Safety - Microwave - Watch sponge while microwaving to disinfect!

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Q. I know the kitchen sponge grows bacteria. I have been putting it in the microwave for 30 seconds with the expectation that zapping it will kill the bacteria. Do you think this is effective?

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A. Several years ago, we found an article in the Journal of Environmental Health (December 2006) that suggested wetting a sponge and nuking it in the microwave for one to two minutes at 1100 watts of energy would kill lingering germs.

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One reader who tried this reported: “We microwaved our WET sponge this morning, and it caught on fire. Now our house smells terrible. It was scary and annoying at 6:30 a.m.!”

Ingredients

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Preparation

Step 1

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