Throw A Kitchen Sponge In Your Fridge's Produce Drawer And Thank Us Later

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Kitchen sponges are a super useful cleaning tool for washing dishes. You can even cut your sponges in half with scissors for double the usage and money savings. If you only use them for cleaning, though, you're missing out. These sponges can remove sweater fuzz balls, make kid-friendly crafts, and pad valuables during storage or transport. You can even put them in your produce drawer to keep your fruits and veggies fresher for longer.

Kitchen sponges work just like the refrigerator sponge mats that you might have seen online, soaking up excess moisture from the air in a range of temperatures. Moisture control is important because humidity and temperature are two factors that affect how long your produce stays fresh. Leafy greens, root vegetables, apples, and pears are just a few foods that are best kept at lower temperatures, so storing them in your refrigerator's crisper drawers is ideal. These special drawers are designed to maintain optimal humidity levels specifically for fruits and vegetables because excess moisture speeds up spoilage.

That said, dampness can still accumulate from moisture-producing items, from a hot outside environment, or when the door opens frequently (or doesn't shut all the way). Placing a dry sponge in your refrigerator drawer with produce will absorb any extra moisture, thereby keeping the space fresh and reducing waste. Best of all, you don't need a special kind of sponge. This nine-pack of Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Sponges, available for under $10 on Amazon, will do the trick nicely, and you'll have more to use however you wish.

Along with putting a kitchen sponge in your crisper drawer, try placing one or two on any shelf in your fridge to keep moisture under control. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that sponges are one of the kitchen tools you should be replacing more often than you realize. They can accumulate millions of bacteria, which can lead to bad odor over time. To avoid this, change them out every few days. You don't have to throw them away, though. A dishwasher is all you need to deep-clean your kitchen sponges and use them again once they dry out.

While simply placing a kitchen sponge in your fridge drawer with your produce or on a shelf will give you results, you can also add salt for extra dehumidifying power, as this ingredient also absorbs moisture. Just cut into the side of the sponge with scissors or a knife to create a small hole, then pour salt inside. If you want additional benefits from putting a sponge in your refrigerator, add baking soda on top of it. Baking soda is one of the guaranteed ways to remove fridge odors for good, so with this method, you're combining moisture control and odor control for long-lasting produce and a fresh-smelling refrigerator. These techniques are so cheap and easy that we wouldn't blame you if you used them in other places around your home, too, such as the bathroom.