The $7 Tool That Makes Hand-Washing Dishes a Million Times Easier (and Safer!)

Have you ever cut yourself while washing a chef’s knife? I have, and it remains one of the dumbest things I’ve ever done. (I didn’t need stitches, but I did need an audience of houseguests who watched in horror as I kept my finger above my head for 15 minutes!) So when I saw the BladeBrush a few years ago — made by one of my favorite gadget companies, Joseph Joseph — I was INTERESTED.

What’s the BladeBrush? It’s a little tool that, honestly, looks like a set of false teeth. Only, instead of teeth, it’s got rows and rows of bristles.

The idea is that you use it to (safely!) clean knife blades of all sizes. Just get it soapy and pull the blade through a few times. Your fingers stay protected and the sharp blade gets brushed clean! (You’ll have to use a sponge to wipe down the handle, but that’s a manageable task.) Take it from me: If you are even a little accident prone, it’s worth considering this.

I also use this brush to wipe food off forks, spoons, and butter knives before they go in the dishwasher. (Because you really shouldn’t be putting pieces of food in your dishwasher, but I hate letting the faucet run more than it needs to. So I just use this directly over the garbage can and then I rinse the BladeBrush once the dishwasher is loaded.)

One last thing I love about this tool: Because it’s made of sturdy plastic, it stands up on its own, which means it can dry completely between uses, so it doesn’t get gross.

Just for fun, I took a spin through the reviews on Amazon and many shoppers are quick to point out that this tool not only cleans knives well, but it also makes quick work of the task. Totally true! And one reviewer had a brilliant off-label use: “I bought this brush to quickly and safely clean knives and it works great for them, but I also use it to clean the sealing ring from my Instant Pot! Fast and easy!”