The $10 Amazon Find That Helps Keep My Kitchen Sink Spotless (It’s Great for the Bathroom, Too!)

published May 9, 2023
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Kitchen with wood cabinets, black tile and countertops, green accents

For those of you with massive kitchens, ample counter space, and — for the specially blessed — a full-sized dishwasher, congratulations. (Also, I’m jealous.) The rest of us, myself included, have to make do with what we’ve got, which is often a small apartment kitchen (sans dishwasher, naturally) with an equally diminutive sink situation. Snagging a compact dish rack is a great way to start optimizing the space surrounding your sink, but that’s only one part of the organizing process. When it comes to corralling all of your soaps and dishwashing tools, you’ll want to pick up a self-draining mat or organizer to a) keep your effects in order, and b) allow them to properly dry off so you don’t end up with a nasty mold problem. And, if you’re looking for an inexpensive, minimalist way to achieve sink-side solace, I recommend adding this silicone kitchen soap tray to your cart ASAP. 

I’ll admit, when I first bought this soap mat, I thought it was just big enough for a bar of soap, but at 9.5 inches by 5 inches, it turned out to be way bigger — which ended up being perfect. This bad boy ended up being large enough to hold a bar, my dish soap, and my cast iron scrubber. It’s also made of flexible silicone, so you’ll never have to worry about breaking it, and the flexible material makes it a snap to clean. The self-draining design also means it dries quickly, and just like my OXO dish-drying mat and trivet, it’s made with raised ridges to allow for air circulation, which helps prevent mold and mildew buildup. Plus, it’s also heat-resistant up to 482 degrees Fahrenheit, so it can double as a spoon rest for use with hot tools. 

However, it’s not just made for the kitchen. It’s great when used in the bathroom or laundry room, too — in fact, these days, that’s where it spends most of its time in my apartment. We were having an issue where our body washes, soaps, and shampoos were getting gnarly black rings around the bottom, becasue there wasn’t sufficient drainage along the edges of the tub. Thankfully, that all changed as soon as I popped them on this silicone soap tray

Credit: Ian Burke

And, with a nearly perfect 4.7-star average rating on Amazon, it’s clear I’m not the only one who digs this silicone mat. “Large enough for dish detergent, liquid hand soap and silicone sponge. The shape is great to use at the edge of the countertop and drains directly into the sink,” one reviewer writes.

“Perfect for my kitchen sink,” explains another happy customer. “Keeps the area clean and organized with a variety of items that would otherwise make the area wet and difficult to clean.”

So, if you’re looking for an easy and affordable way to tidy up your kitchen sink and help stave off mold and mildew, look no further than this silicone kitchen soap tray from Amazon. 

Buy: SUBEKYU Silicone Kitchen Soap Tray, $9.99