NationStates Jolt Archive

I always thought they were able to do so, but now I have proof. Just two minutes on high and a soaked sponge will be 99% bacteria free.

Link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20070122/sc_livescience/studymicrowaveskillkitchengerms)

Sponges and kitchen scrub brushes can be loaded with disease-causing viruses and bacteria.

So microwave them, scientists say.

Researchers soaked sponges and scrubbers in a disgusting brew of raw wastewater containing fecal bacteria, viruses, protozoan parasites and bacterial spores, including Bacillus cereus spores—known for being very hard to kill with heat, chemicals and even radiation.

Zapping at full power for two minutes killed or inactivated 99 percent of living pathogens. It took 4 minutes to destroy the B. cereus spores.

“People often put their sponges and scrubbers in the dishwasher, but if they really want to decontaminate them and not just clean them, they should use the microwave," said Gabriel Bitton, a professor of environmental engineering at the University of Florida.

The study was announced today and was detailed in the December issue of the Journal of Environmental Health.

Other studies have shown that sponges and dishcloths are common carriers of pathogens from uncooked eggs, meat and other food. Damp objects help them thrive.

The researchers suggest wetting the objects—water being heated by the microwave seems to play a role in the sterilization—before zapping them every other day or so.

Now if only you could put metal in safely...well actually doesn't solid metal just heat up? And plastic also...they say it makes dioxins or something, but I still put plastic in if necessary for under 30 seconds.

EDIT: I forgot to add that ours just broke and we got a new one. Anyone know if I can take apart the old one...safely?

I take it this from the lab that investigates the bleeding obvious.

My gran told me this years ago. Every week she'd soak her wash cloths in Jif, wash them and then microwave them for a couple of minutes. She always said it killed off the bacteria and made them last longer.

I also already knew this, my grandmother would make us microwave the dish rags every night after dinner dishes.

*waits for someone to put a Brillo pad into their microwave.* :D

might be dangerous... make sure its off first... it might help for your survival.

*waits for someone to put a Brillo pad into their microwave.* :D

If I had a spare microwave oven...Anyone know if its safe to take apart a microwave oven?

If I had a spare microwave oven...Anyone know if its safe to take apart a microwave oven?
it would have to be off for a decent while(days), they normally have gigantic capacitors in them

If I had a spare microwave oven...Anyone know if its safe to take apart a microwave oven?

Ah, for once I seem useful.

I assume the microwave is off and unplugged.

Before you do much to it, remove the casing and remove the power supply (The cord and motor etc.). Make sure your model doesn't use any batteries (From my understanding, most don't).

Nothing in it is overly dangerous, it's mainly a matter of common sense.

If your microwave doesn't work because it thinks the door is open, You can jerry rig it so that it thinks it's always closed, this however poses the danger of it being able to run with the door open, decidedly not good.

*waits for someone to put a Brillo pad into their microwave.* :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQOwspioFtQ

(I can't watch this at school, cause media player ain't installed on the pcs, so can't guarantee it really is a brillo pad in a microwave. Is it?)

it would have to be off for a decent while(days), they normally have gigantic capacitors in them

Oooh, I never thought about the capacitors having to discharge, anyone feel like checking what the minimum time for safety would be?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQOwspioFtQ

(I can't watch this at school, cause media player ain't installed on the pcs, so can't guarantee it really is a brillo pad in a microwave. Is it?)

70 seconds of sweet fanny adams, then it sparking and arcing in really poor quality.

If you're at school, as if you can hook up a generator to steel wool. That's what we did when we had science (Man, that brings back memories)

I always thought they were able to do so, but now I have proof. Just two minutes on high and a soaked sponge will be 99% bacteria free.

Link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20070122/sc_livescience/studymicrowaveskillkitchengerms)



Now if only you could put metal in safely...well actually doesn't solid metal just heat up? And plastic also...they say it makes dioxins or something, but I still put plastic in if necessary for under 30 seconds.

EDIT: I forgot to add that ours just broke and we got a new one. Anyone know if I can take apart the old one...safely?

The reason you can't put metal in a microwave isn't that it "heats up" (it doesn't...or at least not as a direct result of the microwave, which really only heats water by vibrating the molecules...). Metal, when subjected to a high-power microwave (or any other electromagnetic) field, will end up having a current induced in it. Essentially, a large amount of electricity flows through the metal. This causes it to spark, heat, melt, and do all those other fun things that metal does in a microwave. Don't put metal in there unless you're prepared to deal with the consequences (destroying the metal object, and possibly wrecking your microwave...or burning your house down).

