Common in Israel but not so much in the US, a small kitchen squeegee can change the way you clean your countertops.
If you’ve spent time in an Israeli kitchen, you’ve probably seen the little squeegees used to swipe water off the countertops. Every time I tried it, I’d wonder why we don’t use these here. Recently I finally bought a couple of squeegees and I’m completely hooked. (I used nail polish to differentiate between meat and dairy like in this post.)
Disclaimer: these are only relevant if you have under-mount sinks. That means your sink is installed underneath the countertop so there is no lip at the edge of the sink.
So how do I clean my counters these days? With a simple sponge and dish soap. When the dishes are all done, I just take the soapy sponge and use it to clean the counters. The “scrubby” side of the sponge takes care of any dried-on food much more easily than a rag or paper towel would. When it’s all clean, a few swipes with the squeegee to get all the water into the sink and the counter is clean and dry!
Bonus – this squeegee comes with a little suction mounted holder. I put it on the front of the sink so it’s not visible unless you’re standing over the sink.
Random question: Are your counters quartz? Do you cut straight on them or use a cutting board? I just got quartz and I think I saw little marks after cutting straight on them…
I have quartz- don't cut directly on it, it'll get ruined.
Any counter will get marks from cutting straight on them!
I have sinks with a lip (above the counter) and still use the squeegees. It makes the counter so much cleaner and whatever soapy water doesn’t go into the sink I wipe off with paper towel or rag.
Do you clean it with plain water after, or just push the soapy water into the sink? Will that leave streaks on a granite countertop? Thank you!
I do usually clean after with plain water, but it’s not necessary. There can be some light streaking afterward – nothing more than you’d have with fantastik and a paper towel. I like to use Weiman’s spray polish after cleaning my kitchen completely, but definitely not every time I clean the counters.
is this stainless steel one better than the cheap plastic ones or pretty much the same thing?
Does anyone else have a problem with mold between the counter and the undermount sink? There’s a slight space between the counter and sink and I find that the silicone gets moldy. Any tips?