Review of Black & Decker Power Kitchen Scrubber

It's hard to come to terms with getting old. It's the little things, and not things you'd expect. It's not finding a gray hair or a laugh line. It's moments when you do things like get all excited about a cleaning gadget. I kept it under wraps with the Swiffer. I love my Clorox disinfecting wipes but I keep it in perspective.

So when I purchased the Black & Decker Power Kitchen Scrubber, I expected to like it. Well, like turned to love the first time I used this little beauty. Even with the best dishwashers, dishes need to be somewhat clean or they will deposit crumbs all over the rest of your dishes. Rinsing alone never seems to do the trick; the truth is they have stuck-on crumbs that need to be scrubbed. Well, I don't have time for that and I'm impressed I'm bothering to put them in the dishwasher in the first place. Hit a button to start the scrubber and in seconds your dish is chunk-free, ready to go into the dishwasher.

There are two attachments: a sponge with an abrasive outer texture, and a brush with short bristles. Replacement attachments can be purchased. At the tip of the handle is a flattened edge that can be used for scraping.

The Black & Decker Power Kitchen Scrubber costs $19.99. It is 9 inches long and has a sturdy constitution without being too heavy. It takes 4 AA batteries.

An unexpected benefit is that it made my husband excited to clean. It's a power tool for your kitchen. The psychological value of this tool goes beyond its time-saving qualities. Anything that can make cleaning more fun and go faster is a huge plus in our household.

It makes a great gift when you don't know what to get someone. My brother-in-law was charmed by its power tool charm and raved about its usefulness. My mother couldn't wait to use the brush attachment to clean the Jacuzzi. My dad was mildly interested, but it's only a matter of time.

One drawback is the packaging the product is sold in: that awful blister pack plastic that is nearly impenetrable by scissors but cannot be simply torn apart.

The Black & Decker scrubber can be purchased at places like Target. Though it was an impulse buy like many items at Target tend to be, it is something I use daily and couldn't imagine life without.