Housekeeping · 주방 스펀지 위생

Six steps to reduce kitchen-sponge cross-contamination

Understand that sponges are hard to sanitize completely, separate raw-meat spills and replace them frequently.

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USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

Original guidance from USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

Original source link card: Six steps to reduce kitchen-sponge cross-contamination

USDA FSIS cautions that microwaving or boiling sponges may reduce bacteria without reliably preventing cross-contamination. Neither method guarantees sterilization.

Your try-it-at-home checklist

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Treat sponges as consumables that cannot be reliably sterilized and inspect them often.
Use disposable paper towels rather than a sponge for raw poultry or meat juices.
Rinse out food particles, squeeze out water and leave the sponge where it can drain and dry.
Keep dishwashing sponges separate from other cleaning tools and prevent cross-contamination of hands and worktops.
Do not assume microwaving or boiling guarantees a safe sponge; avoid improvised heating that could cause burns or fire.
Replace sponges frequently; discard promptly if they smell, discolor or deteriorate.

USDA Food Safety and Inspection ServiceHow do I clean my kitchen sponge? ↗USDA FSIS 2025 advisory: sponge bacterial sources difficult to clean, microwaving or boiling alone not adequate to prevent cross-contamination, frequent replacement. Supplemental Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics guidance covers raw meat juices, drainage and separation.Academy of Nutrition and DieteticsAre Your Kitchen Surfaces and Sponges Really Clean? ↗Registered dietitian organization article advises frequent sponge replacement, avoid meat juice wiping, wring and dry. Describes microwave reductions but not reliable sterilization; do not recommend microwaving as a guarantee.

Original guidance from USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

Your try-it-at-home checklist

Further reading

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