A microwave is exactly as safe to take apart as any other household electric appliance. Mind the cautions previously posted about unplugging and waiting a while for any capacitors to discharge--I made the latter mistake once and received an extremely nasty (but not terribly damaging) shock from an old computer.

Oooh, I never thought about the capacitors having to discharge, anyone feel like checking what the minimum time for safety would be?
depends on the capacitance, voltage and the resistance of the air between the terminals. if you know those, it's just a simple formula. you can just use a piece of metal to do it, just keep your eyes and skin shielded from sparks
EDIT: HOW DID THIS POST MANAGE TO END UP BEFORE MY PREVIOUS ONE?

Oooh, I never thought about the capacitors having to discharge, anyone feel like checking what the minimum time for safety would be?
hang on, I'll check.

.....zzzzzzzzzppppp.....arggggghhh!!!!!

hmmm...more than 1 minute.

I'll try again in 10. As soon as my hair stops sizzling.

1. it's not a good idea to run it with the door open - if you do, you're likely to damage something or hurt someone
2. if you do open it, it'd be worthwhile to have a grounded wire to touch up against anything you may suspect can hold charge - microwaves can contain high voltages and maintain them for a while so it's better to err on the side of caution

Yeah, door open is bad. Only reason you would do that, is near an airport facing upwards, it shows up on radar as being an object from sea level, to as high as they can count, increasing in size as it goes up.

And I'm not going to argue about grounding it, better safe then sorry, personally I'd only use an old one. (Old, see: a month or so)


LETS DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN!
But srsly, that's the first time for me. Awesome.

Ah, for once I seem useful.

I assume the microwave is off and unplugged.

Before you do much to it, remove the casing and remove the power supply (The cord and motor etc.). Make sure your model doesn't use any batteries (From my understanding, most don't).

Nothing in it is overly dangerous, it's mainly a matter of common sense.

If your microwave doesn't work because it thinks the door is open, You can jerry rig it so that it thinks it's always closed, this however poses the danger of it being able to run with the door open, decidedly not good.
1. it's not a good idea to run it with the door open - if you do, you're likely to damage something or hurt someone
2. if you do open it, it'd be worthwhile to have a grounded wire to touch up against anything you may suspect can hold charge - microwaves can contain high voltages and maintain them for a while so it's better to err on the side of caution

depends on the capacitance, voltage and the resistance of the air between the terminals. if you know those, it's just a simple formula. you can just use a piece of metal to do it, just keep your eyes and skin shielded from sparks
EDIT: HOW DID THIS POST MANAGE TO END UP BEFORE MY PREVIOUS ONE?

I understand how people's posts can be before others, An issue with server times. But your later post came before an earlier one? I'm not sure how that works, unless you managed to use seperate servers.

I understand how people's posts can be before others, An issue with server times. But your later post came before an earlier one? I'm not sure how that works, unless you managed to use seperate servers.

its a 4 minute difference, so any multiple post within that 4 minute time frame will appear before the others.

its a 4 minute difference, so any multiple post within that 4 minute time frame will appear before the others.

Yes, but how did one of his get before an earlier one of his/hers (Never asked :()? Surely he would only be going through the one server?

Yes, but how did one of his get before an earlier one of his/hers (Never asked :()? Surely he would only be going through the one server?
the server that dispatches my request is most likely assigned via which one has more work to perform.
and i'm a guy

Yes, but how did one of his get before an earlier one of his/hers (Never asked :()? Surely he would only be going through the one server?

that's how good Murderous maniacs is. :cool:

Write Mythbusters. They did a whole slew of microwave myths and at the end they took apart half a dozen of the most powerful microwaves they could find and tried to make a ghetto open-air uber microwave, which was useless because the waves just went in all directions instead of focusing.

the server that dispatches my request is most likely assigned via which one has more work to perform.
and i'm a guy

Sounds fair enough to me, and Hey, me too :).

Write Mythbusters. They did a whole slew of microwave myths and at the end they took apart half a dozen of the most powerful microwaves they could find and tried to make a ghetto open-air uber microwave, which was useless because the waves just went in all directions instead of focusing.

