The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in a home and also the one that requires the most maintenance. It contains such essential appliances as the washing machine, where traces of waste and moisture tend to accumulate, causing a musty smell. Something that can also happen with a small element present in every house: the scouring pad.
Over time and use, this tool tends to accumulate both liquid soap and food residue. This mixture of components, added to the humidity, causes not only a musty smell, but also the proliferation of fungi and mold. But this can be avoided with a simple trick: put the scouring pad inside the microwave.
According to experts, most of the time when a persistent musty smell appears in the kitchen, it is not only due to appliances such as the washing machine or dishwasher, but also to the accumulation of residue on the scouring pad. To solve it, there is a simple homemade trick for which you will only need a microwave, a bowl and this cleaning item.
This is how the microwave and scouring pad trick works
Apart from trying to dry the scouring pad by wringing it out after each use and removing any food residue that may be accumulated on the surface, there is not much that can be done to prevent residue and moisture from penetrating inside. However, it does exist an effective method to disinfect itextend its useful life and improve kitchen hygiene.
To carry out this homemade trick you only need moisten the scouring pad and put it in a bowl with water. This should be placed in the microwave, start a program of at least two minutes and let the heat take care of eliminating bacteria and fungi that may have accumulated due to humidity.
Beyond its usefulness for heating food, the microwave can be very useful for sanitizing some kitchen items such as cloths, sponges or scouring pads. However, These types of practices should be done with caution.to prevent it from damaging the operation of the appliance or, directly, starting a fire.
The following precautions must be taken into account
First of all, it will be important to take into account the material from which the cleaning tool is made. Both scouring pads and sponges and cloths must be completely free of metallic elements. This is because sparks, electric arcs, and even a fire can occur.
On the other hand, these elements They must be completely moistsince these utensils are usually made with synthetic materials or cellulose that, when overheated quickly, can burn. Something that can be avoided with a little humidity.
However, this is not the only purpose of water. Placing it in a container with a little water will cause steam to be generated inside the microwave and this will penetrate the depth of its fibers, which will make it more effective. disinfecting large amounts of bacteria and germseven more effective than some chemical products.
How often should the scouring pad be changed?
Although this trick can extend the useful life of different cleaning utensils used in the kitchen, the truth is that they must be changed frequently to guarantee hygiene and a good smell in the home. The scouring pad, specifically, is one of the elements that remains the most exposed to the proliferation of bacteria due to its direct contact with food remains and humidity.
Therefore, the most recommended thing by experts is to change kitchen sponges and scouring pads. every 1 or 2 weeks. However, this period is approximate, since if they begin to emit a bad smell, change color or are sticky, it is a sign that they must be replaced immediately. To prevent these signs from appearing sooner than expected, it is important to rinse and drain it after each use and leave it in a ventilated place where it can dry properly.