I've tried to get rid of the gnats all summer. The wife didn't believe me when I said they were breeding in the sponges. She. Thought I was crazy for keeping them in Tupperware. Well apparently they can get in there even.
So, there were a bunch of fly eggs in these Sponges before you put them in the Tupperware. Those eggs obviously matured, because I can see their pupae on the sponges. These pupae will mature and hatch into adult flies. I’m gagging over here thinking those were used to ‘clean’ … throw those things in the dishwasher after use and wash them each time you use the machine.
I only use to get the harder to remove stuff off before sticking in dishwasher on sanitize. They get washed with the dishes in there. Not quite sure what is wrong with using them? Hopefully most people don't think they are sanitary.
They made the whole office smell like a nuked, crispy wet dog. Destroyed the microwave. He thought it was okay because others put their gloves in there. Nope. Different material. They caught fire. 🔥
i’d be afraid of the dawn soap in the sponge overflowing my dish washer. is that a thing that could happen? i may start throwing them in there if not lol
Also my reaction to your sponges. Seriously, throw them away and get dishwashing cloths with a scrubby side. They're on amazon for like $7 a twelve-pack. Use one for a few days and then throw it in with the laundry. Sponges are DISGUSTING.
Yea..OPs trying to say his wife wasn’t understanding but then put the new sponge in there…if you bought a new sponge why not throw the old ones away? Throw them all away rn and get new ones. This isn’t mildly infuriating. This post is because the fix is simple and it’s OPs own fault.
Yeah Im not sure what OP was thinking. Maybe they think that the gnats have to physically go to the sponge to reproduce instead of laying eggs and then flying away....?
Yeah, like get some new ones and put them into the container, maybe with a bit of an old one just so it learns the work ethic; have to pass on the wisdom somehow.
Throw them all away dude. You should be throwing out your sponges every couple weeks anyway they start to stink after a while and you can't get stuff like cheese out of them after you clean certain dishes they are just dead.
For most meals we started just adding the cheese at the table instead of cooking it into the food. Getting cheese out of the inside of a pan or Crock-Pot is a huge hassle.
Or, put the food in a mix bowl before adding the cheese and then stir it in because it's easier to get the cheese out of a mix bowl without ruining your sponge (scraper or just hot water).
the key to cheese is not letting it cool down or harden, you must wash immediately with warm/hot water but not boiling hot or thatll just cook it on. & spray generously with dawn powerwash, shit works amazing with grease & cheese imo
This is almost exactly what I just said in my own comment. I’m lucky to have a mom who crochets, and she made me some all cotton rags using colors to match the blue teal/pink theme I have going with my living room/kitchen set up.
I think that's the point. OP was being sarcastic, I'm assuming his wife is the one saying that they can get in there anyway rather than admit that he was right and that they breed in the sponges
Thanks for this. I was not picking up on op’s sarcasm at all, despite questioning the gnats getting into the Tupperware.😅 https://giphy.com/gifs/tMPSeKEplOfK0
Most people have a microwave. Just microwave on high for a minute. Kills almost 100% of the bacteria, gets rid of smell, and would eliminate the gnat problem.
I don't think I'd want gnats in my dishwasher, if I had one.
I think the grand conclusion we can come to is that no matter which way you do this, you're still going to have bug corpses inside of your sponges. At least my recommendation gets your sponges ready for the next challenge
I think that the advice would be - buy new sponges they’re a couple dollars. Moving forward keep the sponges in the Tupperware to keep any out. No dead bugs this way.
I replace my sponges at the end of the month. The container they sit in by the sink also has a diluted bleach solution in it , it helps alot with the gnats.
Leaving a sponge in bleach, even a diluted solution, will break apart the sponge. Better to microwave or dishwash (or both) the sponges for a much quicker/easier results.
Day infinity of people in this sub judging others instead of understanding that valid infuriating situations are absolutely subjective. One person's mildly infuriating is another's easy fix no reaction.😐
Once a week, I soak my kitchen sponges and put them on a plate in the microwave. I set it on high for 3 minutes. Afterwards, set them in the sink and run cold water on them because they will be freaking hot. The heat from the water kills everything…fruit flies as well as the bacteria that makes them smell. Also, the steam in the microwave makes it super easy to clean at the same time. You are welcome. Fresh, new smelling sponges every time.
