Hate Scrubbing Dirty Dishes? Try This 89-Cent Kitchen Tool

With this no-brainer kitchen tool, my sponges don't get gross as often. Even a burnt cheese-crusted pot is no match. It's food editor-approved!

May 7, 2024 - 12:00
1139
Hate Scrubbing Dirty Dishes? Try This 89-Cent Kitchen Tool
Dirty pot
Simply Recipes / Photo Illustration By Wanda Abraham

Welcome to One Simply Terrific Thing, our ongoing series highlighting the small tools and kitchen goods that make life better.

I don’t understand much of what Gen Z says, but I do know what an ick is. Mine is a dirty sponge. Is there anything more awful than a sponge that is coated in a layer of food and scum? That you then have to run over all of your dishes as you attempt to "clean" them?

Unfortunately, I have never found any of the many tricks for cleaning or sanitizing sponges to be very worthwhile. I think the only way to ensure you have a clean sponge is to swap it out frequently.

My red flag is that I have a compulsive urge to swap out my sponge often. I stock up at Costco and I am all too eager to rip open a new package whenever I spot even a speck of food on my current sponge.

Perhaps my family eats too much cheese and sourdough, but there always seems to be a common culprit: bits of melted cheese or bread dough embedded in the scrubber side of the sponge, bringing new meaning to the phrase "gumming up the works."

pot scraper
Simply Recipes / Photo Illustration By Wanda Abraham

The Inexpensive Find That Helps Me Cut Back on Sponges

As a recipe developer, I do cook more than most people, so my sponge consumption can be somewhat justified. From a budgetary and environmental standpoint, I knew I needed to try and cut back on my overconsumption.

I frequently order from Grove Collaborative and, in a recent order, I was lucky enough to receive two freebie silicone pot scrubbers. At first glance, I didn’t think much of them. They are small squares of firm silicone that did not look equipped to handle the epic messes I make daily. 

After a pot of particularly cheesy pasta, I learned that looks can be deceiving. I decided to test out the silicone pot scraper on my sticky mess and I was shocked to see it handled with ease.

I added a little warm water to loosen up the cheese, then used the scraper to scoop out the stuck-on food. I dumped the scraps into the garbage and was left with a pretty spotless pot to simply soap up and rinse with my precious clean sponge, which was left without a speck of food. Plus, my prized Le Creuset had not a scratch in sight. 

At $8.99 for a pack of 10 (that’s just 89 cents each), these are a no-brainer buy for easier dishwashing. Each one lasts for many months and will save both your sponges and your cookware. Stock up and be prepared to (kinda) enjoy doing the dishes.

BUY IT: Pot Scraper