Periodically there is an article on how many evil bacteria live and breed in your kitchen sink sponge - that these sponges are the number 1 household site for germ infestation. What to do? New sponges everyday - too costy. Microwave them - occasionally they burn up! Bleach eats sponges. The dishwashing machine beats them to bits.
The sponge sterilizer is a little chrome machine in the shape of a frog. You put the sponge in its mouth and push it shut, like a toaster. It heats the sponge to 160F and holds the temp for 3 minutes - enough to kill all bugs but no problem for the sponge. The frogs mouth then pops open, making a sterilized sponge available for you.-- bungston, Nov 12 2003 Ultraviolet Sterilizer http://www.millipor...des.nsf/docs/P34563DO NOT look directly at bulb [Letsbuildafort, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 06 2004] The M9 Ultraclave Sterilizer http://www.shopping...lth-sterilizer~CR-3$5356 --- but I only want ONE [Letsbuildafort, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004] Or you could just rip out a layer of the sink and be done with it. http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Sink-WrapShameless self-promotion. [RayfordSteele, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004] Ponder this next time you are gnawing on your kitchen sponge, [AO]. http://www.edwardwi...ns/kitchengerms.htm [bungston, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 06 2004] Burning sponges http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/5644168.htm [bungston, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 06 2004] Croissant for idiosyncratic spelling, but haven't you ever tried using bleach? That sure kills the cooties. Whatever they are.-- DrCurry, Nov 12 2003 Cooties are 'piojos'. Lice.-- Klaatu, Nov 12 2003 [LBAF] Don't trust your UV Sterilizer unless you have a UV transparent sponge.-- Worldgineer, Nov 12 2003 Very good point, World ... I imagine there would be a serious jump in cost to put out UV transparent sponges ... but COULD, in theory end up saving hospitals, and other sponge-using industries money down the road ... or maybe not ... I've been on a link binge latley ...-- Letsbuildafort, Nov 12 2003 Klaatu/bungston: if you've got lice on your kitchen sponge, you're doing something wrong.-- DrCurry, Nov 12 2003 Trying to stop them growing, in some cases.-- DrCurry, Nov 12 2003 I like germs.......-- Micky Dread, Nov 12 2003 They keep the cooties company, I guess.-- DrCurry, Nov 14 2003 cooties? boil kettle and pour water on them.-- po, Nov 14 2003 I neglected to mention: while at work, steam will come out of the frog's nose.-- bungston, Nov 14 2003 Well now, that *really* would get my croissant, if I hadn't already given one.-- DrCurry, Nov 14 2003 Is this something we really need to worry about? I use a kitchen sponge (not sterilized) every day, and if hardly ever makes me sick.-- AO, Nov 14 2003 Well, [AO] you could market it to folks with immuno-deficiencies ... something similar in scope to my conscience-deficiency-- Letsbuildafort, Nov 14 2003 (-) for being paranoid about bacteria (I like 'em too MickeyD), (+) for very annoyed looking chrome frog with steam coming out of nostrils. So neutral so far. Wouldn't boiling water do the job pretty well?-- squeak, Nov 17 2003 I'd buy one (but that's really not saying much). +-- k_sra, Nov 17 2003 I thought this was going to be a novel method for making birth control devices reusable. I will give a croissant anyway.-- kevindimie, Nov 17 2003 Don't kiss the frog.-- k_sra, Nov 17 2003 You speak from experience?-- DrCurry, Nov 17 2003 [-] Why do we need this? I always use my microwave, and I've never burned a sponge.-- sycorob24, Nov 17 2003 Household sponges are already impregnated with triclosan. It's hard to find ones that are not.-- waugsqueke, Nov 17 2003 I got this idea after reading an article in Cook's Illustrated where they had to rescind their advice on microwaving sponges, because so many people emailed them to complain that their sponges burnt to a crisp. Linked above is an article that mentions the article. The online version apparently has some pics of burnt sponges which I would have liked to see. Bottom line: not all microwaves are created equal, nor all sponges. But [sycorob], you seem to have achieved sponge-microwave harmony.-- bungston, Nov 17 2003 These already exist and use steam ---- same as in baby bottle sterilizers. Sorry.-- disny, Feb 12 2004 random, halfbakery