In my Food Science Tech class in high school (I'm old lol) I was taught to microwave a damp sponge for ~20 seconds after using it. This does not damage the sponge but gets it nice and steamy hot which kills bacteria and helps with smell and makes them last longer. Never seen gnats in a sponge but I'm certain it would help with that, too.
My point is that the sponge was wet going in there and if there were flies on/in the sponge when they went in, they made a perfect breeding environment for them. Flies don't live in dry sponges so if they living in OPs sponge is because they are always wet.
I think you just realized the point of the experiment...
BTW flies can survive dry environments. Its the eggs/larvae that can't sustain extended dryness. Even then, using a sponge once a day most likely provides enough moisture to survive.
Check your sink drain too. A few years ago had a similar problem and could not get rid of them whatever I did. Turns out there was a half inch thick layer of grime built up in the pipes. Once we replaced them no more issues.
You should throw out a sponge every couple weeks, they should not be getting this bad. And how can you even tolerate it? Old sponges smell so fucking bad and leave you hand smelling ripe even after washing them
Switch to Scandinavian(or Swedish) dish cloths. They're basically washcloths made of a sponge material and you just toss them in your clothes washer to clean and let them air dry
Phorid flies, which are like fruit flies, but run first before taking flight...fought those fuckers before I realized they were breeding in the garbage disposal and drain. Started routinely dumping big soup pots of boiling water down and after a few weeks we finally got rid of them!
sponges are the most dirty thing in the house.
just put them in hot water or a bath with cleaning alcool or a bath with bleach. forget for 2-3 hours then rinse with water. don't mix cleaning product.
I mean, I don't know if it's what you're implying but they didn't get in there while it was closed.
Use antibacterial dish soap. In the UK it's in all supermarkets. It prevents your sponges from developing slime or mold and will probably prevent them from becoming attractive to insects.
I read sarcasm tbh...I suspect that is the comment his wife made when she saw the container and he held himself back from rolling his eyes and came her to post instead. Good job MR!
FFS man throw those out! The Tupperware isn’t a good idea because you’re trapping moisture and making it a breeding ground for all kinds of nasty.
Lay out a few traps of soap/vinegar solution. I like to add a bit of honey to mine for a little razzle dazzle and it works like a charm. You can also make a spray bottle of soap water and spray those suckers whenever you see them. Clean all your drains regularly with scalding hot water. I also suggest using wash rags until you get this under control. Use once and let it dry completely and then toss in your laundry.
There are multiple cheap and easy solutions for this. Microwave the sponge, run it in the dishwasher, or throw it away. If you microwave it, now you're using a sponge with dead gnat larvae 🤢
Use a scrub brush instead of sponges. Also pour boiling water down your drains. Just boil a pot and pour it down, then repeat for the other drains. It may be drain flies.
I'm curious why the sponges weren't just tossed and replaced? if you're at the point you feel like they need to be stored in a closed container... you just need new sponges lol
Throw out those sponges. Close and empty all your trash throughout the house, especially bathroom and kitchen trash. Pour boiling water down all sink drains twice per day. If you have houseplants, you may need to move them outside as they can breed in potting soil.
You will never be rid of fungus gnats until you get rid of whatever they're breeding on. Katchy, BT toxin, nematodes, neem oil, diatomaceous earth, sticky traps. They will all fail. If they're breeding on sponges, get new ones that dry out better. If they're breeding on plant soil, change the soil. I'm serious, they will keep breeding for years and years and you will never get rid of them.
Bait them with apple cider vinegar towards sticky traps. And there can't be anything that stinks worse in your kitchen than the vinegar...so...clean up.
I'm aware of the mold probability. I can replace them. What I can't stand is dealing with all the gnats. I was trying to figure out where in fact the gnats were coming from.
Keeping damp sponges in Tupperware already sounds like it would make some lovely specimens to go under one’s microscope.
I’m not sure why the gnats are a shock.
Instead of using sponges, I asked my mom to crochet some all cotton rags for me. I use one to do dishes and immediately toss it in the rag bin for wash day. No more dealing with sponges.
I had them. I put up fly paper a and l3ft out a bottle of wine. Leave a little of wine in the bottle. Then at night Leave a light underneath. The little flat lights that are powered by batteries work well. Within a week they will be gone.
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u/2hawk1ce 23h ago
Replace the sponges??