The Unexpected Dollar-Tree Tool You Should Be Using to Clean Your Sink

I am all about tips and tricks I find on TikTok to streamline and maximize my cleaning process. Most recently, I saw a video on @allisonscleanin’s page showing how she uses a Dollar Tree brush to clean sinks. A mere $1.25 to simplify an everyday cleaning task? I knew I had to give it a try.

The brush Allison uses is labeled as a “garage brush.” According to the product description, its “stiff but soft bristles” are meant for sweeping up garage messes. In fact, when I excitedly showed my hobbyist woodworker of a husband my new purchase, he told me he uses basically the same thing in his workshop to sweep sawdust off of surfaces. 

Nevermind his skepticism! I was optimistic. I forged ahead with my very low-stakes experiment. I sprayed down my stainless steel kitchen sink with some all purpose cleaner, let it sit for a few minutes, then got to scrubbing. 

I was pleasantly surprised with the brush’s performance. I typically use a sponge to wipe the kitchen sink down. I’ll reach for a stiff-bristled grout brush to get in the nooks and crannies when I’m doing a deeper clean. But this brush did a much better job with a quick scrub-down than a sponge. And unlike my narrow grout brush, the bristles on this brush are long and much softer, and cover much more surface area.

I was able get up and around the back of the faucet much more easily, and was also able to get into the seal where the undermount sink meets the counter. 

Another plus? The offset handle on the brush. As the video mentions, it allows you to keep your hands dry, which is nice for a quick cleaning job when I don’t want to break out the gloves. The position of it allows me to clean at different angles without hitting my knuckles on any surfaces. Together with the longer length of the brush, I can get into the gross drain too without touching anything.

Finally, I just liked that it was a totally separate cleaning tool than a sponge. I try and keep one specific sponge for the dishes and another for cleaning jobs. Switching to a brush for the grimier jobs means I won’t accidentally mix the two sponges up.

Pro tip: Allison does mention this brush can be hard to source at Dollar Tree. If you can’t find this specific brush at your local store, look for a handheld broom or “bench brush” (the official terminology, according to my husband).