What is absolutely the dirtiest, most bacteria-ridden thing in your home? According to Dr. Philip M. Tierno, Jr., Ph.D of New York University Medical Center the single dirtiest thing in any home is the kitchen sponge.

According to Dr. Tierno, the dirtiest room is not the bathroom, as I would have expected. "The dirtiest room is the kitchen, the dirtiest spot is the sink, and the worst culprits are the sponge or dish towel. Bacteria colonies with a total population exceeding 50 million can live on a single dirty sponge. And that's what you use to wipe down countertops, forks and drinking glasses. Blecch."

It seems that the best thing to do is to stay away from kitchen sponges and towels completely. Air dry the dishes, and use paper towels to dry your hands and to wipe counters.  Don't ever use the dish rag or towel to wipe anyone's face or hands.

If you really want to cut down on paper products, then use dish cloths instead of sponges (lots of them, not just one fresh one every couple of days) and wash them with hot water and bleach.

If you're really hooked on your sponge, soak it in a bleach and water solution (1 oz. of bleach to a quart of water) after each use. Or boil it for three minutes. Apparently microwaves have "dead" spots and aren't all that reliable. And the water in the dishwasher is rarely hot enough to kill bacteria.