TOOL
Fuzzy Wuzzy A couple of weeks ago, my faithful kitchen scrub brush--the one from Japan that makes easy work of scouring pots and pans, the one I thought would last forever--went missing. I had a pile of pots from a dinner party left to scrub, and an old scrubber-sponge made a poor stand-in. It didn’t do the job nearly as well, and it was so gruesome-looking that I had to banish it right back to the cabinet under the sink.
But after lunch in Little Tokyo one day, I stopped to browse in a Japanese housewares store. And there, next to the sushi mats and gumdrop-colored plastic colanders, I found an identical twin to my lost scrubber.
At first glance, the scrubbing brush looks something like one of those soft, fuzzy ducklings that used to come in Easter baskets (minus the head). Adorable, considering it’s a mundane scrub brush. It’s a sort of pompom really, bright green on the outside, blue and white at the center, with a harder, more compact nub knob on the back for scrubbing loose those really stubborn bits. Among its many virtues: It doesn’t pick up odors or get funky. And any oil or grease washes out like water off a duck’s back. Best of all, it won’t leave a mark on your pots. At the Little Tokyo shop, Rafu Bussan, the $3 scrubbers come in three colors: green, blue and red.
The shop also stocks another model ($4.50) called “corner brush,” a fluffy rectangle that’s mottled a cheerful cobalt blue and white. What’s it for? You could never imagine. The back of the package lists its uses along with little drawings: “wash basket, dish washing, healthy brush [back and body brush], wash vegetable, polish pan, wash bathtub, washing clothes, brushing coat”--even “brushing pet.” How could I resist? I bought two.
Eventually, my old scrubber brush did turn up. And despite its age--it’s at least 5 years old--I could hardly tell it from the new one. Maybe some things do last forever.
Available in limited supplies at Rafu Bussan, 326 E. 2nd St., Los Angeles, (213) 614-1181; and at other Japanese housewares stores.
