I like to use sponges but getting them clean and sanitary after usage
was another matter.

Then I remembered something I had almost forgotten.

Clean the sponge as you normally would then rinse to get out residual
soap, detergent, etc,

Place in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes.

Remove and place in top rack of dishwasher to drain.

Another case of reinventing the wheel.

Enjoy.


Lew

My bride zaps 'em in the microwave.

On Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 12:00:02 AM UTC-5, Lew Hodgett wrote:
I like to use sponges but getting them clean and sanitary after usage
was another matter.

Then I remembered something I had almost forgotten.

Clean the sponge as you normally would then rinse to get out residual
soap, detergent, etc,

Place in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes.

Remove and place in top rack of dishwasher to drain.

Another case of reinventing the wheel.

Enjoy.


Lew

Or if you want - instead of boiling water which might put in hard
water... simply put them in the microwave.
That was on one of our labels.

Martin

On 4/18/2015 11:59 PM, Lew Hodgett wrote:
I like to use sponges but getting them clean and sanitary after usage
was another matter.

Then I remembered something I had almost forgotten.

Clean the sponge as you normally would then rinse to get out residual
soap, detergent, etc,

Place in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes.

Remove and place in top rack of dishwasher to drain.

Another case of reinventing the wheel.

Enjoy.


Lew

"Martin Eastburn" wrote:

Or if you want - instead of boiling water which might put in hard
water... simply put them in the microwave.
That was on one of our labels.

Martin
--------------------------------------------------------
Problem with my microwave is that it takes longer to boil water
than a gas burner on the stove.


Lew

On 4/20/2015 12:07 AM, Lew Hodgett wrote:
"Martin Eastburn" wrote:

Or if you want - instead of boiling water which might put in hard
water... simply put them in the microwave.
That was on one of our labels.

Martin
--------------------------------------------------------
Problem with my microwave is that it takes longer to boil water
than a gas burner on the stove.


Lew


You don't boil any water. You just put the wet sponge in the MW and
heat the sponge.

On 4/20/2015 11:22 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 4/20/2015 12:07 AM, Lew Hodgett wrote:
"Martin Eastburn" wrote:

Or if you want - instead of boiling water which might put in hard
water... simply put them in the microwave.
That was on one of our labels.

Martin
--------------------------------------------------------
Problem with my microwave is that it takes longer to boil water
than a gas burner on the stove.


Lew


You don't boil any water. You just put the wet sponge in the MW and
heat the sponge.

Problem of putting a dry sponge into the microwave is that it probably
will not completely kill the germs. The microwave heats the material
present in the sponge. If there is nothing to adsorb the microwave
energy you will not get the germ killing heat.

It would probably be best to wet the sponge then put it in the
microwave. The steam from the little water present in the sponge will
kill the germs

On Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 1:00:02 AM UTC-4, Lew Hodgett wrote:
I like to use sponges but getting them clean and sanitary after usage
was another matter.

Then I remembered something I had almost forgotten.

Clean the sponge as you normally would then rinse to get out residual
soap, detergent, etc,

Place in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes.

Remove and place in top rack of dishwasher to drain.

Another case of reinventing the wheel.

Enjoy.


Lew

Soak the sponge and stick it in the microwave on high for 2 minutes. If there is any soap in it, it will bubble, but they die down pretty quickly.

Let it cool, as it will be very hot. All nasties will be dead and you won't have wasted any water.

Have a thermometer inside of the sponge - does it get hot inside ?

I suppose you have a weak microwave. You don't have to have the
pan of water in there - just the sponge standing on edge - we make
a triangle and they spin on the internal table. It boils the water
in the damp sponge and kills germs as well. Hot water with boiling
in the pan might not kill. Since 212 isn't hot enough for some.
And that is in the rapidly boiling water. Sponge isn't 212 unless it
stays at that temp for some time.



On 4/19/2015 11:07 PM, Lew Hodgett wrote:
"Martin Eastburn" wrote:

Or if you want - instead of boiling water which might put in hard
water... simply put them in the microwave.
That was on one of our labels.

Martin
--------------------------------------------------------
Problem with my microwave is that it takes longer to boil water
than a gas burner on the stove.


Lew

On 4/19/2015 11:07 PM, Lew Hodgett wrote:
"Martin Eastburn" wrote:

Or if you want - instead of boiling water which might put in hard
water... simply put them in the microwave.
That was on one of our labels.

Martin
--------------------------------------------------------
Problem with my microwave is that it takes longer to boil water
than a gas burner on the stove.


Lew



Not with that small amount of water.

Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet wrote in news:y_
:


Not with that small amount of water.

What effect, if any, do the microwaves play in killing the bacteria?
Heating the water's fine, but what about irradiating them? (Last time I
used "irradiating" on this group was something like a decade ago and I
spelled it with an "e". This time, I checked Google to make sure I had the
right word.)

Puckdropper

--
Make it to fit, don't make it fit.

On Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at 1:29:02 AM UTC-4, Puckdropper at dot wrote:
Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet wrote in news:y_
:


Not with that small amount of water.

What effect, if any, do the microwaves play in killing the bacteria?
Heating the water's fine, but what about irradiating them?

webmd suggests microwaving your sponges for a minimum of 2 minutes every other day.

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/fo...-germs-sponges

On 4/21/2015 12:28 AM, Puckdropper wrote:
Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet wrote in news:y_
:


Not with that small amount of water.

What effect, if any, do the microwaves play in killing the bacteria?

What effect does putting your cell phone have on you brain when you hold
it up to your ear? ;~) I think it is the elimination of liquids that
does the deed. I am no expert but most living things require some water
to survive. I think if you boil those trace amounts of moisture out the
bacteria are goners. IMHO


Heating the water's fine, but what about irradiating them? (Last time I
used "irradiating" on this group was something like a decade ago and I
spelled it with an "e". This time, I checked Google to make sure I had the
right word.)

Puckdropper

On 4/21/2015 9:15 AM, Leon wrote:

I am no expert but most living things require some water
to survive. I think if you boil those trace amounts of moisture out the
bacteria are goners. IMHO

But is that a humane way to kill them? Do they feel pain? I'd not want
animal rights people to picket my house while the microwave execution is
taking place.

Ed Pawlowski writes:
On 4/21/2015 9:15 AM, Leon wrote:

I am no expert but most living things require some water
to survive. I think if you boil those trace amounts of moisture out the
bacteria are goners. IMHO

But is that a humane way to kill them? Do they feel pain? I'd not want
animal rights people to picket my house while the microwave execution is
taking place.

Just set the sponge in the sun. The UV will kill anything
that can survive the lack of H2O.