The $12 Double-Duty Kitchen Gadget That Keeps My Sink So Much Cleaner

In most households, the sink is where you do most of the cleaning in your kitchen, especially if you don’t have a dishwasher. However, it’s also one of the places that often gets ignored when you’re tidying up and scrubbing your kitchen surfaces. And, that’s just the outside of the sink. If you don’t have a garbage disposal, you really shouldn’t be letting anything make its way down the drain — but we’ve all been guilty of letting those extra grains of rice or soggy piece of onion slide down into the abyss, never to be seen again. Well, eventually, those bits of food will end up clogging your drain over time, which either means a torturous evening of drain cleaner and snake wrangling or an expensive call to a plumber. Thankfully, even if your apartment (like mine) didn’t come with one, there’s an easy and affordable solution to this problem: the 2-in-1 Silicone Sink Strainer with Stopper from OXO. 

This 2-in-1 tool from one of my favorite kitchen brands, OXO, features a silicone basket which traps food bits and easily inverts when you need to empty it. Giving the large center knob a quarter turn in either direction engages the stopper, which halts the flow of water and plugs the sink. It’s also made with quality silicone that won’t scratch up the bottom of your sink, and it’s both PVC-free and dishwasher-safe. 

Personally, since I’ve been using it, what’s stood out for me is its versatility. Having a plug that (actually) works makes it super easy to clean my sink, because I’ll just add some soap, stop the drain, and fill up the sink to soak off any crusted-on bits of food or sauce and loosen up any grease or oil. Plus, as a strainer, it’s so easy to remove that I usually don’t even have to touch any of the gross, soggy food bits that it traps — I just pick it up by the knob, invert the basket, and dump it in the trash. The other cool thing about this two-in-one tool from OXO is that you can use it in the bathroom, too. If you don’t already have a TubShroom or a built-in drain plug, this is an awesome upgrade. 

I’m not the only one who likes it either. “On first glance this little stopper doesn’t seem like it will do the job,” one reviewer wrote. “But, when you fill the sink, it holds firm. That’s the beauty of this stopper — OXO built a well executed simple kitchen helper. When you turn the knob, water flows right out. I clean sinks full of fruit and veggies in large batches and this will help HUGELY! Love it.” So, whether you’re looking to replace your existing sink strainer, upgrade your shower drain, or avoid an expensive call to a plumber down the line, the 2-in-1 Silicone Sink Strainer with Stopper is a great choice. 

Buy: 2-in-1 Silicone Sink Strainer with Stopper, $11.99