How To Choose The Best Washing Up Brush?

A washing up brush can make the tedious job of dishwashing so much easier, faster and more efficient.

Instead of getting your hands sore scrubbing pots and pans with a sponge, a washing up brush can easily remove stubborn spots and stains.

A good washing up brush should be easy to hold in your hand, have firm but gentle bristles that clean without causing any damage, and be able to reach edges and corners of utensils.

In this buying guide, we review the best washing up brushes you can order online in the UK, and give you some tips on how to choose the best one for your dishwashing needs.

What to Look For in a Washing Up Brush

A. Brush Head

The most important area to check is the brush head. Its design, shape and materials determine how good the brush is at scrubbing different kinds of dishes. Here are the specific brush head features to look for.

• Bristle materials – The best washing up brushes have nylon bristles. These are firm enough to remove stains and caked-on foods from utensils, but gentle enough for safe use on non-stick pans and pots.

• Bristle angle – The bristles should be angled outwards to ensure they reach the edges and corners of dishes.

• Built-in scraper – Our most favourite washing up brushes integrate a scraper into the brush head. This gives you an extra tool to attack foods stuck to utensils.

B. Comfortable Handle

The next most important part of a washing up brush is the handle. You should be able to hold the handle in a strong grip so that you can move the brush around and scrub with ease.

And since there’s water involved in washing up, the brush handle should have a non-slip design.

Also, check the length of the handle. A longer handle is better. It’s not only easier to hold firmly in your hand, it also gives you a longer reach when scrubbing dishes. It’s especially handy for deep pots and pans, as well as bottles and jars.

Another thing to check is the shape of the handle. The best washing up brushes are not straight from the tip of the handle to the tip of the brush head. Instead, the handle curves downwards as it nears the brush head.

This positions the brush head lower than the handle and ensures it maintains full contact with the surface of utensils when you are scrubbing.

C. Extra Features

Here are some extra features to look for. They are not essential, but are nice to have.

• Easy to store design – Some brushes incorporate a sink rest, while others have a hanging hole on the handle.

• Soap dispenser – Some brushes incorporate a soap dispenser, so you can keep scrubbing without pausing to get more detergent.

• Interchangeable heads – Instead of buying a whole new washing up brush when the current one wears out, you simply buy a new head and swap it with the old one.

Best Washing Up Brushes: Top 5 Reviews

1. Joseph Joseph 85025 Edge Dish Brush

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The Joseph Joseph edge dish brush is popular for its integrated sink rest design. Instead of a hole in the handle for hanging up the brush, it has a side hook that rests the brush on the edge of the sink.

This saves space and keeps the brush in an easy to access place right on the sink.

However, it doesn’t always work. While the resting point is designed to be non-slip, many users say both the brush and the sink edge have to be completely dry for the brush to stay put.

And even then, some users say the brush topples into the sink at the slightest touch, and sometimes gets in the way especially if you have a small sink.

So keep in mind that the sink rest design doesn’t work on all sinks. Unfortunately, the handle doesn’t have a hole to hang it up with if you are unable to store it on the sink edge.

As for the brush itself, it’s pretty good at scrubbing dishes clean. The bristles are firm but gentle (safe for non-stick), and they are angled outwards for better access to the edges of dishes.

The brush head is angled downwards to maintain full contact with the surface of utensils at all times. The curved handle fits perfectly in your grip and it’s non-slip.

What we like about it:

• Space-saving and convenient sink rest design.
• Does a great job scrubbing dishes.
• Safe for non-stick utensils.
• Includes scraper.

2. 3 x Dishmatic Washing Up Brushes with Heavy Duty Sponge

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If you want a washing up brush with an integrated soap dispenser, get this set of three Dishmatic brushes.

The Dishmatic brushes are not actually brushes in the traditional sense. They don’t come with bristles. Rather, they are sponge holders.

