January 01, 2023
Dish sponges are one of the dirtiest kitchen utensils in your home. Almost unbelievable, but true: they host more microbes than toilets! (Ojima, M., Toshima, Y., Koya, E. et al.)
Bacteria and germs are collected in kitchen sponges where they are able to incubate.
The picture (adapted from Cardinale, M., Kaiser, D., Lueders, T. et al.) shows the bacteria (red dots) in a very small probe of a used dish sponge (cyan).
Billions of bacterials cells can were identified in a 1 square centimeter area.
By using sponges, they spread on kitchen surfaces. These surfaces are in contact with your hands and food. Finally, the bacteria make their way into your body.
That is why it is important to replace them with cleaner alternatives that do not act as reservoirs for microorganisms.
There are many alternatives for dish sponges to reduce bacterial loads, such as washing brushes, mesh scrubbers or washing nets.
Kitchen brushes have bristles that you can use to scrub dishes and they are a common alternative to kitchen sponges.
A recently published study (Møretrø, T., Ferreira, V. B., Moen, B. et al.) compares the bacterial levels in kitchen sponges and dishwashing brushes.
The results show that cleaning utensils that dried between use have a lower bacterial load.
The researchers added Salmonella to dishwashing brushes and kitchen sponges. Some of the brushes and sponges were kept humid in plastic bags and some were allowed to dry.
As expected, for the brushes, the bacterial load was highest for the ones kept in humid bags.
However, the difference in bacterial load between sponges in plastic bags and sponges on a tray was not significant.
The researcher observed that some of the sponges that were left on the trays overnight were not completely dry.
The brushes however dried overnight, significantly faster than the kitchen sponges.
To summarise:
The scientists found that fast drying plays a crucial role for the bacterial load.
Although brushes are more hygienic compared to kitchen sponges, they have lots of flaws.
I analysed 1094 Amazon reviews with ratings from one to four stars. These reviews were taken from the first three products that Amazon suggested to me when searching for "kitchen brushes". On average these products were reviewed with 4.7 out of 5 possible stars.
The most frequently mentioned weakness is that the bristles wear out too quickly. 79% said that the bristles don't last long enough - in many cases they get flat after 1 to 2 weeks of usage.
8% find the bristles too stiff such that soap, water and food from the bristles is flung everywhere.
8% find the bristles too soft such that they can only use them for light cleaning, but not for pots, pans and dried food.
2% have problems to clean tight spaces such as the curved bottom of a pot or the bottom of a glas.
Fischnetz with Benefits are the best dish sponge alternative.
They are sustainable, hygienic and last longer than kitchen brushes.
Similar to kitchen brushes they dry quickly and do not allow germs to grow in them.
However, they more durable than brushes and last for years before they need to be replaced.
Fischnetz are ideal for dish washing and cleaning.
They are extremely flexible and allow easy cleaning in tight spaces such as curved bottoms of a pots and glasses.
You can find them in every Moroccan household - they have been in use for decades and replace millions of kitchen sponges.
✔️ Very easy to use
✔️ Reaches more spots
✔️ Hygienic
✔️ Doesn't smell
✔️ Lasts for years
✔️ Saves money
The Fischnetz with Benefits is an eco-friendly and hygienic alternative to kitchen/dish sponges.
For decades, such nets have been used in North-African households and have already replaced millions of dish sponges.
It is upcycled from used fishing nets which makes them particularly
✅ durable
✅ long-lasting
✅ strong
The Fischnetz with Benefits can be used for
