Household Dish Cloths Bad odor indicates severe bacterial contamination

Whether it's dishcloths or pot sponges, when rinse utensils begin to smell, they should be replaced with new ones. For multiple daily use, sponges and Co. remain useable for about a week. They germinate least quickly if thoroughly rinsed after use and hung or stored in an airy place for quick drying.

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If you want to use towels several times, they should be cleaned at 60 ° C with heavy duty detergent in the washing machine. This is the only way to reduce the levels of bacteria and other microorganisms to such an extent that the utensils can then be used as a rag, for example.

On the other hand, you should keep your hands off heating in the microwave: first, rags or sponges can start to burn if heated too long. Secondly, this only reduces the number of harmless microorganisms, as has now been determined for the first time in a scientific study conducted by Furtwangen University of Applied Sciences. The potential pathogens, on the other hand, survived microwave heating better and were subsequently able to reproduce more abundantly than the harmless microorganisms. Ute Gomm, bzfe