Sometimes I am astounded by how stupid everyday normal people can be. I mean really. Yesterday an article on CNN.com appeared entitled "Microwave zaps germs on sponges, study finds." The article outlined an experiment in which microwaving a kitchen sponge dipped in sewage killed the bacteria and how in every day life, microwaving your kitchen sponges on high heat for 2 minutes would sterilize them. Great, I thought! I usually put them in the dishwasher, but if microwaving them is better, then I will do that.

Well apparently lots of people decided to try it right away. No one wants a germy sponge. So today on CNN.com appeared another article entitled "Microwave experiments cause sponge disasters." Apparently the average American ignoramus can't figure out that you had better wet the sponge before microwaving it. Here is a quote from a respondant:

"Just wanted you to know that your article on microwaving sponges and scrubbers aroused my interest. However, when I put my sponge/scrubber into the microwave, it caught fire, smoked up the house, ruined my microwave, and pissed me off," one correspondent wrote in an e-mail to Reuters." (I think the best part is the 'pissed me off' part, hee hee.)

So now CNN has put out this caution:

"The university issued the following advisory: "To guard against the risk of fire, people who wish to sterilize their sponges at home must ensure the sponge is completely wet. Two minutes of microwaving is sufficient for most sterilization. Sponges should also have no metallic content. Last, people should be careful when removing the sponge from the microwave as it will be hot."

Notice how they tagged the 'careful sponge will be hot' warning on the end of this. They must have figured the same geniuses who microwaved a dry sponge (Paris Hilton) would not realize that said sponge might be hot.

Geez...why are people so dumb?

Here are links to the articles in case anyone wants to read them.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/01/22/germs.sponges.reut/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/01/24/germs.sponges.reut/index.html