Everything’s “Dirty”….. Deal With It
We are talking about kitchen sponges. The very thing that you use to “clean up” after a meal or snack contains the second highest load of coliform bacteria in the whole house, after your drain traps. A new study by researchers at several institutions in Germany investigates the role of kitchen sponges and their capability to collect and spread bacteria, even pathogens.
This may be the least surprising news of the year, of course sponges are the dirtiest thing in the house. They spends all their time touching the other dirtiest thing(s) ….you and other humans. Being an item that everybody commonly shares only increases the chances that pathogens “harmful microbes” are calling this damp wonderland their home.
“We detected 362 different bacterial species in the 14 investigated sponges,” he told Popular Science in an e-mail. “Locally, the density of bacteria reached 54 billion per square centimeter of sponge tissue, which is similar to the microbial density of stool samples.”
Its almost as if your sponge is scurrying all over the ocean floor getting into all sorts of shenanigans every day with a fat starfish and a snail. If your standing you might want to take a seat because I’m about to hit you with some shit….There are millions(actually trillions but who’s counting) of microscopic bacteria on YOU and EVERYTHING you touch, 24/7/365 ……”Always”. Antibacterial soap and bleaches you ask?
“And to make things worse, cleaning your sponge might not be making anything better. The study reports that two of the ten dominant bacterias, which are closely related to potentially pathogenic species Chryseobacterium hominis and Moraxella osloensis, showed greater proportions in regularly sanitized sponges.”
Yep, scientists have seen evidence that bacteria has the ability to adapt and become resistant to the cleaning methods that previously killed them. Bubble time yet?
Is there any hope to be had?
One way or another your going to encounter pathogens, and their out for one reason and one reason only – to multiply. Its just a coincidence that the attempt happens to be in your body, their success really depends on the strength of your immune system. If your a healthy eater there’s a good chance that you have a community of “good” gut bacteria and a strong gut lining. This makes it extremely difficult for pathogens you consume to contaminate your bodies castle walls. If you get contaminated through an open wound or your lungs, you’ll have to rely on your immune system to identify and destroy the intruders. How do you build a strong immune system? You know the answer: Fruits, Vegetables, Exercise, Sleep and all that good stuff (see more on strong gut diversity).
Put Yourself in a Position to Win……Don’t wait for shit to hit the fan
