My New Secret Weapon in the Kitchen!

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Rubbermaid, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #RMDishRack http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

So something happened a few weeks ago that hasn't happened in nine years of wedded bliss....we used our china. Ya know, the thousands of dollars worth of plates, glasses, gravy boats, serving spoons, and silverware that has sat for display only since before our wedding in 2005....yeah, I finally broke it out. Unfortunately, I also broke a glass...hence the whole one of the reasons I don't like to use it!

The occasion was Easter and since I was hosting I decided it was worth the effort to peel off the stickers (yup, I'm that person), give them a rinse, set the fancy table, enjoy a good meal and then get to work hand washing and drying. Uh....my husband took the washing job and put me on drying duty. That is the worst.

As we were eating off and admiring our brand spankin'~~new~~ 9 year old china, my aunt mentioned how a friend of hers lost her entire house in a fire. Following the fire, her friend posted something on Facebook that really hit home with my aunt - and in turn with me. She said she lost everything in the first including her china - china she had never taken the opportunity to eat off even after many years of marriage. Her message was - eat off your china otherwise, why have it? Even if you're just eating pizza off the plates, cereal out of the bowls, or serving takeout sushi on a platter. That really struck me. For nine years my china has been nothing, but a dust collector and to be honest the biggest reason is because I don't want to have to wash and then hand dry it.

After hearing that story, I made a vow to use my china more. But wouldn't you know as I was loading my china in the top rack of the dishwasher for a rinse (and then hand dry) following Easter dinner, I broke one of the glasses as it clanked against another. See! This is why I don't use it..that was probably like a $40 wine glass that I drank out of one time.

Regardless, I was determined to find more uses for my china and an easier way to wash and dry it. Thankfully, I found the new Rubbermaid's Deluxe Kitchen Drainer at Target (totally scored with Target Cartwheel's 15% off discount offer) and it has quickly become my new BFF.

Forget the plastic drying racks and unsturdy type - this thing is made for big jobs. In my past life I would attempt to dry glasses by putting them directly onto my drying pad which saves my counters, but doesn't dry my glasses. You can see, instead of drying, the glasses just get all fogged up.

But with my Rubbermaid Dish Rack on top of the drying pad the glasses get some real air flow and actually dry in just a few minutes without me hand drying them.

Of course, I'm not using my china everyday or even even week, but at least now I feel confident that I have a sturdy places to dry the delicate dishes without having to hand dry them.

While I picked up the Rubbermaid Deluxe Kitchen Drainer to encourage me to use my china more, I have found it's super useful for day to day dish drying, as well. No more leaning the heavy wood cutting board against the back splash to dry out...it fits on the drying rack and the pool of water goes on the drying mat instead of all over my counter!

It also has a lot of dividers so a full meal's worth of dishes can dry at the same time - saving me tons of time and work on pots, pans, thermoses, you name it that can't go in the dishwasher. I also like that it has a spot for smaller items and three large utensil drying areas. Plus, by taking out the utensil bin, a pyrex dish will stand up!

There's one more thing...yes, I'm still bragging on my dish rack. I don't know about you, but I like the look of a clean and tidy counter, and this Rubbermaid Dish Rack fits right in with the look and feel of my kitchen. It has has a sleek look to match stainless steel appliances so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb or make my counters look too cluttered.