Scrub Daddy Review: Is the TikTok

Jun 23, 2023

First of all, why is it so happy looking?

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Food & Wine / Tyler Roeland

You’ve seen it on TikTok, and despite it racking up 1 million views, we all still have to ask: Does it work? In ‘I Tried the Trend,’ our editors and writers are testing popular gadgets from TikTok and Instagram to see if they really work. Keep reading to find out if they’re blips or mainstays.

Regardless of whether or not you’re on cleaning-tok, you’ve seen the Scrub Daddy somewhere, even if it’s the checkout aisle at your grocery store. Though the overly-happy cleaning sponge has been around for a while, it became exceedingly well-known a few years ago through social media.

Designed to make the often dreaded task of cleaning dishes easier, users (and the brand) have touted this sponge the best cleaning tool, thanks to its perks and design. The hashtag (#scrubdaddy) has garnered a staggering 3 billion views on TikTok. But, is it actually what it’s cracked up to be? As someone known for being meticulous when it comes to cleaning, I had to try it out.

Food & Wine / Kristin Montemarano

To buy: Scrub Daddy Sponge, $4 at amazon.com

Aside from the name itself, the sponge is unique for a few reasons. One, its texture changes depending on the water temperature. Run it under cold water, and it’ll hold its harder, scrubby bristles. But under warm water, it becomes a softer, malleable texture. That’s all thanks to its polymer foam material, which makes it different from your average sponge. But like a sponge, according to the brand, it’s safe to use on a variety of surfaces from stainless steel, to glass, copper, nonstick, and cast iron.

Its smiley face design isn’t just for looks, either. You’re meant to place your fingers into the eyes for easier holding, and the smile was designed to wipe both sides of smaller items like utensils in one go. Because of its versatile texture, you can use it on a variety of surfaces aside from items in your kitchen, like cabinets, floors, and furniture, according to the brand. It's the only sponge I've ever encountered that's dishwasher-safe, which is ideal for sanitary reasons, especially if you plan to use it for more than one room.

Food & Wine / Kristin Montemarano

With all of these incredible perks in mind, I took to Amazon, and ordered the nearly $4 scrubber with high hopes. It’s worth noting that this is surely more expensive than your run of the mill sponge, but I imagine the large size and special material might contribute to the cost.

According to the brand, the sponge is supposed to last two weeks — just as long as a normal one, though it’ll vary for each person. I’ve been using mine for a few weeks on every surface I could find, and it still looks brand new.

I use mostly cast iron and nonstick cookware, with some aluminum sheet trays, cake pans, and a stainless steel pan in the mix. Generally, I really do like the sponge, but only for my tougher jobs. It was easy to hold, and the unique design proved itself useful more often than I expected. But for me, the abrasive texture felt like a lot to use all the time, especially on nicer cookware, even though the brand says it doesn’t scratch. I didn’t really feel like I needed it, unless there were remnants stuck to my Dutch oven that needed scraping.

Food & Wine / Kristin Montemarano

To buy: Scrub Mommy Sponge, $4 at amazon.com

But there’s not just a Scrub Daddy, there’s a Scrub Mommy, too, and I spontaneously ordered one soon after. By and large, I found this sponge to be a much better pick. It has the same temperature sensitive texture as the Scrub Daddy, but unlike the Scrub Daddy half of it is softer, since it has a soft-foam surface on one side.

That means I get the best of both worlds: a soft clean for more delicate cookware, serveware, and kitchenware, and the classic scrubby side for tougher jobs that need a bit more abrasion. It still has all of the other perks — two eyes for ergonomic holding, a smile for cleaning utensils, and a dishwasher-safe design.

Food & Wine / Kristin Montemarano

But with versatile sides, this has now become the only cleaning tool I grab, and I feel like the convenience of it all makes it a much better value than its counterpart. I’m still able to put my signature spotless clean on everything — it foams up really well, and the big, thick surface on both sides removes debris off of everything in record speed. It has lasted me weeks with no visible impact. And while I used it, I found myself wondering why the Scrub Daddy took the forefront (at least on my feed), because I find the Scrub Mommy to be the true kitchen gem. It’s also recyclable when you’re ready to swap for a new one.

For the real TikTok viral-worthy sponge, pick up the Scrub Mommy and see for yourself, like I did. The Scrub Daddy is still a wonderful product, but the Scrub Mommy deserves more praise.

At the time of publishing, the price started at $4.