Yep. I put the sponge in the microwave while cleaning. Anyone experienced with sponges and concerned can sanitize it again.
I would never have guessed that the sponge issue could be such a divide among the host community. The argument of âwhat about using this nice sponge to clean poo from my luggageâ was very convincing and I am definitely of the idea that I would not feel okay in putting a pooped sponged in the microwave or dishwasher and consider it sanitized.
On another account, it is surprising to read that hosts would re-use themselves these potentially contaminated sponges that wonât live enough to see another guest.
This reminds me about an aunt of mine who stayed at my place for 3 weeks and pretended I washed not only whites separately from colored, but also clothing separate from bedding and napery.
The wonderful thing about hosts here is the diversity of opinion. 
In the world of hosting, there is no right and no wrong. We are all different with different hosting styles. Electric kettles and duvets have provided much more controversy. 
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Iâve stayed in over a dozen rentals as a guest, and if I were to ever use the sponge to clean something disgusting, the probability that I could place that sponge back on the counter instead of throwing it in the garbage is ZERO. It goes against every instinct to wipe up something gross and then place it on the counter or near the sink where I (or a family member) might accidentally touch it.
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I agree with this and would not think my adult guests would put it back nasty.
However, I would not trust that children would use this same discretion. I could easily see a child wiping up who knows what with it, and just tossing it back in the sink. âOh the dog peedâŚquick grab that sponge.â
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Hahaha very much so
Laughed out loud at this!
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Haha Yep I am one of those hosts. ! I didnât go into detail but I do sanitize them before I re use them. Nothing wrong with them, I donât waste and like the professional appeal the wrapped sponge provides. They cost less than a dollar and conveys that I am concerned about hygiene.
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I had to read this a few times because I was so utterly disoriented by the idea of a child cleaning something. 
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Exactly that. I sanitise my sponges and microfibre cloths (including the one I use to clean the loo) in the washing machine and then in a bowl of diluted Milton or bleach. I only replace them when they start to break down ⌠generally the microfibres are exceptionally long lasting; sponges last me about 4 or 5 washes.
If You think about it; terry nappies used to be sanitised this way and nobody died.
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Itâs not so much myself who would be grossed out, because I will use the guest sponges if I happen to stay at the rental directly after their stay - And Iâm not using it to clean bird poop. I donât sanitize the sponge at all and will use it wash my dishes. So using it after my guests doesnât bother me at all.
But⌠would a guest renting out a whole home with their own family and children - would they be perfectly okay with being given a âusedâ sponge that the former group used?
Thatâs the reason the comments of not giving new sponges really surprised me. Since I am not a sponge âuserâ (as I use dish cloths at home) - I assumed my guests would immediately toss a used sponge and ask where they can find another one. Actually, I kind of thought the guest might think that housekeeping wasnât detailed because they âforgotâ to replace the sponge.
I would think my guests would wonder if the sponge really was sanitized or if it was just laying in the sink for two days and is now dry.
Does the sponge even look used once it comes out of the washing machine? Or once it dries does it look brand new?
I suppose if you canât tell the difference between a new sponge and used sanitized one, then it wouldnât be an issue at all.
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I would never worry about it being used⌠because you can very clearly see how old a sponge is by looking at it. As long as there was a spare under the sink it wouldnât be an issue for me âŚ
It might be for some though; youâre right about that. If people can find it disgusting to use the same towel twice they can definitely object to used sponges.
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I donât routinely replace the dishwashing pad in my whole apt rental and Iâve had 5 stars for cleanliness in all my reviews. But perhaps whole house rentals are different. When I was in a Hawaii condo for a few nights, there was a new sponge in my âwelcome packâ (which I went out of my way to not use because I only washed 2 glasses by hand). So a new sponge is the routine for some places.
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We provide new sponges, new blue cloths, new TP, new soap, new paper towel roll, new mini shampoos/conditioners/body lotions. Our tea bags are individually wrapped Twinnings tea.
Good point. Iâve been trying to wrap my head around why people apply a different standard to a sponge than to the other cloth items in the rental.
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I think a lot of it is perception.
I have white towels because I perceive that to be clean. I provide new sponges because I perceive that to be cleaner than a used sponge.
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Yes. Very interestingâŚthese cognitive processes. It must be that people donât think that a sponge can be cleaned just like a wash cloth? Iâve seen a lot of people talk about how clean something needs to be in their rental yet they have carpets/rugs, decorative pillows, upholstered furniture items that arenât sanitized after every use. Obviously a clean sponge is inexpensive and easy to provide. Still, itâs fascinating.
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Yes! I didnât realize a sponge could be just as cleaned. While I have heard of people running theirs through the dishwasher or doing the microwave thing, etc. - I was under the impression that it was just helping the sponge extend itâs life, and not that the sponge was basically like âbrand newâ clean.
And then itâs the trust factor of wondering if someone really sanitized it. Since guests typically are expected to have done all of their dishes, many housekeepers will only be unloading the dishwasher and not running it. So the question is did the housekeeper take the time to sanitize it, if the guest didnât add it in the dishwahser? Did she forget and when she was running out of time she said âahhhâŚscrew itâŚtheyâll never know the difference.â
If I decide to even provide sponges when the above garage apt. is ready - I wouldnât see any issues providing used sponges there. There wonât really be much of a kitchen anyway.
I get that. But they trust that the towels are washed. Maybe most households donât wash sponges. I started washing mine when I noticed they would develop a mildew smell.
Iâd rather use a sponge that was most likely used to wash dishes or wipe counters than a towel that just dried someoneâs not so clean hands or a washcloth that washed someoneâs private parts.
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This is so funny. Sponges from the store are not particularly sterile. They are made in nasty and dirty factories and then packaged to look pristine. If you really want to go nuts, maybe sponges should be cleaned before they are used. I mean, I would never wear a piece of clothing just purchased without washing for exactly these reasons.
Or, we can all acknowledge that the world is not a clean place, and we are making ourselves sick by trying to remove all bacteria from our environments. Dig in the dirt. Play with some worms.
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I think thereâs one level of mediation with the sponge â the towel touches our bodies directly while the sponge cleans an object that holds food or drink. If I washed my face with a sponge, I would expect a brand new sponge. The only way to know that the dishes and glasses are properly cleaned (sometimes theyâre filthy in apt rentals, I donât know why) would be to load the dishwasher with dishes, glasses and utensils when we arrive.
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