structural:scholar_edition, linguistic:voice_change, structural:summarization
Use in cleaning kitchen sponges

Studies have investigated the use of the microwave oven to clean non-metallic domestic sponges which have been thoroughly wetted. A 2006 study found that microwaving wet sponges for 2 minutes (at 1 000 Watt power) removed 99% of coliforms, E. coli, and MS2 phages. Bacillus cereus spores were killed at 4 minutes of microwaving.

A 2017 study was less affirmative: About 60% of the germs were killed but the remaining ones quickly re-colonized the sponge.