I Discovered a New Way to Wash My Dishes, and Now I’ll Never Use a Normal Sponge Again

There’s not much that I don’t like about my current apartment, but its lack of a dishwasher is at the top of the list. I’ve lucked out with every place I’ve lived in before now, able to just mindlessly chuck my dishes in the dishwasher after meals and only occasionally break out the sponge for handwashing. But my unfortunate new reality is that I have to painstakingly scrub every single dish by hand, and sometimes, it results in me putting the chore off for too long.

So, I’m a fan of anything that’ll make the process easier, whether it’s an absorbent microfiber cloth for drying or a kitchen sink caddy with a drain for excess water. Before now, I’ve always just opted for those cheap sponges that have to be thrown out after about a week of use — but this $3 find from Scotch-Brite is so much smarter. Thanks to its soap-dispensing handle, I can keep my hands out of the mess entirely and clear my counter of clutter.

Scotch-Brite’s non-scratch dishwand stands apart from most normal ones due to its innovative handle, which is hollow. All you have to do is twist the cap off of the end and fill it with dish soap. Then, whenever you press the button on the handle, soap will come out through a small hole in the sponge.

You can get to scrubbing after that! It’s safe to use on regular dishes, nonstick cookware, and even countertops and showers. When the sponge — which is made entirely of recycled fibers — needs to be replaced, you can pop it off of the wand and slot in a replacement. For almost $16, you can get the wand plus eight refills, which would keep you covered for weeks. You could also use any of the other refills on the wand, like the bristled brush that one of our contributors loves for bathroom cleaning.

I’ve never been a fan of washing dishes by hand, largely because of the endless scrubbing and the sponge, which is usually not the cleanest unless it’s straight out of the package. That’s why this simple upgrade is the gift that keeps on giving: The handle keeps my hands from getting soapy and pruny, and I don’t have to touch the sponge at all unless I’m switching it out (which is easy to do).

I can also keep my dish soap in a cabinet, instead of setting it out on my counter permanently like I used to. The dispensing mechanism has been a game-changer. The soap comes out quickly and the button doesn’t require much force; I was worried that I’d accidentally press it at first when gripping the wand’s handle, but it hasn’t happened yet. There haven’t been any leaks from where it sits in my sink caddy either.

My only tiny gripe is that dishes with angled edges — like my Anyday cookware set and square baking dish — aren’t the easiest to clean. The shape of the sponge, which isn’t malleable, makes it slightly difficult to get into corners. It’s not impossible; it just takes a little extra time. But considering how much more effortless it makes everything else, it’s worth it.

The sponge itself is sturdy, and scraping food remnants off of plates and pans is a breeze. Apartment Therapy lifestyle director Stephanie Nguyen swears by it too, noting how she loves that it “dispenses dish soap quickly and easily.” I think I can speak for both of us when I say that this dishwand has become a permanent staple in our cleaning routines!

Buy: Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Dishwand, $3.33 (normally $6.49)