The Best Dish Scrubbers for All Your Cleaning Needs

Best Overall

Lubrima Silicone Sponge

4.6

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Our favorite dish scrubbers are these silicone sponges from Lubrima because they're non-porous, so they don't hang onto smells the way foam and cellulose sponges do. Plus, these scrubbers are eco-friendly thanks to their silicone design. You'll only need to replace them every few months when they start to fall apart, and you can clean your sponges in your dishwasher until then.

One downside to these scrubbers is they are difficult to grip compared to traditional sponges. This is a minor detail, though, compared to their cleaning capabilities. Stuck-on bits of food, such as remnants of eggs or fried rice, are no match for these sponges. They can also double as pot holders and vegetable scrubbers. (If you do use them as a vegetable scrubber, you'll want to make sure to set aside one sponge for just this task.) Luckily, three sponges come in the pack and each is a different color, so you can easily tell them apart.

These scrubbers also don't create suds as well as other options, but are still effective at their job of removing food and dirt from your dishes. We also like that they don't grow germs as easily as porous sponges. These scrubbers also won't scratch your delicate pots and plates like some heavy duty scrubbers can. Overall, we think these silicone dish scrubbers are a great option for consumers who frequently hand-wash their dishes because they don't hold onto smells and germs like traditional sponges.

Price at time of publish: $13

_{Amount: 3 | Material: Silicone | Dimensions: 4.92 x 2.75 x 0.62 inches | Weight: 1.1 ounces | Dishwasher Safe: Yes}

Best Budget

Scrub Daddy Lemon Fresh Sponge

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Scrub Daddy is often known as one of Shark Tank's most successful ventures, and the tough, durable sponges deserve their many accolades. The face might be adorable, but it also helps the sponge be so much more useful and ergonomic. You can slide your fingers into the eyeholes to inch it down into any glass, and use the mouth to clean both sides of a piece of silverware.

One of the most distinctive features of Scrub Daddy's material is that it becomes tough and stiff in cold water, which helps it remove caked-on food on your favorite pans. In warm water, it becomes softer and easier to compress, making it the perfect texture to shove into a coffee mug. Scrub Daddy sponges also resist odors for up to two months, at which point you should buy a replacement, and they're safe to use on a wide variety of surfaces, including non-stick pans, granite, glass, ceramic, and wood. All of that at a great price—what more could you want?

Price at time of publish: $10

_{Amount: 1 | Material: Foam | Dimensions: 6.0 x 1.62 x 1 inches | Weight: Not listed | Dishwasher Safe: Yes}

Best Sponge

Blueland Scrub Sponge

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Though this dual-sided sponge from Blueland works just like a traditional one might, it’s plant-based, not plastic. In fact, even the stitching is hand-sewn with cotton rather than plastic, making it a great pick for any home that's trying to make more eco-friendly decisions. The whole thing can actually be composted when you’re ready to replace it, as well. (Three sponges come in one pack.)

Still, the dual-sided sponge is highly effective. One side is softer for everyday washing, while the other is a bit tougher for scrubbing stuck-on messes. If it needs a quick refresh, you can stick the whole thing in the dishwasher or boil it to sanitize.

Price at time of publish: $28

_{Amount: 3 | Material: All-natural loofah, 100% FSC-certified cellulose, cotton | Dimensions: Not listed | Weight: Not listed | Dishwasher Safe: Yes}

Best Pad

Grove Co. Coconut Scouring Pad

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Though extremely abrasive (you might compare it to steel wool), this scouring pad that's made from coconut shells and recycled fibers scrubs without scratching most dishes, pots, and pans. While you should be cautious using it on stainless steel items and non-stick cookware in your kitchen, you can use the pad on other cookware, glassware, countertops, and appliances comfortably.

The flat, contoured shape is designed so you can create even pressure while using it, which makes it easier to tackle grease without having to put in elbow grease. A nice bonus: the scrubber has a soft coconut scent and is also affordable. You can stock up on a few, and will only be disappointed at the fact that food can get trapped in it easily.

Price at time of publish: $5

_{Amount: 2 | Material: Coconut shells, recycled fiber | Dimensions: Not listed | Weight: Not listed | Dishwasher Safe: Not listed}

Best Brush

Full Circle Bubble Up Ceramic Soap Dispenser & Bamboo Dish Brush

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A dish brush with sturdy bristles is a good all-around tool for doing dishes by hand or removing excess food before loading the dishwasher, suggests Angela Bell, cleaning expert and Grove Guide at Grove Collaborative. Small handheld brushes, like this one, are the most popular of the bunch for good reason. Namely, they’re easy to grip, plus they come with storage containers that double as soap dispensers. 

