I hated washing the dishes until I switched to this clever $20 dish drying rack that's perfect for tiny spaces – now it takes half the time

I love cooking, and don't even mind tidying away afterwards, but I really hate doing the washing up. It seems there's never enough space to stack up my clean dishes on the draining board, and wiping them down with a dish cloth only ever seems to do half the job.

But, despite the wet sleeves and getting covered in suds, it is, unfortunately, a necessary evil when it comes to keeping a kitchen neat, tidy, and sanitary.

So, while upgrading my small kitchen must haves, I was on the hunt for a new dish drying rack, to make the job a little easier and a lot less time-consuming. When I came across this bestselling drying rack I had to give it a go, and it's changed the game for good.

I hated washing the dishes until I found this dish drying rack

Once my eagerly awaited dish rack arrived, I timed how long it took me to get it out of the box, fully assembled, and ready to go. The result? Two minutes!

All I needed to do was attach the handily rotatable water outlet to the bottom of the plastic tray, slot the metal rack on top, and slide the cutlery pot onto the side. I then popped it on my flat metal draining board next to the sink and stood back to admire my handy work.

Unlike other drying racks, which can be one of the things that always make your kitchen look cluttered, this one looks sleek and stylish, and with such a pared back design, will fit right in to any kitchen ideas. With silicone feet, it also won't slip around, and instead sits safely and securely on any surface.

Then, all that was left to do was cook dinner (the fun part) and deal with the washing up afterwards.

After the meal, armed with expert tips for washing dishes, I grabbed my dish soap (I recommend the Dawn Ultra Liquid Dish Soap available at Walmart) and dish brush, and got started. I like this wooden Handled Dish Brush available at Target if you're looking to cut back on plastic and be more sustainable at home.

Immediately, I appreciated the new amount of space I had to line up wet dishes, and was really impressed by the draining feature. Water simply ran off my plates down the drainage hole and out the outlet, straight into the sink. This meant no more overflow on my draining board, and most importantly, no more reaching counter drying. Instead, I was able to just leave my used dishes to dry overnight, before putting them away in the morning.

There was even enough space to stack the heavy, detachable, newly clean part of my best rice cooker on top of everything, which is usually particularly cumbersome.

My verdict

This might not be the most innovative of kitchen additions, but it does the job and does the job well. It's great for small kitchen ideas, and, as someone without a dishwasher, will undoubtedly become a crucial part of cleaning my kitchen after use.

Plus, it looks good too, and is just as easy to disassemble as it was to put together, making cleaning it quick and convenient when necessary.

What to shop

FAQs

Why does my dish drying rack get dirty?

As a usually damp environment, leaving your dish rack wet makes it prone to become a hidden moldy spot in the kitchen and encourages hard water stains.

Instead, aim to dry your empty rack at least once a day with a microfiber cloth, such as the MR.SIGA Microfiber Cleaning Cloth available at Walmart, or use a rack with a drainage spout to do the job for you.

How do you wash dishes without a drying rack?

If you don't have a drying rack, but do have a dishwasher, simply place your hand-washed dishes into it (turned off, obviously) and leave the door slightly ajar to let them air and dry.

Do you know about the kitchen sink organizing rules? Keep your space streamlined and clutter-free to banish bad smells and bacteria, and keep your kitchen looking its best.