Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook is a staple for anyone wanting to be a homemaker. But one TikToker has uncovered what may well be the book’s most bizarre rule.
In a video that has garnered 1.8 million views, retired news anchor @thatnewslady started by addressing the camera directly.
“So apparently I have been cleaning dishes wrong my entire life,” she began, “Here’s why.” She then referred viewers to “the gospel of Martha Stewart”—or, in other words, Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook.
It was in this book that Stewart dropped a bombshell: You should never wash dishes with a sponge. According to @thatnewslady, Stewart seems rather “snooty” about it—which, given that she isn’t known for being a nice celebrity and has never ordered takeout, kind of tracks.
Instead, it is apparently recommended that you use “terry dishrags,” which are also called “bar mops.”
“Has anyone ever on this planet not used a sponge to wash dishes?” she asked. “Have I been lied to my entire life? So now I gotta go get terry dishrags?”
After lamenting over having to purchase terry dishrags, the TikToker asked one simple question: Do you wash with a sponge or a bar mop?
What Did Commenters Say?
Commenters as a whole were unwilling to give up sponges.
“I’ve used these my entire life,” one admitted.
“My Scrub Mommy has never done me wrong,” a second said.
While a third claimed, “Dish rags smell horrendous. Even after washing.”
And a fourth joked, “Life long survivor of using sponges.”
Several commenters also suggested that you should run your sponges in the dishwasher to keep them hygienic, with a fifth asking, “Do people not realize that you CAN kill bacteria in sponges super easily just by putting them through the dishwasher? Mine goes through the dishwasher almost every load as needed. The heat kills everything.”
Some agreed with Stewart, with a sixth saying, “Can you not smell your sponges? LOL I’ve never used one cause I can smell the bacteria. I use a brush.”
Is It Really Bad To Wash Dishes With A Sponge?
For the most part, it looks like Martha Stewart is right: Washing dishes with a sponge is actually pretty gross.
In 2025, research scientist Trond Møretrø of the Norwegian food research institute led a study on this. When he compared a test sample group’s regularly-used dish sponges versus brushes, overall bacteria was lower. In turn, Trond told CNN that washing dishes with a sponge wasn’t exactly the most hygienic thing to do.
“A single sponge can harbor a higher number of bacteria than there are people on Earth,” he said. “The sponge is humid and accumulates food residues which are also food for bacteria, leading to the rapid growth of bacteria.”
In case you were wondering, cleaning your sponge doesn’t really make a difference.
“That the way the consumers used their sponges did not matter much regarding growth of bacteria,” he continued. “It is very difficult for consumers to avoid bacterial growth in the sponges as long as the sponges are not replaced daily.”
However, unlike Stewart, Trond doesn’t mention cloths. Instead, he advocates for brushes.
“Since the brush dries very fast, harmful bacteria will die. Also, most brushes have a handle which prevents you from direct hand contact with potentially harmful bacteria, in contrast to sponges,” he explained. “I encourage consumers to try a brush instead the next time they need to replace their sponge. Brushes are the better choice to clean dishes, from a hygienic point of view.”
She Had No Idea
In a TikTok direct message conversation with BroBible, @thatnewslady said she “wanted to share something I thought other people might relate to.”
“I’ve always known sponges can get pretty gross, but I genuinely didn’t realize there were so many other ways people wash their dishes,” she added. “I figured it would spark a fun conversation, and I never expected it to resonate with millions of people.”
In terms of the video’s reception, the former newsreader described it as “surreal.”
“I never imagined this would be the video that would take off,” she admitted. “Most of my content is news. I explain current events in a relatable, easy-to-understand way, which comes naturally after spending years as a TV news anchor. TikTok has become a hobby for me, and every now and then I’ll mix in something that’s not news just for fun. Who knew a conversation about washing dishes would be the one that reached millions of people? It’s been exciting to see so many people join the conversation over something so ordinary.”
@thatnewslady My whole life is a lie. #marthastewart #dishes #washingdishes #homemaking #sponges
As for the video’s response specifically, the content creator describes it as “overwhelmingly positive.”
“A lot of people have joked about the sponge debate, and plenty have admitted they still use sponges too,” she said. “What’s been most interesting is seeing all the different ways people wash dishes, everything from dishcloths and brushes to Swedish dishcloths and other cleaning tools I’d never even heard of.”
She mentioned the debate about Scrub Daddy, the popular dishwashing sponge and even speculated it probably deserved its own category.
“More than anything, this whole experience has reminded me of the humanity in everyday life. It’s funny that a simple question about washing dishes could bring millions of people together, but I think that’s exactly why it resonated,” she continued. “We all do these everyday chores, yet the way we do them often comes down to how we were raised, what our parents taught us, or simply what we’ve always known.”
As for Martha Stewart’s controversial take, @thatnewslady said it “definitely changed” her perspective.
“Before reading Martha Stewart’s advice, I didn’t realize there were so many alternatives to sponges,” she admitted. “I haven’t bought any dishcloths yet, though. If anything, this whole experience has left me overwhelmed by all the options people have recommended! I’ve realized there’s no one ‘right’ way to do dishes. I’m still deciding what I’ll try first.”