You wouldn’t clean your pots and pans in the toilet, but you might be surprised to learn that the average kitchen sponge actually has more bacteria than a toilet does. In fact, your kitchen sponge could be home to nearly five trillion bugs!

Recent studies have shown that kitchen sponges contain five different strains of bacteria including E. coli. While none of these bacterias are deadly, they could cause you to get sick and spread germs to your family or guests. Imagine wiping down your kitchen countertops with a bacteria laden sponge, only to later prepare food on the same surface.

It makes sense that using your sponge to wipe down nasty pots and pans leaves behind some serious bacteria. Some people opt to boil or microwave their sponges which has been found to reduce bacteria but only in a lab environment.

It turns out that cleaning your sponge doesn’t eliminate bacteria, it only changes the balance of them. This means that after you clean a sponge, certain times of bacteria may decrease, but others will increase. According to Michigan State University, there are still a few ways to effectively kill bacteria on a sponge including:

• Running it through the dishwasher on the hottest and longest setting, plus the dry cycle

• Dampening the sponge and microwaving it on high for one minute

• Soaking the sponge in diluted bleach for one minute

The most effective way to eliminate bacteria on kitchen sponges is by replacing those sponges often, possibly as often as once per week depending on use.

Contact Blue Water Kitchens & More today for all your kitchen needs including design, cabinets, and countertops.

At first, you might not think of kitchen cabinets as being anything more than a place to store kitchenware. One of the most important parts of any kitchen remains that all-important cabinet space. If you don’t have enough cabinets and drawers it can be frustrating trying to find a place to put everything you need.

Cabinets are now being built for functionality as well as a place to keep your kitchen items. Check out a couple of the latest innovations in kitchen cabinet technology from Diamond Cabinets.

Toekick Vacuum Cabinet

This innovative new solution will eliminate the need for dirty dustpans in the kitchen. Simply tap the switch with your foot to activate the vacuum, no bending is required. Cleaning up small debris on your kitchen floor can be quick and easy.

Sweep the litter towards the vacuum and it will draw in the debris and store it in a disposable bag which can be replaced as needed. The vacuum can be located on the front or side of your cabinet and is available in both white and stainless steel faceplates.

PowerGlide Compact Cabinet Drawer Outlet

Now you can power up your devices without having to clutter up your kitchen countertops or leaving them plugged in in another room. Imagine having a 120V outlet at the back of your cabinet drawer for whatever you need to plug in. The outlet features three prong receptacles as well as a pair of USB ports.

Contact Blue Water Kitchens & More for all your kitchen cabinet and countertop needs. Contact us today for a free design quote .