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You may have a bacteria breeding ground right under your nose.
That's right.
One of our most common cleaning aids, the kitchen sponge, has
been found, now get this - to be 200,000 times dirtier than a
toilet seat!
Fortunately there's a way to lessen the bacteria battle in
your kitchen, and throughout your home.
As our next guest is about to demonstrate, helping us clean up
our acts and our kitchen this morning, is Eric Phillips, brand
manager for Armaly Brands, Brillo.
Yay, it's so great to have you in our kitchen.
Julie, thank you so much for having me.
It's wonderful to be here.
Oh my gosh, 200,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat?
I can't believe that.
That is just shocking.
It is shocking.
So many people are unaware that the dirtiest thing in their
household is their kitchen sponge.
That just, to me, when that statistic came out I'm like, oh
thank goodness you're on the show today, because you've got
to help us all out.
I mean can you really clean the average kitchen sponge?
There's a lot of ways people try to clean the average kitchen
sponge, yes, and I say try, because none of them really get
the kitchen sponge clean.
So, they'll take the sponge and put it in their dishwasher, or
put it in the microwave, but it doesn't kill all of the
bacteria.
Bacteria that are left on there will double every 20 minutes.
Oh my gosh!
4 bacteria that are left on there will turn into 4 billion
in a matter of 24 hours.
Thats crazy.
It truly is.
Are all sponges created equal?
No.
You know, all sponges are not created equal.
There is really two types of sponges that your normal
consumer would think of, and that is our Estracell that we
produce at Brillo, and then the cellulose sponge, and this is
really what most people have under their sink or sitting next
to their sink.
Yeah, I do.
This is a paper based product.
It's a giant paper towel.
Paper is an organic compound.
That's what bacteria eats.
So, when these sponges get wet, and are left in dark spaces
under the sink, or next to your sink, the bacteria multiplies.
And I'm sure you've pulled your sponge out and you've taken that
smell?
Yeah.
That's the bacteria multiplying.
Oh my gosh.
So, at Brillo, we've come up with our Estracell material,
which is a more sanitary sponge material.
It's a polyester resin, proprietary blend, that is
non-organic, meaning the bacteria cannot survive on the
surface, or eat the surfaces of our sponges.
That's amazing!
Do you know what I love also, the shape.
You've got several.
I love this, I can get right in there with that.
That's our wedge-edge cut on our sponge.
We really look at the sponge as a tool for the home owner.
It helps around the kitchen and in the whole house.
So, anytime we can make a little modification, make it easier for
use, that's what we're looking to do.
Perfect.
So, these sponges don't really support bacterial growth, is
that right?
That is correct.
We've had these sponges independently tested, and
they've verified that the Estracell material will not
harbor bacteria and the bacteria cannot grow on it.
So that, along with the way we manufacture these sponges, which
allows them to rinse more clean than a cellulose sponge, and dry
faster, prevents that breeding ground for bacteria.
Now, you're website says that using these sponges can actually
help us save money on cleaning agents.
Explain that to me.
The sponge can really be used in place of paper towel, or say a
dish cloth, we know you can run through a lot of paper towel in
an average week, so by just simply using the sponge instead,
you're really saving quite a lot of money in the long run.
That's so good.
Now, I love that you brought another product here, another
one of your products I've got to heave you tell me about.
I'm in love with this.
This is a product that I'm really excited about at Brillo.
It's our Brillo Sweep and mop.
Okay.
And it is a 3-in-1 cleaner, so it allows you to dust your
floors.
We have a pre-moistened wet pad, that allows you to pick up those
quick spills.
You know, if you really need a quick touch up before people
come over to the house - Right.
- it's perfect for that.
So perfect.
And really exciting are the deep cleaning pads -
Okay. - that allow you to use your own
cleaning solutions.
We know it's very important.
People like to - Have their own.
-have their own.
Exactly.
That's it.
That's so easy.
I love that.
I want you to just pull the corner.
I love that.
Very simple to release.
Throw it away.
You don't have to get your hands in there, mess around with it.
Then, when you're done, it simply stands on its own.
Perfect.
Alright, any final sponge care don'ts?
Certainly.
You want to make sure that people don't hold on to their
sponges for too long.
Ha, you mean like six or seven years?
Absolutely.
Make sure that when they're worn out, they throw them out.
People hold on to their sponges just too long.
Will you come over and tell my mother that?
I would be happy to.
Absolutely.
Thanks so much for coming in.
It's so great.
I love these tips.
Thank you so much for having us.
It's been great to be here.
Alright, if you'd like to learn more and find out about cleaning
tips from the kitchen to the bathroom and beyond, visit us at
TheBalancingAct.com or share some of your own cleaning tips.
Spread the info, not the bacteria, log onto
Facebook.com/TheBalancingActFans Yeah, this one is really great.
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