Yep, it makes sense that microwaves follow the same rules that other waves do, still, owned to them for failing, surely there's a way to fix that, maybe using tubes, and multiple facing inwards to a central point with teh tubes.

they'll probably say DON'T DO IT!!! - which is what they'd have to say in order to keep their arses in one piece.
that and the fact that the microwaves that they used had probably been off for a while.
the reason why microwaves are metal is that it reflects the microwave energy until it gets absorbed by the food

And even then, the metal is coated to make it especially reflective. Yeah, it's complex stuff.

Write Mythbusters. They did a whole slew of microwave myths and at the end they took apart half a dozen of the most powerful microwaves they could find and tried to make a ghetto open-air uber microwave, which was useless because the waves just went in all directions instead of focusing.
they'll probably say DON'T DO IT!!! - which is what they'd have to say in order to keep their arses in one piece.
that and the fact that the microwaves that they used had probably been off for a while.
the reason why microwaves are metal is that it reflects the microwave energy until it gets absorbed by the food

So if I can convince my mom to keep it for a few weeks, I can open it some day...or maybe I'll just ask Mythbusters if they want an old microwave. It's the least I could do. I could put my name on it and maybe they'll show my name on TV...maybe that's not such a good idea...

I'd just squirrle it away if I were you, and be careful when doing anything to it. However I'd be just as careful with a TV, or computer.

So if I can convince my mom to keep it for a few weeks, I can open it some day...or maybe I'll just ask Mythbusters if they want an old microwave. It's the least I could do. I could put my name on it and maybe they'll show my name on TV...maybe that's not such a good idea...

I have some plates that had gold inlay... put it in the micro to heat up some food... sparks galore! took the plate out and... well I did say it HAD gold inlay...:p

Didn't your mother teach you to never put metal in a microwave. I've never microwaved metal, however I did manage to simultaneously kill a microwave, a plate, and a muffin at the same time (Split muffin, not choc, so I didn't miss out on too much)

And even then, the metal is coated to make it especially reflective. Yeah, it's complex stuff.

I have some plates that had gold inlay... put it in the micro to heat up some food... sparks galore! took the plate out and... well I did say it HAD gold inlay...:p

One of my friends in high school told me that if you fold a paper match in half, put a paper plate over it, and microwave it for several minutes, it would explode. Of course, said friend told me quite a few things...

Unlit matches do pretty freaky stuff in microwaves. So I'd be inclined to agree with him, if you are willing to allow for possible exageration.

One of my friends in high school told me that if you fold a paper match in half, put a paper plate over it, and microwave it for several minutes, it would explode. Of course, said friend told me quite a few things...

Didn't your mother teach you to never put metal in a microwave. I've never microwaved metal, however I did manage to simultaneously kill a microwave, a plate, and a muffin at the same time (Split muffin, not choc, so I didn't miss out on too much)
putting metal in the microwave isn't always that dangerous. we often leave spoons and forks in bowls of food which we put in the microwave. the only thing to be careful about is if it touches the side of the microwave - our old one had a nice long burn mark down the inside from a spoon

If I had a spare microwave oven...Anyone know if its safe to take apart a microwave oven?

Yes watch the caps but the magnetron is only dangerous when powered up

I have some plates that had gold inlay... put it in the micro to heat up some food... sparks galore! took the plate out and... well I did say it HAD gold inlay...:p

I did that once, but I didn't know it had metal. I thought the shiny stuff was some paint ro I didn't think about it. Was kind of cool for the 5 seconds until I pushed the open button scared of potential issues...

This is good news. Now I can finally get my bacteria ridden pipe bombs clean.

Microwaving fun!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCwhkMDuaqk

Do you have any overstock?I mailed the last few to Tom Delays house, sorry.

This is good news. Now I can finally get my bacteria ridden pipe bombs clean.

Do you have any overstock?

Oh for the love of...of COURSE metal is safe in the microwave! Only if the metal touches both sides of the interior will there be problems, and then the absolute worst problem is just the microwave catching fire. The second worst being shorting it out and rendering it useless. So long as the metal doesn't touch both sides of the microwave, you're fine. Really. There's actually some metal in many things you microwave anyway. Ever microwaved a tea bag to help it brew? Tea bags usually use a tiny little metal piece to hold the string of the bag to that little piece of paper on it.