sponges should be for sponge cake

I can hear my grandmothers voice in the back of my head as I pull the paper towels from the roll... "why don't you just use a sponge."  I know in this day and age it is not very "green" of me to dislike sponges BUT... I feel as if I am just wiping bacteria all over the counter.  The smell after a couple of days is just gross and then it stays on your hands even after a good washing.  People say put it in the dishwasher (and this seems to be the best method) but I just do not like sponges enough to give them all of this special attention.  I love the scrubby brushes with the dish detergent in them and a nice paper towel.  I will use a sponge for certain things but i toss them after a couple of uses.  I keep a sponge that is just dedicated to the wooden cutting board (no meat on the wooden cutting board) and use salt (and sometimes lemon) to keep the cutting board clean.

Have a beautiful day