like dad always said:

"Never underestimate the stupidity of the American public." Or something like that. Actually, I think it was a combination of platitudes, about catering to the lowest common denominator and never being surprised when people like things in poor taste. But for the sake of example: never underestimate the stupidity of the greater microwave-using public. Case in point:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/01/24/germs.sponges.reut/index.html

So, University of Florida experiments suggested that sponges - wet sponges - could be decently sterilized by nukin' em for about 2 minutes. Dirty-sponge mongers the country over began microwaving their sponges posthaste...and their dry sponges started exploding and ruining microwaves from coast to coast.

Ya think?

The best comment by a dry-sponge-microwaver: "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."

Gee.

So, the entire principle behind the microwave - that the waves excite moisture molecules in the item you're trying to heat - has apparently been lost on us for generations. Sounds like most of us probably just think microwaves are a MAGICAL means to heat our Marie Calendar's fettuccine dinners and reheat our coffee.

At any rate, a marketing team from the University released 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."

Because the university definitely doesn't want any lawsuits alleging "injury by hot sponge." Not when they've duly warned the nitwits out there about the abundant dangers of "Dry Sponge."

Although, to be fair, I've long remembered an anecdote my mom told me about a family friend that, when attempting to warm a towel in the microwave to place on his sick wife's forehead neglected to dampen the towel, and delivered a smoldering, smoking towel, remarking, "this doesn't look right."

"GET THAT OUTSIDE, NOW!" advised wife, before the smoldering towel promptly combusted in a flaming cotton bundle on their lawn.

DAMP SPONGE. Damp.