Dishwasher and microwaves are good for more than just reheating soup or cleaning dishes.
The federal government in the US has found the appliances are also the best at killing harmful bacteria, yeast and mould deposits, reports Journal Now.
When cleaning items that can harbour germs, like the kitchen sponge, it may be best to simply run them through the dishwasher.
Tests were carried out comparing the effectiveness of using the dishwasher, a ten per cent bleach solution, microwaving them and soaking them in lemon juice.
It was found that running them in the microwave for one minute on high and putting them through a full dishwasher cycle killed almost 100 per cent of the germs, said the website.
The bleach solution combated 90 per cent, with the lemon juice knocking just 70 per cent on the head.
However, users should make sure when microwaving the sponge that it is wet, as dry ones can set alight.
Recent advice from the Post Star advised that dishwashers should be cleaned with vinegar and bleach to remove stubborn grease and grime.
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