No, no. A Spaghetti Scrubber isn’t some weird device to clean your pasta. It’s a nifty little dish scrubber that touts how it’s made from all-natural materials, but its real claim to fame is that unlike that scrubby sponges, it doesn’t stink after a few days’ use.
The name comes from the fact that it looks like a pile of spaghetti and it scrubs dishes.
I first learned about it from a reader, Melody aboard Vacilando. And so I ordered a package of two. To be blunt, I like them better than other options, but I don’t think they’re 100% perfect. But in the absence of finding something better, I’ll buy them again.
I’ve been using one of the scrubbers for eight weeks now, and just yesterday I noticed that it was losing its grit and that it was just picking up a bit of sour smell. Melody says they’ve been using the same one for six months with no smell — maybe I use it more? Still, two months is much longer than any other scrubber has lasted, although they’re also more expensive at about $9 for two.
Don’t be surprised when you get them: new out of the box, they are totally flat but with the first use they’ll curl up into the “pile of spaghetti.”
I bought the coarse scrubbers (the gold ones in the photo) and they worked well on all but the nastiest messes. They got dried food off dishes and normal pan crud off just fine. But for nasty pans with blackened material, I needed to get out some cleanser (these don’t work well with the cleanser; use a rag instead) or a plastic scrubby thing (but those tend to pick up a smell very quickly, so I try not to use them all the time). The Spaghetti Scrubber just couldn’t get it all off.
The Spaghetti Scrubber touts itself as a very “green” option, saying that you don’t need to use soap or detergent with it. Frankly, that didn’t work for me with anything that had any grease on it. I still used soapy water and was much happier with the results.
Also, although they seem to be marketed as a replacement for a dish rag, I just didn’t like using them for everything. I still used my dish rags (yeah, the Scrubr non-stinky ones that I love) just as I always had and used the Spaghetti Scrubber in place of a scrubby sponge.
I’ve also tried a number of other “scrubby” tools, looking to see what worked best on a boat. Ideally, I’d like something that won’t get that sour smell after just a few uses, will clean up even the toughest messes, can be rinsed out easily, won’t rust and will last forever. The Spaghetti Scrubber does far better than the others I’ve tried (several brands of scrubby sponges, scrubby sheets, stainless scrubbers and so on) as all of the others were hard to rinse food particles out of and that alone usually made them start to stink. The ones with sponges also picked up that sour smell as they didn’t dry quickly.
Bottom line: I recommend the Spaghetti Scrubbers as being better than anything else, but I’ll admit that they aren’t perfect!
You can buy the Spaghetti Scrubbers on Amazon (they have both a coarse and gentle; I recommend the coarse).
Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
Simplify meal prep on board with proven strategies for provisioning, maximizing fridge space, and cooking delicious meals aboard your boat.
MaryJo Boyle says
Hey Carolyn! Evidently you’ve never heard of the 3M stainless steel scrubber. I’ve been using them for years and they are the best! My pots and pans and baking pans look like new and I’ve had all of them forever. One of these babies will last for many months and they do not rust. I usually buy them at Wal-Mart, but they can be ordered from Amazon https://amzn.to/2K5ixWL.
Try ’em, you’ll like ’em! =0)
Carolyn Shearlock says
Several years ago, I tried some stainless ones and they just sort of fell apart. Maybe they were an off brand . . . I’ll look for the 3M ones and try them.
MaryJo Boyle on Facebook says
Try a 3M stainless steel scrubber–they’re fantastic.
Frances Garrett says
For scrubbing, I use the green pads; I think they’re called Scotch-brite. I cut them in half and replace frequently.
But frankly, I don’t scrub much. I use a trick my mother taught me. I put some dish soap and enough water to cover the bottom of the pan (baking pan or stove-top pan) and place it on a burner and bring it to a boil. Doesn’t take long, because it’s only a bit of water. Let it cool, and then scrub. Amazing how much easier it is. I thought I’d have some trouble with baking pans……warping for instance, but so far, so good.
Melody says
Hi Carolyn! I’m so glad you ordered one and that you like it! I will say that about a month ago (so about 8 months into using it), I noticed the “sour” smell you talk about and we threw ours out. We also stretched the use of ours by cutting it in half, and the first half was probably thrown out a few months ago for the same reason. We did soak ours a few times in vinegar, then stick it out in the sun to eliminate anything that might contribute to the smell.
Thank you for sharing and for the link to our blog! Always love reading your tips – they are most helpful!!
Jackie says
For a long time, both on and off of the boat, I have used an expired card (credit, gift, or…) as a scraper on burned on stuff. Doesn´t harm a non-stick surface and works quite well to get that stuff off. Easy to clean or replace and no expense at all.