I’m a scientist – the everyday washing-up liquid you need to give up and use to clean instead

You might want to rethink the way you wash your dishes.

Trond Møretrø, a research associate at a Norwegian food research institute, recently revealed to CNN the cleaning product you need to leave out of your kitchen.

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Although many use sponges to wash their dishes, it’s not the most hygienic way.

“Salmonella and other bacteria grow and survive better in sponges than in brushes, the reason being that sponges never dry out in daily use,” Møretrø told CNN.

“A single sponge can harbor more bacteria than there are people on earth.”

He said while most bacteria aren’t harmful, salmonella can spread to surfaces and then to people, potentially making them sick.

“The sponge is moist and accumulates food debris, which is also food for bacteria, leading to rapid bacterial growth.”

The scientist’s research found that even cleaning your sponge often didn’t make much of a difference.

“It is very difficult for consumers to avoid bacterial growth in the sponges unless the sponges are changed daily,” the scientist told CNN.

Instead, he suggested people use a mop to clean their dishes.

In a study comparing bacteria in sponges to those in a scrubber, “researchers added Salmonella bacteria to brushes and sponges and found a significant reduction in Salmonella counts in brushes left to dry overnight.”

“Because the brush dries very quickly, harmful bacteria die off. Also, most brushes have a handle that, unlike sponges, prevents direct hand contact with potentially harmful bacteria,” Møretrø said.

“I encourage consumers next time they need to replace their sponge to try a brush instead.”

“From a hygienic point of view, brushes are the better choice for cleaning dishes.”

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