Scour Power

by Bob Livingston | Jul 7, 2023 | Cool Gadgets, RVEXPERT

Photos by the author

If you’re going to wash dishes in an RV, you’ll need all the help you can get. Skoy Scrub pads make short work of removing cooked-on food from pots and pans and works wonders cleaning the kitchen, bathroom — and even vegetables.

A few years back, while perusing an RV show, a fellow camper insisted that I purchase a product from a vendor that was “the ultimate cloth” for cleaning dishes. I capitulated — and bought a couple of these “miracle” pads. Well, they turned out to be fantastic. One of them wore out over time, but I put the other one away for other cleaning chores around the RV — and forgot about it.

Recently, I was looking for something that could help remove the wiper-seal smudges that made a gooey mess on the sidewall of the slideout and I remembered that I had stashed the cleaning pad. Lo and behold, it removed the black goo quickly using Voom cleaner — without having to bear down on the surface.

So, I renewed my interest in this versatile pad.

I had no plans to attend an RV show in the near future, and who knows if these pads were even still available. So, I did the next best thing: I searched the Internet — and there they were on Amazon. They looked the same, but were a different size; the description of the material, however, matched that of my older pads. I ordered a package of four Skoy Scrub pads on Amazon for $13.98.

close view of the Skoy Scrub pad in its packaging

While typical scouring pads get icky and shred rather quickly, the Skoy Scrub pads do a better job and can be cleaned after each use. These pads stay pliable and last a long time. You can find a package of four bright-colored pads for $13.98 on Amazon. There are many cleaning applications other than washing dishes.

close view of the 98% cotton and 2% resin bristles that make up the Skoy Scrub pad

The Scrub pads are made in Poland using remnant cotton from the toweling industry. Each pad is made of 98% cotton and 2% resin (hardener). A close-up reveals tiny loops that produce excellent scouring power. Test use on delicate surfaces, like painted fiberglass, in an inconspicuous place first — and make sure the pad is wet and never bear down while cleaning.

Referred to as “kitchen scouring pads,” the 5- by 6-inch Skoy Scrub is made from 98% remnant cotton (from the toweling industry) and 2% hardener (resin). The pads are made in Poland and packaged by The Arc of San Diego (California), a company that employs people with disabilities. The company (skoycloth.com) started in 2007 and offers a line of colorful pads, towels and cloths.

Although the Scrub pad seems “scratchy” it is safe for most surfaces, other than those that are delicate. There’s a long list of safe applications on the packaging and website, but to be sure, check it out on an inconspicuous place first if you aren’t sure.

Buying the pads in a package of four allows you to dedicate a job for each one; you don’t want to wash vegetables after using the pad to clean the toilet. To keep them separate, a Sharpie was used to mark the loop (for hanging the scrub) sewed into the pad. Here a “V” was marked for “vegetables.”

hands use a Skoy Scrub pad to clean carrots in an RV sink

Rather than peel the carrot, the Scrub pad was used to clean the skin. It worked better than expected, making the skin very clean and smooth. No doubt: Squeaky-clean fruit and vegetables are healthier.

close view a Skoy Scrub pad is used to clean a stainless-steel sink

The Scrub pad did a good job cleaning the stainless-steel sink in this fifth wheel. Very little pressure was needed to bring the shine back and there was no scratching. There is no reason to bear down on any type of surface; the pad cuts through food, stains and grease with little effort.

Evapo-Rust biodegradeable rust remover and a scrub pad are used to clean the rust from a folding chair

One pad is dedicated to dirty jobs; removing the rust from the chrome frame on this 40-year-old Zip Dee folding chair (awningsbyzipdee.com) was a good test. Here the rust was removed using Evapo-Rust biodegradeable rust remover (evapo-rust.com) and the Scrub pad. While it was not possible to fix the scratches after rubbing on the ground for all those years, the rust came right off. Evapo-Rust is available at home improvement stores and Amazon for $11 (32-ounce container) but is frequently out of stock.

If you’re looking for something that will outlast the traditional scouring pads on the market and can be washed (by hand or top rack of the dishwasher) and reused, the Skoy Scrub pads will make short work out of cleaning pots and pans, stainless-steel sinks, dishes, porcelain and even vegetables, to name a few. I tried it out on a carrot and made the skin a smooth as a baby’s behind — not to mention squeaky clean; I’m sure it will fare just as well cleaning potato skin. For all applications, just make sure the pad is wet and refrain from bearing down on surfaces — which is not necessary, anyway.

The Skoy Scrub will change the way you feel about doing dishes and other things around the RV.

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