2 minutes in a microwave can sterilize sponges and dishcloths after use, killing 99% of the harmful bacteria that causes illness, report U.S. researches.

They say, if people want to decontaminate them, and not just only clean, they should use the microwave.

At least 76 million Americans get sick from foodborne microbes every year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 5,000 people die from them.

Earlier studies have given the evidences of sponges and dishcloths providing happy home for millions of the pathogens, in part because they often remain damp, which helps the bugs survive.

But several experimenters evidently left out the crucial step of wetting the sponge.

"Just wanted you to know that your article on microwaving sponges and scrubbers aroused my interest. However, when I put my sponge/scrubber into the microwave, it caught fire, smoked up the house, ruined my microwave, and pissed me off," one correspondent wrote in an e-mail.

So, the university issued the following advisory: "To guard against the risk of fire, people who wish to sterilize their sponges at home must ensure the sponge is completely wet. Two minutes of microwaving is sufficient for most sterilization. Sponges should also have no metallic content. Last, people should be careful when removing the sponge from the microwave as it will be hot."