5 Little Things That’ll Make Standing at Your Sink Easier on Your Back

Of all the tasks we have to do in the kitchen (the chopping! The stirring! The lifting of the heavy Dutch oven!), dish duty is one of the hardest on our backs. For starters, we usually have to do it at least once a day. Although during coronavirus times, it feels like we’re actually just washing dishes all day long. We have to stand at the sink, reach for dishes, pick things up … It’s all sure to do a number on your upper and lower back. And probably even your middle back! (That’s a thing, right?) While it’s probably too late to ask for a professional massage for Christmas, it’s never too late to treat yourself to one of these fun finds that’ll help make standing at the sink so much easier on your back.

Ready? Go get horizontal and then let’s take a look.

We’ve complained on this site before about the lack of good-looking kitchen mats. Turns out, some people are listening! We actually helped to inspire these gorgeous and oh-so-cushy kitchen mats that feel like giant mouse pads for our feet. They come in five different sizes and twice as many patterns, each one as pretty as a vintage rug.

Buy: Nama Kitchen Mat, from $89 at Little Nomad

A bottle of dish soap isn’t exactly heavy, but what if you go to reach for it the wrong way and you pull a muscle? (It can happen!) This new-ish gadget from OXO is super smart (and helpful) for a few reasons. For starters, you just push your sponge down onto the grid and it’ll squirt soap right onto your sponge. Then, when you’re done, leave the sponge on top and the water drips down into a special compartment so that your sponge can dry out between uses.

Buy: OXO Good Grips Soap Dispensing Sponge Holder, $17.99

This over-the-sink dish drying rack makes it easy to put just-washed dishes somewhere without having to twist or turn. It keeps everything right in front of you, like a car’s dashboard — only it’s for wet dishes.

Buy: iSpecle Over the Sink Dish Drying Rack, $49.99

We’re big fans of slippers in the kitchen (cooking barefoot is risky and wearing shoes anywhere past your entryway is a good way to track in dirt, mud, etc!). And these slippers are specifically designed to support natural alignment, which can relieve foot, knee, and back pain. Plus, they’re extra soft and comfy!

Buy: Vionic Gemma Slippers, $64.95 at Nordstrom

Okay, so this is technically for after you’re done standing at the sink, but we got one of these a few years ago and we can’t believe we haven’t written about it sooner. The trigger point massager can hit your neck, shoulders, lower back, and more. And you can use it yourself, so you don’t have to drop hints to your SO about how much you’d love a back rub. For what it’s worth, it has a 4.7-star rating and more than 5,000 5-star reviews.

Buy: Thera Cane Massager, $29.95