacterial loads in kitchen sponges, it is important to
continue research to find a simple method that can be easily adopted by
households that eliminates bacteria in kitchen sponges. Research conducted by
Dr. Annie Pryor found that bleach was the most effective method of disinfecting
kitchen sponges, but the strong odor of the bleach may be a deterrent for some.
(Dr. Annie’s Experiments - Sponge Disinfection Experiments, n.d.)
This study will expand upon previous research with the
objective of finding the most effective method for disinfection, as well as the highest
likelihood the method will be used in the kitchen. To begin it must be asked, what
disinfection technique most effectively eliminates bacteria on kitchen sponges?
It is believed small amounts of bacteria will be found on the new kitchen
sponges. It is also believed that after cleaning dirty dishes, all sponges will
show an increase in bacteria levels. It is believed that the sponge treated
with a 10 percent bleach solution will be the most effective at eliminating
bacteria, with only a small number of CFUs (colony-forming units) after the
incubation period. The sponge treated by one minute in the microwave will be
only slightly effective and still have a large number of CFUs. Finally, the
sponge left to air dry will have an increase in CFUs compared to CFUs after
cleaning and before treatment.
References
Best
ways to clean kitchen sponges: Usda ars. (n.d.). Retrieved
September 30, 2024, from
https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2007/best-ways-to-clean-kitchen-sponges/
Borrusso,
P. A., & Quinlan, J. J. (2017). Prevalence of pathogens and indicator
organisms in home kitchens and correlation with unsafe food handling practices
and conditions. Journal of Food Protection, 80(4), 590–597.
https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-16-354
Cardinale,
M., Kaiser, D., Lueders, T., Schnell, S., & Egert, M. (2017). Microbiome
analysis and confocal microscopy of used kitchen sponges reveal massive
colonization by Acinetobacter, Moraxella and Chryseobacterium species. Scientific
Reports, 7, 5791. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-06055-9
Doucleff,
M. (2017, September 11). So your kitchen sponge is a bacteria hotbed. Here’s
what to do. NPR.
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/09/11/548926054/can-you-really-not-clean-your-kitchen-sponge
Dr.
Annie’s experiments—Sponge disinfection experiments.
(n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2024, from
https://www.dranniesexperiments.com/sponge-disinfection-experiments
Jacksch,
S., Thota, J., Shetty, S., Smidt, H., Schnell, S., & Egert, M. (2020).
Metagenomic analysis of regularly microwave-treated and untreated domestic
kitchen sponges. Microorganisms, 8(5), 736.
https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8050736
Knoll,
S. (2019). The Microbial Community of Kitchen Sponges: Experimental
The Microbial Community of Kitchen Sponges: Experimental Study
Investigating Bacterial Number, Resistance and Transfer Study
Investigating Bacterial Number, Resistance and Transfer [Assumption
College].
https://digitalcommons.assumption.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1052&context=honorstheses
Møretrø,
T., Ferreira, V. B., Moen, B., Almli, V. L., Teixeira, P., Kasbo, I. M., &
Langsrud, S. (2022). Bacterial levels and diversity in kitchen sponges and
dishwashing brushes used by consumers. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 133(3),
1378–1391. https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.15621
Nielson,
P., Brumbaugh, E., & Kananen, L. (2002). Evaluation of the Use of Liquid
Dishwashing Compounds To Control Bacteria in Kitchen Sponges Get access Arrow. Journal
of AOAC INTERNATIONAL, 85(1), 107–112. https://doi.org/10.1093
Odilichukwu,
C., Okpala, R., & Ezeonu, I. M. (2019). Food Hygiene/Microbiological Safety
in the Typical Household Kitchen: Some Basic “Must Knows” for the General
Public. Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology, 13(2), 17.
https://doi.org/10.22207
Osaili,
T. M., Obaid, R. S., Alowais, K., Almahmood, R., Almansoori, M., Alayadhi, N.,
Alowais, N., Waheed, K., Dhanasekaran, D. K., Al-Nabulsi, A. A., Ayyash, M.,
& Forsythe, S. J. (2020). Microbiological quality of kitchens sponges used
in university student dormitories. BMC Public Health, 20(1),
1322. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09452-4
Sharma,
M., Eastridge, J., & Mudd, C. (2008). Effective household disinfection
methods of kitchen sponges. Food Control, 4.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2008.05.020
Why
kitchen sponges are the perfect home for bacteria. (2022). Cutting Edge,
17(16), 14.
https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.pc.maricopa.edu/apps/doc/A697397052/STND?u=mcc_phoe&sid=summon&xid=aae45421
Wolde,
T., & Bacha, K. (2016). Microbiological safety of kitchen sponges used in
food establishments. International Journal of Food Science, 2016,
1659784. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/1659784
