Like many hacks, this one is based on a bit of science. Yes, high heat can kill some bacteria, but recent research shows that the remaining bacteria will recolonize the sponge and can potentially become even stronger.1\n

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Warning\n
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The length of time needed in a microwave to reach the desired temperature to kill all the bacteria lurking in the center of a sponge will result in a flaming,\u00a0incinerated sponge. New studies show that nuked sponges still harbor about 40% of their bacteria, some of which can be life-threatening.\n\n\n
A better choice is to use disposable wipes, cotton, or microfiber cloths that can be tossed in the washer after every use.\n
Coca Cola Is the Best Toilet Cleaner\n
Can you clean a toilet with Coca Cola (or any carbonated soda)? Yes. Should you? No. Most carbonated sodas contain small quantities of citric and phosphoric acids that\u00a0are effective in slowly removing rust and some stains. However, a liter of soda will do nothing to kill bacteria and leaves a sticky residue that might just provide food for bacteria growth in the toilet. Stick with disinfecting toilet cleaners; they’re better and cheaper.\n
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Add\u00a0Salt to Washer to Prevent Dye Bleeding\n
Save the salt for your fries and skip putting it in the washer. By the time clothes get into stores for you\u00a0to buy, it’s too late to\u00a0stop dye bleeding. That process has to be done while the fabric is being manufactured. Fortunately, if all of your underwear is now pink, there are some useful\u00a0hacks that might just save the day.\n
Place a Magic Eraser in Toilet Tank to Remove Stains\n
Yes, those little white erasers are magic at removing\u00a0soap scum\u00a0on bathtubs and crayon marks on walls. But they do nothing in your toilet tank to\u00a0clean your toilet\u00a0and may even screw up the flushing mechanisms. The scrubbers are made of melamine foam and need your elbow action to work. They don’t dissolve and contain no bacteria-killing or dirt-lifting components.\n
Coat a Cooktop With Car Wax for Easy Cleaning\n
Grease and food spatter can be hard to remove from cooktops; especially if they are crusty from weeks of high heat. If you have a boil-over, stick with prompt cleaning and a product that cuts through grease.\n
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Warning\n
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Some sites suggest coating a cooktop with a layer of care wax. And while this wax can make messes easier to wipe away, it can also potentially cause a fire.\n\n\n
Use\u00a0Hairspray to Remove Ink\n
This is an oldie but a goodie hack that used to work when hairspray was nearly 100% alcohol.\u00a0But times have changed. Today’s hairsprays contain less alcohol (which is the\u00a0magic ink remover) and more conditioners, oils, and emollients. Save the hairspray for your updo and grab the isopropyl alcohol instead.\n
Hot Water Kills All Germs\n
Hot water can kill some bacteria, but it has to be really hot (212 degrees F) and the contaminated surface must be exposed for several minutes.2 Since most home hot water heaters are set at 120 degrees F, you’re fooling yourself about expecting hot water alone to kill germs. After the\u00a0flu sweeps through your home\u00a0or you prepare raw meats in the kitchen, add a disinfectant like chlorine bleach, pine oil, or phenolic solutions (Lysol) to your cleaning routine.\n
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Extra Detergent Will Produce Cleaner Laundry\n
More is not always better when it comes to\u00a0cleaning laundry\u00a0or dirty floors.\u00a0Adding extra detergent\u00a0and cleaners makes it harder to rinse away and remove all the sticky residue. If that residue is left in fabrics or on the surface of your carpet or kitchen floor, it works as a dirt magnet. Fabrics turn dull, and floors attract soil more quickly. Instead of adding more, choose the best quality cleaner for the job, read the directions, and measure appropriately. An extra bonus, you’ll save money and make fewer trips to the store.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
– by Mary Marlowe Leverette – thespruce.com\/ Sanitize Sponges in the Microwave Like many hacks, this one is based on a bit of science. Yes, high heat can kill some bacteria, but recent research shows that the remaining bacteria will recolonize the sponge and can potentially become even stronger.1 Warning The length of time needed\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7521,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[30,46,6,125,31,32],"class_list":{"0":"post-7496","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tie-life-style","8":"tag-household-hacks","9":"tag-life-hacks","10":"tag-life-style","11":"tag-mistake","12":"tag-tips","13":"tag-tricks"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Healthy-Salad-How-To-YouTube-Thumbnail-3.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7496"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7496\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}