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Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need. Faux Sponge Roller
If you want a basic sponge that can handle everything from burnt cooking mishaps to standard dirty dishes, this has your back. The one area where it fell short was absorbency. Read More
It’s not quite as good as the Dobie at scrubbing tougher stains, but it’s pretty close—and unlike the Dobie, it can soak up a little more liquid. Read More
It may seem gimmicky, but if you can get past the first day of use with this sponge, it’s worth having in your arsenal. Read More
This is a basic, effective sponge. Comfortable to hold, decent at scrubbing, fairly absorbent, and all around good at doing what sponges do. Read More
Scotch-Brite’s heavy-duty offering was one of the most successful ones tested when it came to removing stains. However, it scratched the crap out of almost everything I cleaned. Read More
Some people love to wash dishes. Others simply tolerate the task. Either way, an effective sponge, like our favorite Scotch-Brite Dobie All Purpose Pad (available at Amazon) , is a sink-side staple. The best dish sponges make short work of a dirty kitchen, from the spills on your countertop to the sauce you accidentally burned all over your nice pan. They aren’t exciting, but everyone legitimately needs one.
Once you've finished scrubbing those dishes, you need somewhere to put them so that they dry quickly. Check out our article on the Best Dish Racks for more info.
If you want a basic sponge that can handle everything from burnt cooking mishaps to your standard dirty dishes, Dobie has your back. It’s too soft to scratch cookware but textured enough to remove tough stains. It’s also thin enough to really get into the narrow corners of a pan.
The one area where the Dobie falls short is absorbency. It won’t sop up a spill with great efficiency, but as a result it also doesn’t stay perpetually damp, which is a plus as far I’m concerned—bacteria loves a good damp sponge. Use the Dobie for most of your dish scrubbing needs, and grab a more absorbent sponge or towel for any tasks that require wiping away spills.
Textured design cuts through stains
Thin enough to get into narrow corners
Scotch-Brite is a classic for a reason—it works. There’s nothing exciting about it (I mean, it’s a sponge), but it gets high marks all around. It’s not quite as good as the Dobie at scrubbing tougher stains, but it’s pretty close—and unlike the Dobie, it can soak up a little more liquid. And true to its name, whatever the cleaning job, it leaves nary a scratch.
It may seem gimmicky, but if you can get past the first day of use with this sponge, it’s worth having in your arsenal. The first few times you use the Scrub Daddy, it will feel stiff and scratchy, but thankfully it softens with use to become a tool that will clean the toughest crud off your dishes. That said, the round shape and larger size mean the Scrub Daddy won’t be able to reach any burnt-on bits in the smaller corners of your baking pan, so you may want to keep a second, smaller sponge around for daintier jobs. Theoretically, the Scrub Daddy’s grinning mouth is ideal for cleaning spoons, but I found its main appeal was visual—it’s awfully cute when cleaning a spoon looks like you’re feeding a smiley sponge man.
You'll be able to scrub and squeeze this happy camper for multiple days of heavy use without wear and tear, though Amazon reviewers have reported an eventual disintegration over time. It’s not a perfect tool, but it is surprisingly effective—plus, according to the packaging, you can run it through your dishwasher for cleaning.
Large size hinders cleaning on smaller objects
Initial use feels stiff and scratchy
This is a basic, effective sponge. Comfortable to hold, decent at scrubbing, fairly absorbent, and all-around good at doing what sponges do. The scrubby side is gentle enough that it won’t scratch your dishes, but rough enough to clean the gnarliest singed egg pan. It’s nothing special, but therein lies the key to its success—a sponge doesn’t need to be flashy, it just needs to get your plates and countertop clean.
Dual-sided for hard or soft stains
Soft side doesn't scratch cookware
None that we could find
Scotch-Brite’s heavy-duty offering is one of the most successful sponges when it comes to removing stains. However, it scratches the crap out of almost everything I used it to clean. It doesn’t matter whether you’re using this Scotch-Brite’s scrubby side on a nonstick or stainless-steel pan, whether you’re wiping gently or with vigor. Either way, you’re going to end up with a series of fine scratches. There’s a time and a place for a rough sponge, but the place for this one probably isn’t your kitchen sink.
This is less of a sponge and more of a giant pillow with a soft side and a rougher side. It sat sodden on my counter for days, and I despair that it would ever dry. The soft side matted, its damp fur tangled around bits of egg and unidentifiable crumbs. The rough side was easily gently stained. Touching it is so unpleasant that I avoided using it at all costs.
Does it clean well? Honestly, yes— if you can get past its soggy texture. NanoSponge’s claim to fame is that you don’t need to use soap with it. I found this was true for more basic stains, but I wanted soap when something was really burnt onto a pan, and frankly, I don’t understand why I’d want to go without the sanitary properties of soap. It’s a little too big to effectively clean corners, but otherwise worked a charm. Regardless, I hated touching it so much that I’d never voluntarily use it.
Dual-sided for hard or soft stains
Cleans light stains without water
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time. The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
Former Editor, Home & Outdoors
Kori began her journalism career as a teenage fashion blogger and has enjoyed covering a wide variety of topics ever since. In her spare time, she’s an amateur poet, avid reader, and gluten-free cake baker extraordinaire.
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