Kitchen sponges harbor more bacteria than kitchen brushes, researchers say

(CNN) - Do you have a sponge or brush in your kitchen sink?

If you have a sponge, listen up.

Kitchen sponges hold on to way more bacteria than a kitchen brush does.

Researchers at a Norwegian food research institute say that a “single sponge can harbor a higher number of bacteria than there are people on earth,” including salmonella.

This happens because the sponge stays wet and humid, and it collects food residue. This is a great environment for bacteria looking to grow.

It really doesn’t matter how often you clean the sponge or how often, bacterial growth is just hard to avoid in a wet sponge.

Because brushes dry out, the bacteria die.

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