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I Tried the Dish Drying Pad That’s All Over Instagram (and Made of Fossilized Algae!)

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Credit: Joe Lingeman/Apartment Therapy

You know how sometimes you don’t even realize that something needs to be improved upon until a new, better version comes along? I low-key didn’t like the rubber dish draining mat we kept by our sink for hand-washed things, but never really thought about it. (Other than to periodically notice how gross it got between stints in the dishwasher.)

Then I saw a weird but elegant alternative . It’s billed as instant-drying, made of diatomaceous earth (we’ll come back to that), and folds up, so it doesn’t have to take up a ton of real estate on your counter all the time.

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The dish mat is from a company called Dorai that sells a whole lineup of pretty, modern kitchen things. But I was just there for the mat. Which, here’s the sort of bad news, costs 75 bucks (I know), but happens to be 21 percent off right now during the brand’s rare Tidy Up Sale .

I had to give it a try, but was awfully curious about how they were using a substance that I only knew as a natural flea repellant (I’ve bought diatomaceous earth in powdered form to sprinkle on my dog’s bed.) I had no idea it did anything else, but apparently, diatomaceous earth (aka grass of the sea) is a mineral made from “the fossilized remains of tiny aquatic organisms,” according to Dorai’s website. When moisture hits the surface of something made with this stuff, the site says “The material attracts and binds bacteria and parasites, causing them to dry out and die.” Score one for science! With millions of pores in these products made with diatomaceous earth, water just evaporates super quickly.

Sounds good, right? Especially because the dish towels I had to set under my rubber mat would invariably get a funky smell before I thought to replace them (not to mention just always look kind of sloppy to my eye).

Credit: Dana McMahan

So did it live up to the pretty high expectations they set? In a word, yep.

There really is some kind of science magic that makes the pad dry out quickly. I set dishes, dripping, directly from the sink onto the mat, and the next time I look at it, there’s no water. I’ve yet to have to wipe up any puddles or worry about a moldy/funky-smelling towel.

There’s also a silicone mesh wrap around the material, which lets air circulate, so the dishes dry pretty quickly as well.

Credit: Dana McMahan

The fact that the whole thing folds up (into thirds) is also pretty brilliant. I mostly just leave it folded all the way open (it’s about 15 by 19) because that provides enough room for all the dishes we’d have to do after a meal. But if I feel like cleaning the counter and want to declutter it, it folds up to tuck in the cabinet under the sink. My old rubber mat was floppy and usually wet, and not ideal to try to stow like that.

Credit: Dana McMahan

And as far as functional necessities like dish mats go, this one is actually fairly nice to look at. The light gray color, low profile, and offset pattern of the silicone mesh is pleasingly modern.

Just one thing to note: This thing is so popular (reviewers say things like “game-changer” and “amazing invention”) it’s been selling out a lot. Right now, it looks like orders are shipping this month, so get yours in soon.

Now that I know about this cool science I may have to level up my bath mat . Have you tried anything made with diatomaceous earth? What did you think?

Dana McMahan

Contributor

Freelance writer Dana McMahan is a chronic adventurer, serial learner, and whiskey enthusiast based in Louisville, Kentucky.

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Source : food