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A dishwashing sponge has been recognized as the dirtiest item in the house
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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It may be surprising, but the fact remains: a kitchen sponge for washing dishes is the dirtiest object in the house, on which about ten million bacteria are concentrated. And these are not just harmless bacteria, but real pathogens of paralysis.
A new study by scientists at the University of Arizona has found that the toilet seat has been unfairly labeled as the dirtiest place in the house, when there are places and objects that harbor far more pathogens.
Professor of microbiology Charles Gerba, who studies how diseases are transmitted in the environment, examined samples taken from various objects in the house, paying particular attention to faecal bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli.
The professor came to the conclusion that it is safer to chop vegetables on a toilet seat than on a kitchen cutting board, because in fact it is one of the cleanest places in the house in terms of the number of microorganisms on it. Thus, on average, about 50 bacteria live on a toilet seat per 6.4 square centimeters, but on a cutting board and a kitchen sponge there are 200,000 times more microbes.
This is due to cutting raw meat on a board, which is where the infection comes from. The same goes for a sponge - you can wash dishes with it, but never wipe a clean plate with it. The same story with a kitchen towel - it is the same bacteria collector as a sponge with a board. Campylobacter - spirally curved microorganisms that at best can cause food poisoning, and at worst - lead to the development of paralysis. These are the bacteria that like to settle on dishwashing sponges.
However, bacteria are not only waiting for us at home. One of the dirtiest places is also the office, and the object is the keyboard, on which bacteria peacefully coexist, which are 400 times more than on a toilet seat.
Shops are also dangerous, especially the handles of shopping carts. When taking a sample, it turned out that they contained fecal bacteria, and the result was also positive for the presence of meat juices and blood, mucus, saliva and urine.