Let’s be real: Washing dishes rarely lands at the top of anyone’s favorite chores list. After a big meal (and some small ones!) it can be an especially tortuous task.
Hoping to change your relationship with this necessary evil? Take a page out of Marie Kondo’s book and surround yourself with tools that spark joy. Ultimately, your picks should be personal to you. But if you need some ideas to start, here are the smart and beautiful products that might get the job done—and bring you some happiness in the process:
1. White Gardenia Dish Soap , $13 at Williams Sonoma
There’s something so clinical about gelatinous green dish soap. If neon colors and chemical-y odors put you off, this fresh floral scent will create a more soothing dishwashing process for all your senses.
2. simplehuman Sink Caddy , $17 at Crate & Barrel
A big cleaning job (you know, the type that comes after hosting or diving into Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook ) calls for some serious tools. Keep them all in one spot with a caddy that’s sleek and rust-resistant.
3. Mason Jar Sponge Holder , $7 at World Market
If you take more of a one-sponge-at-a-time approach, tuck yours away somewhere a little more special. This blue mason jar adds a little pop of color to your dishwashing workspace.
4. Full Circle Bubble Up Dish Brush & Soap Dispenser , $13 on Amazon
There might not be a better bang for your buck, sink-side, than this brush set. It comes with an ergonomic palm brush to make it easy to get through even the toughest mess, plus a spring-loaded base that you can fill with soap to suds up in record time. How about that for a spring in your step?
5. Tier Dish Rack , $26 on Amazon
Make your dish rack work for you. This double decker rack comes with a few neat features—from a utensil holder to a hook made especially for your cutting board. If you like an organization system where everything has a home, this one is for you.
6. Roll-Up Dish Drying Rack , $25 on Amazon
Washing dishes in a small space is challenging enough (#tinysinkprobs) but drying them can become nearly impossible. That’s where this roll-up rack comes in handy. Simply roll it across your sink after the dishes are squeaky clean, and they’ll be dry in no time.
7. ELLY Dish Towels , $4 at IKEA
If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. If your idea of joy is something elegantly simple, this dishtowel is as classic as they come, with a simple design and IKEA’s signature nordic style to add a little calm to a sometimes chaotic process.
8. Woven Geo Dishcloths , $24 at Anthropologie
If you’re the colorful, eclectic type, splurge a little on this colorful pack of dish towels that will (at the very least!) give you something enjoyable to keep nearby as you (or better yet, somebody else!) tackle every last utensil and dish.
