The Under-$10 Kitchen Tool My Mom Swears by to Tackle Hard Messes

As Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw once said, “The only thing I’ve ever successfully made in the kitchen is a mess. And several little fires.” Although I like to think of myself as a little more proficient of a chef than Carrie, some of my more experimental culinary creations have resulted in burned pan bottoms and splattered countertops (I’m looking at you, veggie fajitas).

I love cooking, but I don’t love kitchen cleaning. And while I prefer to use manual tools and natural cleaners over synthetic cleaning solutions, sometimes a sponge or brush just doesn’t cut it.

Luckily, my mom discovered one of the most convenient kitchen cleaning tools I’ve ever seen to solve this problem, and ever since she gifted me one, I’ve kept it near my sink at all times.

The Norpro My Favorite Colored Scraper is just under $10 for a set of four on Amazon and is a great cleaning device for any kitchen. It’s designed to clean tough messes off of countertops, stovetops, pots, pans, dishes, and utensils.

This tool is strong enough to remove stubborn scrambled eggs and other hard-to-clean kitchen messes, saving you from messy countertops and getting unwanted particles in your food later. And because it’s plastic, it doesn’t scratch nonstick, glass, cast iron, or stainless steel surfaces (just don’t use it on anything that’s still hot, or it could melt!). 

This simple-yet-clever device can save you tons of time and elbow grease. It also makes a perfect stocking stuffer or mini housewarming gift.

Whether you cook all the time or every once in a while, this little tool allows you to make messes (and hopefully no fires) in the kitchen without worry.