I despise sponges. Can I clean the bathroom with paper towels?

Question

Sponges carry the most bacteria out of anything in your kitchen or bathroom, I read once.... so why do we clean with them? Can't I use paper towels instead?

Answer 1

Well you can use paper towels but that wastes not only your money but paper. Your best bet is clean out the sponge thoroughly and place it in the microwave to cook out the bacteria it only goes in for 10-15 seconds and it kills all the bacteria inside. we also clean our sponges in the dishwasher. But since you are cleaning a bathroom might I suggest making rags? We use cut up old towels and then toss them in the wash and they come out nice and clean.

Good luck. Oh and the best cleaning product I have used to date is Mean Green. I get it from the dollar store and it works better than some of the other cleaning supplies at pricier stores.

Answer 2

You'll get frustrated when the paper towel shreds into lint after only a few swipes.

You can get sponges at a "dollar store" for, literally, a dollar a dozen. You'll certainly use more than eight cents' worth of paper towels to clean a bathroom.

Use a sponge once, then throw it out. What's to despise, if it goes in the trash when you're done with it?

Answer 3

Clorox makes some great products for cleaning your bathroom and the best part is that you throw the mess away when you are done. You can get the toilet wand and the shower scrubber. With the toilet wand you scrub the toilet out and throw the scrubber away when you are done. With the shower scrubber, you have scrubbing pads that attach to the end of an adjustable pole type thing (so you can reach everything). You can scrub the shower with it without breaking your back to do it, and then you can use it to clean the sink and the floors. When you're done, you just throw away the scrubbing pad. I'm sure you've seen these on TV. I've tried them both and I like them a lot. The only problem is that they can get spendy over time when you keep buying the pads for them.
Someone else mentioned making some rags. That's what I do too. Then I just wash them in hot water with bleach periodically to get rid of the germs.

Answer 4

You can clean your bathroom with anything you please. Sponges are nasty-for sure. I did read something about microwaving them for 30 sec to kill the bacteria and I do that on a regular basis-along with bleach. Paper towels are the best thing to use because you throw them away when you're done. I bought-on sale-a bucket full of cleaning items just to sample them and I needed the bucket. It had the clorox cleaning towelettes in it. I like them because they go far but they are ridiculously expensive for the amount I use. I just buy lots of Clorox cleanup and use it everywhere all the time. You can tell I do because of the bleach marks on the clothes I wear to clean. Sam's also has OdoBan which I use because I do a lot of animal rescue and it cleans up, disinfects, and removes odors.

Answer 5

Sponges are able to do more scrubbing than paper towels, which tend to soften and break apart when soaked. I doubt you can do a really good job with paper towels.

You know you can run a sponge through the hot-water-and-bleach load in your washing machine along with your whites, right? And through the dishwasher and its sanitizing dry cycle? Either one kills the bacteria.

You can also invest in washable rags. Buy a package of cloth diapers or plain white towels and cut them up into usable sizes, and launder them after each use.

Be aware, too, that by killing all the bacteria in bathrooms and kitchens, you're depriving yourself and your family of the opportunity to have a strong immune system, able to defeat bacterial invasions easily because it does it routinely.

There's no need to kill bacteria as a part of normal bathroom and kitchen cleaning. Save it for food preparation surfaces.

Answer 6

You could, in theory use Bounty, which can be used over and over again once you clean them. But you can also just throw the sponge in with a load of dishes, and while it cleans you can do another household chore or or something.

But cleaning with a paper towel can get a little messy, I've found.

Answer 7

I like paper towels the best, but they are expensive and sometimes wasteful. I also use sponges often in the kitchen and I bleach or microwave them after use. Cloths are good for dusting and cleaning glass.

Answer 8

Funny you should ask. I hate sponges as well. I can clean my countertops, sink, metal pieces (faucet, drain, etc.), mirrors and windows with papertowels. I have found that Mr Clean's White Eraser (similar to a sponge) does an outstanding job of cleaning the tub and built on stains around the shower head. I suggest buying the White Eraser (2 pk) using it once and disposing of it after the use.

Also, if you have set on Lime and Chlorine build up...WD-40 removes all of that and soap scum in the shower. Great on glass doors and shower parts. GOOD LUCK!

Answer 9

I used a cloth or sponge for the basin and tops. Use the paper towels just for cleaning the toilet. That way you will not use as much and you will feel happier about not spreading germs. Though remember there is usually more germs on your fridge handle than on your toilet seat. Happy cleaning.

Answer 10

When I use a sponge for cleaning the bathroom I only use it ones, then it gets washed .