The nicer way to do the washing up (Dishmatique)

Member Name: pingucb

Product:	Dishmatique
Date:	15/10/08 (104 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to use, great value for money

Disadvantages: Need two different sorts of head, non-scratch heads can be harder to come by

First off I should say I've never much liked washing up. Plunging your hands into half dirty water, that's either scalding hot when you first start or nastily lukewarm by the end. Or using washing up gloves that leave your hands feeling dry and scratchy. It also never seemed particularly hygienic washing dishes in water that's already full of the dirt from the ones that have gone before, I guess along similar lines to why I'd rather have a shower than a bath.

Now to be fair, with a dishwasher in the house, there isn't that much need any more to wash up by hand, but there are the odd items that can't be dishwashed or occasions when you need a dirty item but can't wait for the next washing cycle. This is where the Dishmatique brush comes in and it's been an essential item in our kitchen for a number of years now.

The Dishmatique consists of a green plastic handle, about 8 inches long with a screw cap at one end and a flat surface at the other. The flat surface is designed to slide into a plastic backing on the Dishmatique head and click securely in place. There are two choices of head, the standard green heavy duty scourer and the white non-scratch head, which can be used on more delicate surfaces, but tends to be harder to find in stores. Each has a cleaning surface, either green or white, laid over a sponge body, which has the flat plastic attachment on the other side.

By removing the screw cap on the handle, the handle itself can be filled with your choice of washing up liquid and as the handle's see through, it's easy to see how much it contains. The idea is that in use, the Dishmatique releases a small amount of washing up liquid as you wash your items with it, so it can be used under running water (or I guess in a bowl of plain water if you wished).

We bought our Dishmatique several years ago and are still using the original handle - unlike the Only Fools and Horses broom it may have had different heads but it's still the same handle so it is the same Dishmatique that we've had for years!! They're currently available for just £1.17 from supermarkets, which includes a scouring head, and replacement heads can be bought in packs of 3 for £1.48. This is very good value for money for an item that will last for years. In theory it may save you a little money on your water as well, as presumably if a shower uses less water than a bath, washing up a few items under running water will use less than filling a bowl, but don't quote me on this!

In practice, the heads are easy to replace and last a fair while before they need replacing. Eventually the green or white cleaning surface starts to wear away. You do have to be careful to use the non-scratch head for delicate items as the scouring head will damage them, but it's easy enough to swap the heads over and because the liquid doesn't flow out at great speed, it's not generally a messy experience. I guess they're cheap enough to buy a second one to use purely with the non-scratch head - not sure why I hadn't thought of that before!! Similarly, filling the Dishmatique with liquid is very easily done. In our kitchen, the liquid in the Dishmatique only needs topping up about once every 3-4 weeks and we use it every day for a handful of items, so it's an efficient way of using your washing up liquid.

Overall this is a very useful little item, that makes washing up that bit more pleasant an experience.

POSITIVES
Very easy to use
Much more agreeable than using a bowl of water to wash up
Great value for money

NEGATIVES
Need to change heads for delicate items
Non-scratch heads can be difficult to find

Summary: Increases my likelihood of wanting to do the washing up!