Polyurethane Foam Repels Disease-Causing E. coli Bacteria

Research Shows Polyurethane Kitchen Sponges Remove Disease-Causing E. coli Bacteria

Research conducted by Dr. Charles Gerba demonstrates that fecal bacteria E. coli levels in polyurethane sponges are consistently 99.9% lower than in cellulose sponges. FXI announced a groundbreaking study conducted by Charles P. Gerba, a recognized professor of Microbiology and Environmental Sciences at the University of Arizona, showing that the use of kitchen sponges made from polyurethane foam significantly reduces the spread of E. coli bacteria by reducing infection risk by up to 90% compared with traditional cellulose sponges. According to the study, fecal bacteria E. coli levels after one month of home use were consistently 99% lower in polyurethane sponges compared to cellulose sponges. The study, financed by FXI, was published as a peer-reviewed article in Food Protection Trends journal and demonstrates that polyurethane sponge use offers numerous advantages over cellulose sponge use, which Dr. Gerba found in earlier research to be 200,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat cover. According to Dr. Gerba's latest study, cellulose sponges become extremely dirty with millions of bacteria within just two to three days of first use. Polyurethane sponges are much more resistant to contamination, and after an average of 28 days, polyurethane sponges showed 100 times less E. coli bacteria than cellulose sponges.