Why polyester and not steel
Steel wool scours because it is harder than the grease and harder than the pan. The pan is what loses. A metallic-looking polyester weave scours on texture instead, so the coating survives.
Scours like steel. Does not scratch like it
Safe on non-stick, glass and ceramic
Double-sided diamond weave
Rinses clean instead of hiding dirt
One drop of soap, full foam
20 × 20 cm, stitched edge
Anella Non-Scratch Wire Dishcloth
20 × 20 cm cloth
$29.99
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What it is safe on
How to use it
Keeping it clean
What it is made of
Anella Non-Scratch Wire Dishcloth
$29.99
A sponge dies in about three weeks, and it stopped actually scrubbing long before that. Steel wool scrubs, but it takes the non-stick with it. This is the version that does one without doing the other.
- Safe on non-stick pans, glass, ceramic hobs and stainless steel
- Double-sided weave — no soft back that does nothing
- Rinses clean under the tap instead of trapping the grease
- 20 × 20 cm — folds into a pad or opens out flat
20 × 20 cm7.87" square
Double-sidedDiamond weave
Non-scratchSafe on non-stick
What it is safe on
Non-stick pans, glass, ceramic hobs, stainless steel, taps, tile, enamel, oven doors, extractor hood filters. The fibre is softer than all of them.
Give anything coated, polished or lacquered a test in a corner first — that is sensible with any abrasive, and it takes ten seconds.
How to use it
Wet it, one drop of washing-up liquid, and fold it into quarters when you want pressure. Opened out flat it wipes a worktop or a hob in one pass.
The fine pores are what turn very little soap into real foam, so start with less than you would use on a sponge.
Keeping it clean
Rinse under a hot tap, wring it out and hang it. An open weave lets go of grease and then dries, which is the whole reason it does not start to smell.
It goes in the washing machine too — put it in a laundry bag. What it does not like is being left balled up wet in the bottom of the sink.
What it is made of
Woven polyester with a metallic finish, in a double-sided diamond lattice, with a stitched border rather than a cut one so it does not fray.
There is no steel in it. That is not a compromise — it is the reason it can go on a non-stick pan at all.
Why it does not scratch
It looks like steel. It is not.
Steel wool scours because it is harder than the grease and harder than the pan — which is exactly why it takes the non-stick with it.
This is woven polyester with a metallic finish. The lattice does the scrubbing; the fibre itself is softer than everything you are cleaning.
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Diamond lattice weave Thousands of raised knots across the face. That texture is what lifts baked-on food — not the hardness of the material it is made from.
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Woven on both sides Both faces are the same. There is no soft back that does nothing when you flip it over mid-pan.
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Stitched edge, not cut The border is sewn, which is why it is still a square after a month in a wet sink instead of unravelling at the corners.
The part nobody mentions
A steel wool ball keeps what it picks up
Scrub a pan with steel wool and it goes grey and heavy. Everything that came off the pan is now inside the ball, and it stays there until you throw the ball away.
An open mesh has nowhere to keep it.
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It rinses out Hold it under the tap and wring it once. It goes back to being grey mesh rather than a heavy lump of what used to be on the pan.
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Nothing rusts, nothing sheds No steel means no orange ring on the draining board and no metal fibres going down the plughole or into your hand.
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And then it dries An open weave, wrung and hung, dries. That is the difference between a cloth still working in month four and a sponge smelling in week three.
The cloth in numbers
20 × 20
cm per cloth
7.87 inch square
2
woven faces
No soft side
0
scratches on non-stick
Woven polyester, not steel
Against steel wool and a sponge
Steel wool scrubs and scratches. A sponge is safe and stops working after a fortnight. This is the one that does the job without either problem.
| Feature | AnellaWire Dishcloth | Steel woolball | Ordinarysponge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safe on non-stick and glass | |||
| Scrubs baked-on food off | |||
| Rinses clean instead of trapping grease | |||
| Does not rust or shed fibres | |||
| Still usable after a few months | |||
| Opens out flat to wipe a worktop |
What buyers actually say
★★★★★I tested it on the shower tap first because I did not believe it. Not a single mark.
Lucia F.Verified buyer
★★★★★Took burnt sugar off a non-stick pan and the coating is completely fine. That is the whole review.
Denise W.Verified buyer
★★★★★I have one in each bathroom and one in the kitchen. They have been going since the spring.
Carol A.Verified buyer
★★★★★It rinses out. That sounds like nothing until you have squeezed a steel wool ball and seen what comes out of it.
Nadine P.Verified buyer
★★★★★Barely any washing-up liquid on it and it still foams up properly.
Yolanda R.Verified buyer
★★★★★Bought them to stop binning a sponge every three weeks. Have not bought a sponge since.
Marta G.Verified buyer
Every detail has a reason
Why both sides are woven
Most scrub cloths have a working face and a padded back, and you spend half the job holding the half that does nothing. Weaving both faces the same way doubles what you can actually use.
Why the edge is stitched
A cut edge on an open mesh unravels, and a frayed cloth gets binned long before the mesh has worn out. A sewn border is a few cents that buys months.
Why an open weave beats a sponge
A sponge works by absorbing, which means it keeps everything it picks up and stays wet. A mesh lets it go under the tap and dries between uses. That is the entire smell problem, solved by structure.
Frequently asked questions
Will it scratch my non-stick pans?
No. The fibre is woven polyester, softer than the coating — the scrubbing comes from the lattice texture, not from the material being hard.
It is the first thing everybody tests, usually on a tap or a glass shower screen.
Is it actually metal?
No, and that is the point. It has a metallic finish and it looks like steel wool. It is woven polyester, which is precisely why it can go on a non-stick pan.
What should I not use it on?
Soft plastics and acrylic, painted or matte finishes, and high-gloss lacquer. As with any abrasive, test a corner first on anything coated you would be upset to mark.
How do I stop it smelling?
Rinse it under a hot tap, wring it, hang it. The open weave dries — the smell only starts if you leave it balled up wet in the sink.
Can I put it in the washing machine?
Yes, in a laundry bag. Most people find a hot rinse and a wring is enough for day-to-day.
How big is one cloth?
20 × 20 cm, 7.87 inches square. Folded into quarters it is a scrubbing pad; opened out it wipes a worktop in one pass.
How long does one last?
Months rather than weeks. The weave does not collapse like a sponge and there is no steel in it to rust apart. It goes when it looks tired, not on a schedule.
Do I need a special cleaner?
No. Whatever you already use, and less of it — the fine pores foam up on very little.