Oftentimes, the best items in our homes are passed down from our parents, whether it’s a family heirloom or a kitchen sponge (that’s right!). My mother is a whiz when it comes to cooking and cleaning. As for me? Well, not so much. A lot of my favorite brands, and corresponding items in my apartment, were recommended by her — like the toaster oven on my counter and, most recently, the sponge by my sink. I never thought I’d be raving about a simple dishwashing sponge, but here we are. These Williams Sonoma sponges are pop-up sponges, meaning they’re flat and compressed until you submerge them in water. That’s when they inflate to a full-sized sponge. Because they’re so easy to travel with, my mom gave me a couple to bring home during my last visit. I probably won’t be buying a regular grocery store sponge ever again.

As someone who doesn’t always do their dishes right away, these sponges are truly life changing. Even though they don’t have a rougher side for scrubbing tougher bits like other kitchen sponges, they’re made from all-natural cellulose, which is super durable and up to the challenge. At the same time, these sponges are pretty gentle and soft, so you don’t have to worry about scratching the coating off a pan or scrubbing your more delicate items that can’t go in the dishwasher.

You can choose from two sizes: a 12-pack of regular sponges for $18.95 or a 6-pack of large sponges which are on sale for $15.16. You can also get these sponges in different colors and fun shapes, like stars and pineapples. (I’ve also had my eye on these biodegradable sponge dishcloths from Williams Sonoma, so they might have to be included in my next haul.)

Not only have I found them more durable than a regular kitchen sponge, but these sponges also seem to last longer because of how high-quality they are. They’re super travel-friendly and convenient to store, and you can even run them through the dishwasher to clean. No more moldy, smelly sponges by your kitchen sink, and no more extreme elbow grease required to scrub your dirty dishes. Who knew this simple item could making washing dishes more bearable?