The pack includes three handles with a sponge attached to each. They are heavy duty sponges that are great for scrubbing pots and pans. You can also order white non-scratch sponges for delicate utensils or black extra heavy duty sponges.

It’s easy to swap sponges on the handles.

The handles double up as soap dispensers. You add washing up liquid to the handle, and it dispenses it into the sponge as you wash.

There are several complaints regarding soap leaking from the handle no matter how you store it. The solution is to add only a little detergent at a time. If you fill up the handle, it’ll leak.

You can also use the Dishmatic brushes without any detergent added to the handles.

What we like about it:

• Includes three handles.
• Easy to replace sponge heads.
• Integrated soap dispenser.
• Comfortable and easy to use handle.

3. Addis Ultra Grip Jumbo Dish Brush

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If you are looking for a high quality and well designed washing up brush that’s also affordable, we recommend the Addis Jumbo dish brush.

It features a mixture of stiff and soft bristles, ensuring it can handle all dishwashing needs from washing crockery to scrubbing pots.

The bristles are angled outwards, making it easy to reach the edges and corners of whatever you are cleaning. You also get a scraper on the brush head for loosening baked-on foods.

The handle is easy to grip, with a contoured design that moulds perfectly to your hand. It’s also rubberised, which provides a stronger non-slip grip.

Despite the Jumbo name, the Addis dish brush is no bigger than other brushes. It’s 28cm long and the brush head is 7cm wide.

It’s perfectly sized for cleaning a wide range of utensils, including jars and wide-mouth bottles.

What we like about it:

• Low price.
• Comfortable and non-slip handle.
• Firm and durable nylon bristles.
• Includes scraper.

4. Agile Eco Friendly Washing Up Scrubbing Brush & Eco Sponge

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If you prefer eco-friendly and non-plastic products, we recommend this natural dish brush set from Agile Home and Garden.

The set includes three brush heads, one wooden handle and one sponge. Everything is 100% natural, and the packaging is eco-friendly.

The brush heads include two soft ones made from sisal fibres and one tough one made from sisal and palmyra fibres.

The handle is made from beech wood, and the sponge is a natural loofah.

Eco-friendly is good, but how do the Agile brushes stand up to daily dishwashing?

They are great. The round brush heads with angled bristles can reach any part of a pot or pan. You can switch between the soft and tough brush head depending on what you are cleaning.

Customers say swapping brush heads is a bit difficult, but it does get easier with time as the securing mechanism gets a bit looser.

The brush heads are good for 4-8 weeks, after which you should buy new ones. But you can use the same handle for a long time.

As for the natural loofah, it’s great for washing a wide range of utensils. It soaks up a lot of water and softens once it’s wet. It lasts 4-6 weeks.

The most important thing with these natural brushes and the natural sponge is to dry them after use. Hang them up in an airy place after each use.

What we like about it:

• Value pack – includes three brushes, a handle, and a sponge.
• Eco-friendly brushes and packaging.
• Bristles are great for cleaning and scrubbing dishes.
• They look better than other washing up brushes.

5. OXO Good Grips Dish Brush with Scraper

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The OXO Good Grips dish brush is probably the most popular washing up brush on Amazon. It’s a bit pricier than other brushes, but it’s one of the best dish brushes.

Not only is it well designed, it’s also well made and lasts a long time without the bristles falling off.

Let’s start with the handle. It’s wide, which provides a strong grip and makes it easy to maneuver it around a pot or pan. Grooves set at the base of the handle keep your hand from slipping, even when wet.

The handle curves downwards and connects to a 6.7cm wide brush head with long lasting nylon bristles.

The bristles are safe for most utensils, including non-stick ones. They are firm enough to loosen stubborn stains and stuck bits of food. They flare outwards, so you can easily scrub food from the edges and corners of dishes.

For the most difficult spots, the brush head has a built-in scraper.

What we like about it:

• Durable.
• Non-slip handle.
• Built-in scraper.
• One of the best designed washing up brushes.