Finally Something Good You Can Do With Your Microwave!!

re: Finally Something Good You Can Do With Your Microwave!!

Gerber — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 08:41:48 GMT

Soaking sponges in a container of warm water, with a tbs. of bleach, and a tbs. of laundry soap for a period of time, will both sterylize the sponge, and keep it clean for an extended period of time.

Of course it's good to rinse the sponge thoroughly after doing this.

re: Finally Something Good You Can Do With Your Microwave!!

earthling — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 03:31:19 GMT

This story reminds me of another good use for a microwave, that I have used myself in the past. About 25 years ago, mid 80s, I read a column by a physician that he had had some patients with recurrent yeast infections, also called fungus infections, or in the UK it is called thrush. He had gone through the checklist of treatments, plus treating their partners, having them change to all-cotton undies, etc etc. and he couldn't figure out why they seemed to keep getting re-infected. Well, he wondered about those undies, and whether they were harboring some of those yeastie-beasties. So he had his patients take their clean cotton undies, wet them with water and wring them out so they were only damp, and microwave them for 3-4 minutes until they were steaming, watching carefully so they didn't dry out or scorch. When all else failed, that seemed to do the trick, no more itchy infection!

re: Finally Something Good You Can Do With Your Microwave!!

larryh530 — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 06:09:24 GMT

Don't use sponges at all! Use cloth dishclothes instead.

I stopped using sponges because I figured that they were great breeding grounds for all sorts of stuff. Additionally I thought they were made from some sort of plastic. It turns out that they're made from cellulose from wood pulp or hemp, unless they have that scrubby stuff on them, which is certainly plastic.

Anyway, I don't like to use something that is destined for the land fill. I now use cotton dish-clothes and put my old one into the laundry every few days. Bacteria don't have so much time to breed and I'm not throwing stuff away. For scrubbing I use stainless steel scrubbers instead of the plastic kind (Scotch Brite), which is OK since I don't use coated pots and pans.

re: Finally Something Good You Can Do With Your Microwave!!

larryh530 — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 06:09:04 GMT

Don't use sponges at all! Use cloth dishclothes instead.

re: Finally Something Good You Can Do With Your Microwave!!

larryh530 — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 06:08:54 GMT

Don't use sponges at all! Use cloth dishclothes instead.

re: Finally Something Good You Can Do With Your Microwave!!

LadyPam — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 20:46:04 GMT

I used to use my microwave to sterilise kitchen and dish cloths years ago; never was much of a fan of sponges. However, I soon realised that this of course did nothing to remove the cause of contamination: the debris and food particles that you simply cannot rinse out under the tap. Neither does it remove any of the toxins that may have already been produced by pathogens. After all, cooking rotten meat does make it safe to eat. I do not use chlorine bleach anywhere.

Rather than resort to buying 20 new sponges a month (which to me seems only a bit less criminal than using disposable cleaning wipes, dusters and even disposable toilet brushes (unbelievable!)) I use microfibre cleaning cloths. The first one I bought cost me around GBP7 but now you can get 2 for GPB1. I have about 10 of them and use a fresh one for each job, whether it be cleaning, washing dishes or whatever, and then put them aside to go into the next hot machine wash. I don't use fabric softeners so that works fine. Stubborn dried-on stuff gets scraped off with one of my stainless steel scourers, pretty easy to rinse out or chuck in the hot wash (in a protective bag to stop them chewing up the laundry).
For personal hygiene, I have about 25 cotton washcloths and here again we use one for each job and then they go in a hot wash. It's a habit I picked up while living in the netherlands. They don't even need to be tumble-dried because they don't need to be soft: you always use them wet.

re: Finally Something Good You Can Do With Your Microwave!!

Davia — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 21:53:40 GMT

The sponges found in discount and grocery stores are made of synthetic material and trap bacteria and grime! I use 100% cotton washcloths and just wash them when they get dirty. I don't even use hot water on them, they just go with the other things in the laundry. I cook at home all the time and have never gotten food poisoning, and I rarely get sick in general, so to me this is the best (certainly the easiest) dishwashing and countertop cleaning option. Even when I used to prepare/eat meat.

re: Finally Something Good You Can Do With Your Microwave!!

Ess Ess — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 20:35:53 GMT

In reading back on your statements about the danger or using microwaves, Dr. Mercola, I find it surprising indeed that you are endorsing this tip about sponges and microwaves....

If you do keep a microwave hanging around, chances are more than most, you WILL be tempted to use it for heating up more than just sponges! And for those who have really old ones-- often embedded into their stove's framework-- the question of leakage is ever-present and dangerous.

But food heating aside, why in the world would you endorse running ANY microwave, when, beyond leakage-- the simple electro-magnetic vibrational capacity to enter the atmosphere and mess with our body's e.m. frequencies is highly likely to be present (i.e. hard to believe that the relatively flimsy structures of these units--esp. the portable ones--are full-proof protection against these vibes-- no matter what "seal of approval" has been pasted onto them).

Dr. Mercola, I do respect your work and activism, but this sponge-bob-microwave endorsement has got to go!

re: Finally Something Good You Can Do With Your Microwave!!

naturesessentials — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 15:00:05 GMT

A great way to get around this is not to use sponges. I know this is not the subject, but having a microwave in your presense is Ludicrous. I use natural biodegradable soaps with therapeutic grade antibacterial,antimicrobial,antiviral, oils added, and have never had any illness' and or concerns about being invaded by organisms that harm.

B.Verburg,Grand Rapids Mi

re: Finally Something Good You Can Do With Your Microwave!!

Torre — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 03:27:26 GMT

Just throw the microwave out. There is no need to have a nucler disater in you home. I'm scared that an old microwave may leak the radiation. Then you die weather you eat the food or clean a sponge

re: Finally Something Good You Can Do With Your Microwave!!

HSgarden4 — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 16:20:49 GMT

Another great use for a microwave oven is for heating all the various types of hull- or seed-filled heating pads (for neck, back, etc...). Many of these packs are filled with things like buckwheat hulls or flax seed plus herbs for fragrance or aromatherapy and are designed specifically to be heated in a microwave. They work beautifully and feel great.

Hillary

re: Finally Something Good You Can Do With Your Microwave!!

Debra-Sue — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 15:53:58 GMT

An easy solution:

Throw out your microwave and your sponge--use washcloths and a scrubbie. The scrubbie dries quickly, resisting bacteria growth. Cloths can be bought inexpensively by the bunch at discount stores and go in with the regular wash. I use several a day.

My kids think I'm retro-dark ages but I don't have a microwave in the house or sponges in the kitchen. Or cable TV.

re: Finally Something Good You Can Do With Your Microwave!!

loisjbru — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 08:17:37 GMT

Just today, I received a message from Good Housekeeping magazine regarding this subject and it discourages the practice of heating sponges in the microwave and says that soaking sponges in bleach water is more effective. Depending upon the power of the microwave, it may not be able to destroy the bacteria in two minutes and if it is too powerful it could destroy the sponge or cause it to burn.

re: Finally Something Good You Can Do With Your Microwave!!

Bill McDougald — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 22:35:53 GMT

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re: Finally Something Good You Can Do With Your Microwave!!

MarkC_203 — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 17:32:42 GMT

Another way to get rid of the need for a microwave is to eat raw foods! There are huge benefits to eating raw food (even if you don't do it 100%). Then you don't need to cook anything. Microwaves become a thing of the past.

However, when you throw out your microwave, you may end up with a big hole in your kitchen. Good place to store all of your raw food cookbooks! [:D]