We met Finnish designer Miika Mansikkamaa near the tail end of our night at the 2009 Interior Design Show gala in Toronto, but he was still in high spirits and enthusiastic and we were glad that he pulled us into his booth to share with us his ingenious Magisso kitchen gadget.

No matter how you slice it, dish cloths are ugly. And dirty. And always falling into the sink when you don’t want them to. So why it took so long for this product to be invented is beyond me. I mean, the closest thing I can think of is those wide-mouthed ceramic frogs that hold dish scrubbing pads, but really, unless you’re into ceramic frogs, they’re kind of not helping the situation. Plus, to top it all off (literally), is that somehow the faucet has become a glorified cloth hanger. Lately, I’ve been reading in magazines about spending and saving in a kitchen reno, and one recommended splurge is the faucet. So why would one want to cover it up with a ratty ugly J-Cloth?

Our favourite thing about the Magisso holder is that when one is even as close as a foot away from the sink, the unsightly cloth is hidden from view–making the area less cluttered, and clearing the sightlines for what’s important (apparently, it’s ceramic children’s heads and some random Soviet certificate for excellence in athletics – see below).

The facts: Secured using a strong magnet that is placed on the underside of the sink, installation takes seconds and doesn’t produce any damage if you wish to remove it. The arm of the gadget is curved to fit the rounded corners of a sink and moves so that you can easily hang a cloth on it. The result is that your wet kitchen cloth has a place to dry that is out of sight but still within reach.

The product will retail in Canada for around $60, however they are working on a plastic version that will cut that cost considerably, to about $20. Honestly though, it’s worth it.

Now you see it.

Now you don’t. Simple but brilliant.

UPDATE: Canadians can now buy Magisso online at Urban Butik.

Photo credit: Miika Mansikkamaa by Magisso