UV Sponge Holder

This idea is actually inspired by yesterday's post (and a conversation I had a few days ago).

One of the filthiest places in the kitchen is the sponge. Sponges remain damp and cool after use, making them the perfect breeding place for bacteria. Not only do they tend to be filled with bacteria but a lot of the bacteria can be potentially dangerous bacteria.

This idea is for a small tray designed to hold the sponge when not in use. The tray would have a lid, that when closed would make the tray enter into a cleaning sequence. Two things would occur in this sequence.

1) The sponge would be bathed in UV light to try to kill bacteria on the surface of the sponge. While the UV light would not be able to sterilize the core of the sponge the less bacteria on the sponge the better.

2) The holder would heat up and 'bake' the sponge. The temperatures would not increase too high to avoid being a safety hazard, but they would increase enough to allow the sponge to dry out faster. The less time a sponge is sitting around wet, the less time it is serving as a fertile breeding ground.

Now a simpler answer is to throw out your sponges and replace them regularly. However, this tends to happen once the sponge begins to look nasty. Well, by the time it takes on a grimy and filthy appearance it has already been spreading germs for some time.

Once again, rather than trying to change human behavior, it is easier to adapt technology to behavior. If sponges are going to be sitting around, they might as well be getting cleaned.