This $6 Scrubber Got My Shower Sparkling — And Saved My Wrist

Keeping my bathroom looking its best is a challenge from the get-go. The tiny room isn’t exactly the most updated corner of my slightly antiquated apartment, so there are already one billion cosmetic changes I’d like to make. But before I had the budget (or permission, as my fellow renters will empathize with) to put any of those improvements at center stage, I knew one thing was in my control: keeping it clean. Thus began the hunt for the perfect supplies to keep the tub and shower tiles pearly white.

I tried just about every manual scrubber out there. Some didn’t have a tough-enough sponge to really chip away at grime, making an already unpleasant task much more time-consuming than it needed to be. Others were so rugged that it felt like every pass was leaving tiny scratches or chips in the enamel and caulk — whether they were causing true damage or just making me paranoid is up for debate, but it soured me on them regardless. 

I even attempted to get on board with the trend of keeping a dish wand in the bathroom and zipping through a quick cleaning every time I showered. But the long, narrow structure of those was pretty hard on my wrist — even a fast scrub somehow put my hand at an uncomfortable angle and left me sore afterward. Did I spiral a little bit over whether I have weirdly weak joints? Yes! But I soldiered on. In a last-ditch effort, I spent about five dollars on this Scotch-Brite scrubber — and it turns out it was exactly what I was missing. 

This ultra-affordable, extremely simple tool has a super-tough sponge that is adept at cutting through stubborn soap scum, is flexible enough to squeeze into awkward corners, and is gentle enough to leave the surfaces free from scratches. 

And most importantly, it boasts a flat handle that allows me to comfortably put enough weight on it to scrub hard and efficiently while still feeling steady and offering my wrist some relief.

It’ll need to be replaced from time to time, sure — but I’ve done at least a dozen scrubs of the shower (and tub, and sink) since buying it, and I feel like I’ll get at least a dozen more before sending it out to pasture. You can find a 6-count pack on Amazon to stock up, too.

It is honestly miraculous how much less of a chore scrubbing the bathroom seems after getting my hands on this sponge. I don’t put the task off for days and days. I don’t mentally work myself up for hours of strained joints. I just spend 10 minutes scrubbing the shower and move on with my day — how about that!

Buy: Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Tub & Tile Scrubber (6 Count), $31.74