To think that washing up sponges shouldn't be kept in the sink?

[Mcakes]

Not directed at anyone in particular but I sometimes notice at friends or family's houses that the sponge is usually kept at the bottom of the sink or floating in a bowl of cold, greasy washing up water.

My thinking is that, logically, anything that scrubs your plates/glasses/cutlery should also be clean enough to put in your mouth. All I see with the floaty or sink-bottom-dreg-filled sponge is a bacteria factory (especially if it's a meat eating household) but it is so common, I wonder if I'm the odd one here?

Disclaimer - My sponge-in-sink aversion doesn't affect what I think of the person (or stop me eating there etc). In fact, I think most of my favourite people keep minging sponges. I am also no clean freak and know that there are loads of things in my house that other people probably find disgusting (actually there are quite a few filthy oven, frequent horrendous slimy leftovers in fridge that I find disgusting myself but not enough to bother doing anything about on a regular basis ). I am, however, scrupulous with rinsing, drying and replacing my sparkling sponge.

Agree trifle but on other things that I think are important mn doesn't care!

I've thought of another one: keeping greasy baking trays in the oven once they have been used, presumably to reuse without washing. Yuck to fuck.

I'm going to boast here that after reading abhor the non eco friendly nature of spines on mn I've bought eco cloth "sponges", which are basically thick ribbed cloths sewn into sponge shape. But yes I also suffer life with an oh who doesn't get the daily necessity to clean the sink and rinsert and squeeze out the cloth. At least now I have a sponge I can wash! (And I'm going to make more because I'm that dull!)

Winewolf, some baking sheets get a better seasoning and finish if you don't wish them too fiercely. They build up a kind of non stick over time. I try and use very hot water and the minimum of washing up liquid, to preserve hhe finish.

OMG yes someone else has finally voiced this...DH leaves the sponge and the cloth in the sink then proceeds to fling dirty cutlery and crockery on top. Not to mention rinsing out the dogs bowls and her water bowl over them, and tea and coffee dregs, etc etc.

Drove me fucking MENTAL and I had a bowel infection last year which gave me the raging shits for 2 months. Grim.

Luckily we've moved house and now have a much larger and naicer sink and drainer with a lot more room. I haven't noticed them back in under the cabbage water yet but we've only been here a fortnight...

Microwave them every day and replace them every week

We could be one of those households that the OP mentions. Yes there are discarded clothes and sponges lurking in the depths of the washing up bowl.

How do you know it's greasy water? Ours look like they are floating in greasy water but it actually has bleach in it.

My sponges sit a solution of vinegar and tea tree when not in use. I used to keep them in my sink in my old house but I scrub my sink before and after use (with a different sponge) so it never bothered me. My sponges are microwaved nightly and washed weekly (new one from rotation every morning and evening).

Your sponges are the most pampered sponges in the land!

YANBU better to let cloths airdry than keep moisture around them.

Ahh but the rest my post was we could have been one of those households .. they lurk there for hardly anytime. When the dishewasher goes on we throw in any cloths that are near the sink. Then we have the properly dirty pile that build up with the tee towels and get boil washed once a week.