Products You Need to up Your Dishwashing Game
Washing dishes is one of those tasks that is so annoying because it happens every single day. Plus, it’s not always flawless. How many times have you taken a fork out of a drawer and discovered that it was somehow dirty? All this works only to give an ineffective result. This is unfair. You need products that make everything easier and more efficient.
The best dishwashing detergents
We’ll start with the superstar, the Holy Grail, the king: Scrub Daddy. My friends liked them before I came on board and I thought it was just a gimmick. They may have really liked that the sponge was shaped like a smiley face. How deep could it be? But then I got one. The abrasive material really gets rid of all the debris, plus the jagged edges are great for small spaces, and the mouth hole is perfect for pulling dishes through and cleaning 360 degrees. Scrub Daddy is as good as everyone says.
Also get Scrub Mommy for even more fun. It’s similar to the Scrub Daddy, but it’s reversible: one side is a little more abrasive than the other, so you can adjust the amount of pressure you apply to the utensils. Six of them cost $21.99 .
I’ve long been known to be a major proponent of decanting store-bought items into prettier, more affordable vessels. This will not only improve the appearance of your space, but will also make it more organized. There are few circumstances where decanting makes more sense than when you’re dealing with soap. When your hands are wet and slippery, do you want to grab a plastic bottle, fiddle with it, turn it over and try to squeeze it? Buy a dish soap dispenser. I bought this hands-free wall unit for my mom and she is obsessed with how much easier it is to wash dishes when she can put soap in her hand or on a sponge without fiddling with a bottle. It’s the little things, you know? (For the record, I won’t tell you what soap to actually use here, since everyone has their favorite and they all do essentially the same thing, but I will say that you can pull out the washing up liquid Mrs. Meyers dishes from my soap, dead hands.)
Or simply insert the soap into the dispenser brush, which will reduce the time it takes to dispense a little soap and create a significant lather. This one from OXO Good Grips has a stand that is also perfect for keeping your yard tidy.
A few years ago my mom gave me a silicone sponge and it has lasted me a long time , meaning I no longer have to constantly buy replacement sponges. It’s not super abrasive, so it’s not ideal for really stuck products, but it flexes and is easy to get into tight spots, so it absolutely serves its purpose. I use it every day and it has been a game changer.
Since I love my silicone sponge so much, I was thinking about purchasing silicone cleaning gloves. You can reach into small spaces with your fingers and really dig into those crevices. You know them.
Finally, let’s look at the mini dishwasher. A real dishwasher is a luxury a small apartment dweller like me could only dream of, but even if you have one, you don’t always want to load it up just for a few cutlery and cups. This portable, USB-powered device lathers water and creates a small whirlpool, washing small items for you while you tackle larger items. We’re living in the future, baby. What a time to be alive.
The best means for drying dishes
I don’t have much counter space in my apartment, so I can’t just leave all the dishes out to dry once I’m done washing. I rely on microfiber cloths to suck out as much moisture as possible from them, and I can confidently say that they do a much better job than any other material.
However, sometimes you need a stand. It doesn’t have to be a monster that constantly takes up all your space. Instead, consider a foldable option like this one that can be stored away when not in use: