A Life-Changing Dish Drying Mat from Sonoma Wool Company

A heads-up to anyone who prioritizes design but not at the expense of function—and has yet to find a dish drying mat that’s up to these standards: I am not exaggerating when I say that my new wool drying mat from Sonoma Wool Company is life-changing.

First, a little backstory. When we moved into our home, we renovated our kitchen. Our countertop—a dark gray soapstone with beautiful veining—was a splurge, and I wanted it to remain as uncluttered as possible. So when it came time to figure out a dish drying rack, I knew that anything large was out of the question. Nor did I want a metal option, as soapstone (ours anyway) is incredibly soft and scratches easily. I liked the idea of a mat, but the options I found—cushiony microfiber versions—were incredibly unappealing to me. So for years, we defaulted to what we already had: a plastic drainboard.

I hated that thing. It was unattractive (strike one), made of plastic (strike two), and it didn’t work very well (strike three); anytime I tried to prop a pot lid against another item, the lid would slip.

Sonoma wool dish-drying mat from Remodelista: The Low-Impact Home. Matthew Williams for Remodelista photo. — Above: Sonoma Wool Company’s Dish Drying Mat is made of untreated wool sourced from family ranches in Northern California. The rectangular mat is dense and thick and generously sized (16 by 20 inches); you can trim it with scissors to fit your space. Photograph by Matthew Williams from our book *Remodelista: The Low-Impact Home*.

Then, while working on our stocking stuffers gift guide, I came across this wool drying mat. I immediately fell for its simple design, pretty oatmeal color, and natural materials. I promptly ordered it.

The wool mat has worked brilliantly. We’ve had it for more than a month now, and I’m still stupidly thrilled with it. Its coarse texture means that pot lids and plates don’t slip when you lean them against something else. My husband, ever the contrarian, was worried that it would stain easily, and yes, that’s something to consider, but I’ve had no trouble getting out stains here and there: Every couple of weeks or so, I simply hand-wash in the sink (using a bit of dish soap). Once dry, the edges ruffled a little, but that’s likely because I am not particularly gentle when I squeeze out the water. Besides, I actually quite like the organic look of the ruffled edges. [N.B.: The Sonoma Wool Company now sells the mat with a washable linen sleeve.]

He also questioned the idea of putting wet stuff on wool, but untreated wool is naturally water-resistant. When you place just-washed items on the mat, you can actually see drops of water resting on top of the wool. Whatever water it absorbs (and it can absorb a lot—up to 30 percent of its weight, says the company) eventually evaporates. The mat never feels soggy.