This $10 fix makes cleaning your dishes way more sanitary than what you're doing right now

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AmazonIf you’re looking for ways to either make your home more sanitary or eliminate irony from your life, look no further than your kitchen sponge (and then maybe your toothbrush).

Your kitchen sponge — the thing you routinely use to clean the stuff you eat food off of — is probably one of the dirtiest things in your home. In fact, your sponge probably has more bacteria on it right now than your toilet does. 

Which brings us to the irony of using something extremely unsanitary to sanitize our dishes; it really doesn’t make much sense. You wouldn't eat food that dropped on the floor, but you'll eat it off a plate cleaned by something that operates as a mini hotel for bacteria?

So if reading this makes you want to go home and use metal tongs to lift and drop your sponge into the trash bin, you might be looking for solutions to can replace it with, since you can't smash a plate and buy a new one every time you eat.

If you like the use and feel of a traditional sponge, you may want to consider giving this antimicrobial scrubber by Peachy Clean a try. It’s the same rectangular shape (though with a rougher, stiffer makeup), but it’s made out of silicone, so it should be 100% resistant to mold and mildew.

Its pores are purposefully large so it doesn't retain moisture and debris can't accumulate, both of which are reasons why traditional sponges are such perfect breeding grounds for bacteria. It’s also guaranteed to resist bacteria odors for at least 3 months — which means it’s one of the only (if not the only) scrubber that comes with a warranty.

While some researchers have suggested replacing sponges as often as once a week, these silicone scrubbers should stay much cleaner for longer, according to one reviewer: “It depends on how you use them, but if it is just everyday dish washing mine have lasted around 2-4 months. I absolutely LOVE these sponges! My friend came to visit me and used it and she went home and bought herself some. They do not get yucky and smelly like regular sponges.” Another wrote it lasted about 3-4 months odor free.

Considering that they last for that long and $10 buys you three of them, it's a more cost-effective way to be sanitary than replacing traditional sponges on a weekly basis.

For added insurance, you can try the gourmet version, which is embedded with silver (a known antimicrobial element) to kill bacteria on contact.