Scrub Daddy vs. Scrub Mommy: which sponge cleans best? (2025)

This article was originally published on GH US

The Scrub Daddy sponge has become a cleaning phenomenon since its appeared on Shark Tank – the US equivalent of Dragon's Den – in 2012. Its immense popularity has led to the expansion of the brand, which now includes the Scrub Mommy sponge, along with a wide range of cloths, tools, cleaning formulas and more.

Beyond their adorable smiling faces, what makes Scrub Daddy and Scrub Mommy truly unique is their innovative "FlexTexture" foam, which changes stiffness and scrubbing power based on water temperature — firm in cold water and soft in hot. Scrub Mommy offers an added benefit with its "ResoFoam" layer, which provides a softer, more absorbent sponge-like texture.

I lead the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab in the US, where we test thousands of household cleaning products, tools and appliances every year, including the best spray mops, the best handheld vacuums and the best fabric shavers for restoring your favourite jumper. I have to admit that despite its popularity, I was a bit late to hopping on the Scrub Daddy train. I always wondered why I would need a scrubbing tool that softens in hot water — the temperature I typically use for washing dishes.

But for the sake of this comparison, I set aside all my preconceptions and put Scrub Daddy and Scrub Mommy to the test in an honest, side-by-side review. I used each to clean dishes and glassware, dirty cookware and roasting pans, stovetop burners and my convection microwave. Beyond the kitchen, I even put them to work scrubbing my bathtub, bath mat and chrome faucets. After all that cleaning, here’s how they measured up.

Scrub Daddy

Scrub Mommy

Let’s start with the fact that both scrubbers are completely adorable — it's impossible to look at their little faces and not crack a smile. I’m all for anything that makes cleaning a little more fun and whimsical.

Both Scrub Daddy and Scrub Mommy are made of FlexTexture foam, which stiffens in cold water for tough scrubbing and softens in warm or hot water for a gentler clean. They both scrub without scratching, have eye holes for easy gripping and feature a mouth that can clean both sides of spoons, forks, knives — and in my test, even cooking tongs. Plus, their little “hair” grooves are perfect for scrubbing around the rims of stemware and other glasses.

They're durable and long-lasting, bouncing right back into shape after scrubbing and squeezing. Available in different colours and designs, I like that they rinse cleanly and dry quickly to help minimise bacteria growth and odours.

Scrub Daddy is great for heavy-duty scrubbing

As the name suggests, this is the one to choose if you want a tool purely for scrubbing, while using a separate sponge or dishcloth for actual dishwashing. True to its promise, it softened in warm and hot water and firmed up in cold. I’ll admit, I was pleasantly surprised that even when soft, it still retained some gentle scrubbing power.

However, I found it less flexible than the sponge or cloth I typically use for washing a sink full of normally soiled dishes, and I couldn’t quite squeeze it into the tight corners of my grill pan. While Scrub Daddy is highly effective on its own, surfaces and items will still need a rinse or wipe with a damp cloth to remove any remaining suds.

Scrub Mommy is more versatile for everyday cleaning

I really enjoyed using Scrub Mommy. The sponge side handled everyday dishes and glassware well, while the scrubby side was there when I needed to tackle stuck-on bits — whether flicking debris off a wood cutting board or wrapping around the rungs of a broiler pan rack. When I was done, it also wiped down counters and the sink area just as effectively as the sponge cloth I usually use.

Plus, Scrub Mommy is even more flexible than Scrub Daddy when dipped in warm or hot water, making it very easy to slip into narrow glasses and clean around rims. In the bathroom, she effortlessly removed soap scum from my tub and hugged the corners and curves of the faucet, shower valve and grout lines between the tub and wall.

I tested both scrubbers on everyday dishes and cookware, wooden cutting boards, enamel pans, cooktops, ovens, countertops and bathroom tubs, tiles and chrome surfaces. Along with scrubbing power, I evaluated how easily they rinsed clean, how quickly they dried and whether they showed any signs of degradation, disintegration or odour retention.

For day-to-day dishwashing at the kitchen sink, I think Scrub Mommy outshines Scrub Daddy. She’s more versatile, offering the best combination of gentle washing and scrubbing, and — when needed — the spongy side works well for wiping down counters, cleaning the cooktop and soaking up water around the faucet. Plus, when warmed up, I found Scrub Mommy to be more flexible than Scrub Daddy, making it easier to manouevre into tight spaces.

Scrub Daddy, on the other hand, is the better choice for tough jobs, outdoor cleaning tasks and situations where heavy-duty scrubbing is the main priority. So in this case, I’d say there’s room for both halves of this couple under my kitchen sink.