This Bar Mat is Perfect for the Endless Washing of Pesach Dishes

Somehow we seem to wash a million times more dishes during the Pesach season than any other time of year. This bar mat will eliminate the extra loads of dish towels.

The vast majority of us don’t have a dishwasher for Pesach, even if we have two for the rest of the year. And even if you do have one, there still seems to be so much dishwashing in so little time.

Last year, a reader suggested using a bar mat – yes, like the bartenders use in bars – to hold the water drips instead of constantly laying out and swapping wet dish towels for dry ones. And unlike a dish drainer, these flat mats barely take up space when stored away.

A bar mat is a rubber mat with square edges and lots of little nubs all over the surface. When you lay the wet dishes on the mat, they sit on top of the nubs and water drips down into the mat. The edges hold the water in. And it can hold a lot more water than you’d think!

I ordered a set of two right away to test the concept. And boy is it a good one! After washing a full batch of dishes, all the water that’s collected in the mat simply gets dumped back into the sink – and it’s ready for the next batch. Again and again.

It’s as simple as that. And yes, I kept them out for all-year use. Because they’re just that practical.

Esti Waldman

Esti’s career has brought her behind the lens of food, fashion, books, and families as a leading photographer. Her talent and technical know-how make the photography you see on the site so appealing.

12 responses to “This Bar Mat is Perfect for the Endless Washing of Pesach Dishes”

  1. Bella Silver Avatar
    Bella Silver

    they can also get moldy… just saying

    1. Esti Waldman Avatar
      Esti Waldman

      I’ve been using them all year and haven’t seen any mold. I just leave them out to completely dry before putting them away.

  2. Estee Avatar
    Estee

    I have not experienced that. If you drain and leave them open to dry, not sure why they would mold. Have you used them and experienced mold?

    1. Bella Avatar
      Bella

      I have a gray one and on the flip side of the mat mold was visible. on black you won’t see it

      1. Chaya Avatar
        Chaya

        Mine got moldy too
        If you don’t tip out the water soon enough, and also it’s hard to clean between the grooves/nubs.
        Airdrying isn’t enough and it really needs a scrub…

  3. shifra g. Avatar
    shifra g.

    hi! if the problem is storing drying racks try this: it’s collapsible so it stores really well

    1. instagrandma8 Avatar
      instagrandma8

      I love this. It’s collapsible, and does the job

  4. ROSEE Avatar
    ROSEE

    I ACTUALLY JUST ORDERED THE COLLAPSIBLE ONE SO THANKS FOR THAT. ITS 6 PERCENT OFF LOL!!

  5. Fraidy Avatar
    Fraidy

    I ordered last year after it was recommended and we loved them!

  6. Mama Avatar
    Mama

    I’m not understanding how they help… can you explain?

  7. Devorah Avatar
    Devorah

    I got 2 of these for Pesach (bc 1 wasn’t big enough) and it was a game changer! No more water all over the counter and now I had a designated spot for all my dishes to dry. I loved it. Thanks for the idea!

  8. Miriam Avatar
    Miriam

    I let dishes dry straight on the counter, and then use a squeegee to sweep all the collected water into the sink.

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