The ergonomically-designed brush fits in the palm of your hand, so you can get a good grip—essential for quickly tackling stuck-on food. The ceramic base offers a clean place to stash the brush when not in use, but also has a spring load feature that allows it to double as a soap dispenser. You simply place the soap in the basin, press down, and swish to put a sudsy lather on the brush prior to using. Notably, this entire set is eco-friendly, too. The brush is made with materials like bamboo and recycled plastic. Not to mention, the brush will last longer than a traditional scrubber, so you’ll be tossing less into landfills.

You'll just want to keep in mind that this style of dish scrubber is not easy to clean, despite being easy to use to clean your dishes. Since this particular pick has a bamboo handle, it can't be put in the dishwasher or even boiled. Katie Berry, The Spruce's Cleaning Review Board member, notes that this will ruin the handle and also dissolve the adhesives that are keeping the bristles in place. When it's time to clean it, the listing says to place the ceramic soap dispenser on the top shelf of your dishwasher. The brush should be cleaned with just warm, soapy water and left to air dry, but avoid any long soaks that could disrupt the bamboo.

Price at time of publish: $20

_{Amount: 1 | Material: Bamboo, ceramic, recycled plastic, recycled stainless steel | Dimensions: 3.74 x 3.74 x 4.92 inches | Weight: 0.8 ounces | Dishwasher Safe: Not listed}

Best Eco-Friendly

Skoy Scrub

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These sponges are so much more than fun to look at. The eco-friendly scrubbers are made from remnant fibers from the toweling industry. Their coating makes them great at cleaning, but also gentle enough to use on just about anything, including non-stick pans, ceramic, glass, and even cooktops. They're plenty versatile outside the kitchen, too. You can use them to scrub a ceramic sink or marble tile in the bathroom, or even your car’s windshield.

To give it a good clean when you’re done with the task at hand, simply toss the scrubber into the dishwasher. Berry also notes you can put them in the microwave or a washing machine. Additionally, you can purchase these scrubbers in a pack of just one, two, four, and eight. Just know, they do have a strong smell that develops quite quickly, and don't create a ton of suds.

Price at time of publish: $5

_{Amount: 1 | Material: Cotton, resin | Dimensions: 6 x 0.25 x 5 inches | Weight: 0.05 pounds | Dishwasher Safe: Yes}

Best for Cast Iron

KnappMade Chain Mail Pot Scrubber

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For cleaning cast iron, this rust-proof, stainless steel scrubber is hard to beat. You can use it on seasoned cast iron pans without stripping them, as well as glass baking pans, cookie sheets, and pizza stones. You should never use them on stainless steel or enameled surfaces (Think, a Le Creuset Dutch oven.), though, according to Berry. This one is made of 4-inch rings for more cleaning power, but the brand also makes a 6-inch version that’s good for cleaning pots and pans with stuck-on food.

It's dishwasher-safe and is more versatile than you might think. Notably, the brand also offers a lifetime warranty for this scrubber. If you need to replace it, you’re covered.

Price at time of publish: $20

_{Amount: 1 | Material: Stainless steel | Dimensions: 4 x 4 x 4 inches | Weight: Not listed | Dishwasher Safe: Yes}

Best with Soap Dispenser

OXO Good Grips Soap Dispensing Dish Brush

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A combination product like the OXO Good Grips Soap Dispensing Dish Brush helps keep your sink area looking neater, as you don't have to fuss with your dish soap bottle every time you do dishes. Simply fill the handle from the bottom and press a button to squirt out the perfect amount of soap for the job. Once you're finished, the brush can be propped up in a sink caddy or hung to dry using the hole in the handle.

Although this one comes with a bristled head, OXO also makes others that are interchangeable with the handle. The included nylon brush has bristles that are soft enough to use on non-stick pans, while the foam sponges (sold separately) are great for everyday lathering. Since the two heads come on and off in a snap, you may want to keep both on hand and swap them depending on what you're washing.

Price at time of publish: $12

_{Amount: 1 | Materials: Nylon | Dimensions: 12 x 1.25 x 3.75 inches | Weight: 0.3 pounds | Dishwasher Safe: No}

Best for Bottles and Jars

OXO Tot Bottle Brush With Nipple Cleaner and Stand

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This bottle brush from OXO is about a foot long, and has two different types of nylon bristles. The gray ones are stiffer and can tuck into the crevices and corners of your water bottles, baby bottles, or sauce jars, while the white ones are softer and clean wider surfaces. The neck is strong but flexible to help you maneuver it easily. Plus, the handle, which has a handy hole for hanging, is covered with a soft, non-slip material that won't slide out of your hand—even when it's wet. Notably, this scrubbing brush also comes with a stand, so you don’t have to find a spot to hang it in your kitchen. 

It even has a second—and much smaller—brush that nests inside the other to give bottle nipples a good clean. As such, this scrubber is obviously most ideal for baby bottles, but it can clean delicate stemware, too.

Price at time of publish: $10

_{Amount: 2 | Materials: Plastic | Dimensions: 12.5 x 3.25 x 2.5 inches | Weight: 0.2813 pounds | Dishwasher Safe: Yes}