10 ways to get your kitchen to shine bright like a diamond

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Clean and disinfect a sponge

Yes, sponges need to be cleaned too! Given that their sole purpose is for cleaning, you can imagine that they’re full of bacteria and weird smells. So here are a few simple rules to follow to make sure that you don’t cross contaminate the rest of your kitchen.

Firstly, after you’re done doing the dishes, always make sure to squeeze out the excess water and let the sponge air dry over a drain or wire rack – a dry sponge is less prone to bacteria than a wet one.

Once a month, you can also put your sponges in the microwave for just 1 minute. But careful! You can only do this if there’s no metal edge on your sponge, if it’s still slightly wet and if doesn’t have any remaining dish soap on it. Also be sure to let it cool down completely before you pick it up and take it out of the microwave.

Other options are to simply put it in the washing machine on a quick cycle, or to let it soak overnight in a mixture of water and lemon juice or vinegar.