25 Germy Things You Should Probably Start Throwing Out

If that sad old kitchen sponge has been giving you the dirty eye for the past few months, it may be time to toss it out.

Take a look around your pantry, the kitchen, the bathroom and the closet. Which items have been there for over a year? There are household things we use every day, but often, we don't really consider what lurks inside of them.

Jason "The Germ Guy" Tetro, a germ expert and blogger for Huffington Post Canada, says although most everyday items don't pose any risk for a life-threatening illness, they could lead to mild or moderate infections if they're in use over a long period of time or not replaced when they get damaged.

While most of us don't think twice about our shower sponges or salt shakers, there are ways to see if a product has spoiled. Expiry dates, for example, are good bases to start with and water, Tetro adds, is often the enemy. Some everyday household cooking items can lead to bacteria growth, especially if they are moist or soaked in water.

According to a recent survey commissioned by the U.K.-based Global Hygiene Council, dishcloths were dirtier than toilet handles, according to the Daily Mail. Cloths used for cleaning dishes collected six times as much bacteria as the toilet flush. The survey also added dishcloths posed the risk of life-threatening germs like E.coli.

Here are 25 things that may need replacing this year and other things you should just keep an eye out for. As a "damage" factor, Tetro has also included the risk of infection (out of 5) of not following the rules and the chances of either a mild or moderate sickness as a result.