The $5 product that changed how I feel about hand washing dishes

There are plenty of jobs around the house I actually enjoy.

Cleaning the oven is something I'm more than happy to do; same with scrubbing soap scum off the shower screen. But, for as long as I can remember, I've always hated doing the dishes.

That was until a genius little product came into my life and changed my mind.

After moving into a place with no dishwasher, we've had 12 months of hand washing dishes, and honestly, I'll do anything to get out of doing it.

With spending all this time at home because of COVID-19, sponges were only looking nice for a couple of days before grotty bits of food started getting caught in the non-scratch scourer side.

I know, I could be using other things like scrubbers, but with delicate glassware, precious pots and a Thermomix bowl I am an absolute stickler for only using non-scratch for cleaning.

But, there is something that has changed my mind.

The Scrub Mommy, which you can buy online or pick up at the supermarket for just $5, has given me a new perspective on doing the dishes.

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It has two sides, unlike the original Scrub Daddy (yes, there's a Daddy) that only has one, meaning you get a scrubber and a sponge in one. You've got the textured side with a Scratch free FlexTexture® on one side and a sponge on the other. So, you can scrub your filthy pots and pans and then wipe it all out by just flipping the sponge.

For a start, they work differently depending on your water temperature. For heavy duty scrubbing, start in cold water because the sponge stays firmer, then in hot water it's nice and soft for lighter cleaning.

And they have a cute little smiley face, which makes doing the dishes a little bit more fun, but the best part is how long they last.

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We've been using the same one for over three weeks now, doing a couple of loads of dishes a day. Even after the remnants of a small dinner party she's still looking great.

My partner — who, to be honest, does a lot more of the washing up than I do — also really likes using it.

It's no dishwasher, but it definitely has made doing dishes less of a chore for me in recent weeks.