A sponge next to the kitchen sink is its own ecosystem full of bacteria, good and bad, especially for people with weakened immune systems. There is little you can do about it, according to a study that went viral after it was published earlier this month. The "keep putting the sponge in the microwave" trick doesn't work. It needs to be washed with bleach and soap every day for it to be useful.

Finally,we recommend a not-so-helpful trick to cut your losses and throw away your sponge once a week. But we think there must be some better long-lasting alternative. So Solveig Langsrud, a senior scientist at Nofima in Norway, who studies microbial communities during food production and preparation to improve food quality and safety. Solveig also coordinates the SafeConsume project with partners in 14 European countries to help consumers prepare food more safely. Below, Langsrud offers tips on using tools and techniques to reduce germs in the kitchen.

Before going into a full breakdown of dishwashing brushes, Langsrud made sure to mention that no one has actually compared silicone scrubber brush to sponges in peer-reviewed scientific studies, so it's hard to make a science-based recommendation here. But “we just need to use common sense,” Solveig said. “The beauty of the silicone brush is that you don't have to dip your hands in warm water, so we can use a higher temperature than a sponge. Bacteria will not get on your hands from the dishwashing brush. It's also easier to clean. After that, you can throw it in the dishwasher."

“When wiping tables, use a silicone brush instead of a sponge or cotton rag ,” advises Langsrud. But how do you choose fabric? "You want to choose something that dries quickly, not thick cotton." As a general note, Solveig adds, it's always best to choose kitchen products that dry quickly because "most bacteria can't stand drying. They die during the drying process." So if you don't want to use disinfectants, we think drying is just as effective. Simply hanging something to dry kills about 99% of germs."