Notes From the Sink: Washing-Up Wisdom

I'll be honest with you. Every evening, without fail, I stand at the sink and wash up the dishes for my family. I am one of the founders of LoofCo — a company built on the belief that natural materials are better than plastic — and I truly test our LoofCo washing-up pads, brushes and soap on a nightly basis. No rush, just me and the dishes and a mission to clean them thoroughly in a traditional way.

I've actually come to love it. Washing up, done right, is one of the most underrated rituals of the day. It's repetitive, it's satisfying, and nobody can ask you to do anything else while you're doing it. It's the original mindfulness practice!

Over the years, I've developed what I can only describe as a washing-up philosophy. Here are my four tips for turning the most dreaded chore in the kitchen into something you might actually look forward to.

1. Embrace the mindfulness (yes, really)

The washing-up is one of the few moments in the day when you genuinely cannot be doing three other things at once. Your hands are wet, your phone is (hopefully) out of reach, and the only decision you need to make is whether to do the glasses first. I've reframed this time as a genuine mental break — a chance to decompress, reflect, and occasionally hum along to something on the radio. Try it for a week. You might be surprised.

2. Make it smell wonderful

I'm a big fan of naturally derived washing-up liquids and if you really want to try something new,  reach for our LoofCo Washing-Up Soap Bar in Lemongrass or Lime. Natural, plastic-free, and they smell beautiful and lather up onto a loofah pad for brilliant grease cutting and cleaning. We keep our by the sink, nestled on a loofCo Soap Rest.

3. Put something good on

A great playlist, a podcast you've been saving, or the radio — whatever works for you. Give your ears something to enjoy while your hands do the work, and the time flies.

4. Upgrade your tools

This is where I get to be slightly evangelical, and I make no apologies for it. The single biggest upgrade I made to my washing-up routine was ditching the plastic sponge. Plastic sponges harbour bacteria, fall apart within weeks, and end up in landfill. They are, frankly, a terrible product that we've all just accepted as normal.

I now use a LoofCo Washing-Up Pad made from natural loofah plant, and a LoofCo Washing-Up Brush made from coconut coir fibre. Based on materials that have been used for centuries — because they work. They're tough on grease, gentle on pans, dry quickly between uses, and when they eventually wear out, they go straight on the compost heap. No landfill. No guilt.

For the stubborn stuff — baked-on casseroles, the bottom of the porridge pan (you know the one) — our LoofCo Washing-Up Scraper is an absolute revelation. Made from coconut husk, it shifts the most determined residue without scratching your pans. I use it every single day.

If you want to try the full set, our LoofCo Dish & Kitchen Bundle gives you everything you need to transform your sink setup — and saves 15% while you're at it.

So there you have it. Four tips from a man who has washed up thousands of  evening meals and lived to tell the tale. The sink is not the enemy. With the right mindset, the right soundtrack, and the right tools, it might just become your favourite part of the day.

— Matthew Clark, Co-founder, LoofCo