Pennys Personal Touch Services parked in front on a Austin Texas mural

Have you ever noticed that your kitchen is the heart of your home?  No matter what type of social gathering I have been to in someone’s home, the kitchen is usually the most popular area to hang out. The kitchen can also be the dirtiest, most germ infested area as well. From trash cans to chicken in the sink, the germs are setting and spreading unnoticeable to the human eye. If we consistently treat five particular areas in the kitchen, we can keep the presence of germs down and from spreading.  In this series of blog articles, I will be focusing on five items in your kitchen that could potentially be making you and your family sick.  So, let’s begin with the first…

The Sponge In Your Kitchen Is Gross!

The kitchen sponge is most likely the dirtiest thing in your house and we typically use it to clean, which doesn’t make much sense.  What you can’t see, you can’t be aware of. You don’t see last night’s chicken juice on a sponge, or bacteria growing in left-over food as it sits in water all night long while you sleep.

PROBLEM:
The sponge is porous and there is a constant food supply for the bacteria to grow.  The moisture of the sponge keeps the bacteria alive and growing.  ICK!!!


How Often Should You Replace The Sponge In Your Kitchen?

SOLUTION:
Replace it weekly. They are cheap! In between replacements, throw it in the microwave in a bowl with equal parts water and white distilled vinegar for 5 minutes or toss it in the dishwasher daily with the dishes.
Regular hot tap water does not get hot enough to disinfect. 

More Tips For Kitchen Cleaning Coming Soon

So, there is the first of five items in your kitchen that may be making you sick and how to keep your kitchen clean.  ​Next time, we will look at how to clean something you probably use every day, but don’t think about cleaning often enough.  Stop by soon…