Look after them and they last longer

The materials we stock

• Sisal — a stiff plant fibre from the agave leaf. Firm enough for baked-on food, soft enough not to mark most cookware.
• Coconut fibre (coir) — coarse and resilient, and it resists holding onto oil, which is why it suits bottles and pans.
• Palm fibre — softer than sisal, often paired with it for general scrubbing.
• Bamboo — used for handles and bodies. It's a wood, so it dislikes soaking.
• Cellulose and cotton sponge cloth — absorbent, quick-drying and washable, standing in for a stack of paper towel.

The exact composition of each item is listed on its own product page, taken from the maker's specification. Where a maker doesn't publish a figure, we leave it blank rather than estimate.

Everyday care

• Rinse after use and shake out the water.
• Stand brushes bristle-up or hang them so air reaches the head.
• Don't leave wooden handles sitting in the sink or a wet dish rack.
• Keep bamboo and natural bristle out of the dishwasher.
• Sponge cloths can go in the washing machine — cold, and tumble low or air dry.

What to expect as they age

Natural bristles soften and may shed a little in the first few uses. Bamboo darkens where it gets wet most often. A sponge cloth gradually stiffens between washes as it reaches the end of its life. None of this is a fault; it's how the material behaves.

When to replace

Replace a brush head when the bristles splay out and stop reaching into corners. Where a brush has a replacement head, it will be listed in the shop with a fit note naming the brush body it matches.

A note on claims

We don't describe anything here as antibacterial, non-toxic, chemical-free or mould-proof. Those are claims we can't substantiate for these products, so we don't make them.