All About Kitchen Dish Drainers

The Purpose of a Dish Drainer

Anyone who lives in a home without a dishwasher will understand the importance of having a place to air-dry dishes. The alternative is to dry all your dishes with a towel, which can double dishwashing time. A dish drainer allows you to wash and go. Air-drying is also the most sanitary way to dry your dishes, and a dish drainer allows for perfectly air-dried dishes.

While some people like to let their dishes air dry in one side of a double sink, a dish drainer provides a better alternative. When you stack your dishes up in a sink basin, air will not be able to reach the dishes at the bottom (or your silverware, which will fall to the bottom). As a result, the bottom dishes will take a very long time to adequately dry. A dish drainer prevents this problem entirely by evenly spacing out plates and bowls, and providing cups for silverware. The result is evenly dried dishes.

Even for people with a dishwasher, a dish drainer can provide convenience for drying pots, or dishes, such as fine china, which are not dishwasher safe.

Dish Drainer Varieties

Dish drainers come in many varieties and sizes. Common materials for dish drainers include stainless steel, plastic, and wood. You can get dish drainers that sit over the sink, that sit in the sink, and that sit next to the sink. Many dish-drainers that sit next to the sink include a plastic mat, called a drain board, that goes under the dish drainer to collect drops of water. Some dish drainers come with a sloped mat that drains the water directly into your kitchen sink.

Over the Sink Dish Drainers

Over the sink dish drainers hang over your sink. Generally, they are expandable, and will size to fit any sink. These dish drainers are ideal for a double sink, as you can then wash in one basin, and hang the dish drainer over the other. A nice feature of an over the sink dish drainer is that the water drips directly into your sink.

Rubbermaid Dish Drainers

Rubbermaid makes a variety of high quality dish drainers. One popular variety is the Rubbermaid Hunter Green Dish Drainer. This drainer is made of Rubbermaid material and sits next to the sink. It includes prongs for cup drying, and a cup for silverware. Another popular Rubbermaid dish drainer is the Rubbermaid Twin Sink Dish Drainer. This dish drainer comes in a variety of colors, including hunter green, and can sit in one side of a twin, or double, sink, or along the side of the sink on a drain board. Rubbermaid also makes a variety of plastic coated stainless steel dish drainers that are sturdy and versatile.

More information on Dish Drainers