Why You Should Throw A Kitchen Sponge In Your Fridge's Produce Drawer

Keeping your fruits and vegetables fresh for days in the fridge can be tricky. You purchase produce to last you a week or two, but sometimes they only last a few days in the refrigerator. When there's too much humidity in the drawers or circulating throughout the fridge, it can make your fruits and veggies ripen quicker, eventually leading them to be non-consumable. A few viral hacks have been known to make produce last longer, such as transferring them to Tupperware or lining your produce drawers with paper towels to soak up the moisture. However, an easier way to keep your produce fresh longer is with a kitchen sponge – which helps soak up the humidity in the drawers.

Instead of using bulky containers to hold your produce and take up space, dishwashing sponges are an excellent alternative. You won't need to worry about reaching into your produce drawer and being met with squishy zucchini or lemons. And, you'll be able to hold off on buying new produce every week since your fruits and veggies should stay fresh for longer.

Kitchen sponges are made to soak up water and easily wash dishes and clean counters, but when they're dry and resting in a humid area, they'll absorb the moisture in the air. When sponges are put in produce drawers with a lot of humidity, they'll soak up the moisture to prevent the fruits and vegetables from spoiling. You can use up to three sponges, depending on how full the drawer is with produce, but ensure they're always dry. Line the sponges at the bottom of the drawer under the fruits and veggies.

It's vital to switch out your sponges every 10 to 15 days. If they stay in the produce drawers for too long, the sponges can start getting moldy with the water they hold without being washed. You can disinfect your sponges by putting them on high for a minute in the microwave  – ensure the sponge is wet as it could catch fire if it's dry. Leave the sponge to cool before taking it out of the microwave, and you're ready to reuse it for cleaning the counters, washing the dishes, or putting it back in the produce drawer.