buzzfeed Press
30 "Once And For All” Products That Will Actually Reliably Clean Or Fix Things In Your Home
Images
We hope you love our recommendations! While every product is independently chosen by our editors, BuzzFeed and our publishing partners may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. You can read more about how our affiliate partnerships work in our Editorial Standards & Ethics Guide. You’re telling me I never have to scrub a toilet again? Sign me up. I'm a resident writer on the Buzzfeed Shopping team, where my love for shopping (and doomscrolling on TikTok) helps me curate lists of the most trending lifestyle, home, beauty, and fashion products. Promising review: "I absolutely love this!! It fits perfectly in my space, my kids actually put their shoes in it now instead of just throwing them by the door. It's nice to look at, it's sturdy, the drawers open and shut easily, and we can fit so many pairs of shoes in there!!" —Kristin Guthrie Get it from Amazon for $99.99+ (available in 11 styles and four sizes). Promising reviews: "If you hate scrubbing the toilet bowl like I do, then this product is for you. The bleach only goes into the bowl of water, not the tank, so it doesn't make your tank parts disintegrate. Don't get me wrong; you still have to clean your toilet seat and stuff, but this keeps the bowl itself sparkly clean! Just love it!" —S.L. Beason "Best purchase of 2023! I've been using these on all my toilets for 60 days now, and this is my review. My toilets generally get a hard water ring around them within a few days of cleaning. It was infuriating, and I found myself cleaning toilets literally 2–3 times a week just to get rid of that little ring around the water line. These were so cheap I figured, why not, so I bought three of them and OH MY GOODNESS THEY WORK!!!!!! I've had these installed on all three of my toilets for 60 days now, and from what I'm seeing, I should be able to clean my toilets maybe once every two months now. I am so happy. If you have hard water buildup issues, do yourself a favor and buy one of these, try it on a single toilet first, just to be sure, but I think you will be happy :)." —nima bean Get the kit from Amazon for $13.37 (two-packs of refills are available for $6.28). One pint covers 100 square feet of brick surface. Note: The paint must be diluted at at least a 1:2 ratio with water to achieve full coverage! Promising review: "This is amazing!!!!! It looks like a different fireplace. I have been looking at a horrible grout repair that the previous owners did for 20 years. I did this in about two hours!!!!!! This product is fast, it's easy to use, easy to clean up, and inexpensive." —Denise Get a pint from Amazon for $29.95 (available in three sizes). Promising review: "My cords look so much neater now. I also used a cord protector to bind up my cords. My surge protector fit nicely in the box. Very happy with my purchase." —Amazon Customer Get a two-pack from Amazon for $29.99 (available in four colors). No tools required! It comes with a two-way clamping design that works on both horizontal and vertical surfaces. It's compatible with desks that are up to 3.1 inches thick. BedShelfie is a POC-owned small business that focuses on space-saving solutions for the home. Promising review: "First impression of the CarryUp, the build of it is solid and felt heavy. The weight of it made me confident it will hold up well and last me a long time. Overall setup was a breeze. No tools needed at all. One sentence that sums up this product for me ... Simple and effective!!!!! If you have messy cords underneath your desk then don't think, just buy this product." —Eddie Sadiwa Get it from Amazon for $12.99 (available in dark grey or cream). Promising review: "Changed the oil on my girlfriend's car and some oil spilled on my NEW driveway...which I didn't notice 'til four days later. Four spots, all about the size of a dollar bill, baking in the Arizona sun for four days. Found this searching on Amazon, and I thought, whatever. That's one less vodka soda tonight for dinner. Put the stuff on (sits on the stain like pancake batter — don't be afraid to pour liberally) and let it sit from 6 p.m. 'til about 9 a.m. the next day. It dried, and the instructions said to just sweep the stuff up (right, like I am not going to need a scraper and wire scrub pad for an hour. HA). Well, it broke apart with the broom, and the stains were gone. I just swept up the powder pieces — it took about a minute. I WAS SHOCKED! Something that actually works on oil and is easy. Absolutely NO sign of anything that was there. My driveway is smooth concrete, so I can't vouch for what would happen with a rougher surface, but whoever makes this stuff is a genius. If they tried to take on World Peace, Earth would be a better place." —AmazonBob Get it from Amazon for $17.97+ (available in two sizes). Reviewers say it does take a minute to do both tasks, but it still works really well. It also has a reliable sensor so it knows if it's vacuuming carpet or hard floors, and when to lower or lift the mop pad. Promising review: "This machine is incredible. I’ve never seen anything so thorough. After its initial mapping, its vacuum is 100% every part of the house, including the edges and the corners. It is quiet and very efficient. We have a 2,000-square-foot home and it does the entire home on a single charge. This vacuum is worth every cent charged." —Fred B. While restoring a finish isn't quite the same as completely refinishing a piece, it takes much less time and can still make furniture (and floors, front doors, and kitchen cabinets) look magically new again. Promising review: "Very easy to get results. I applied to eight dining room chairs which had scrapes, scuffs, and white paint marks. An amazing transformation so quickly. I finished eight chairs in 90 minutes without rushing. I bought two pints but only one was necessary. I used a cotton cloth for most of the application but also used 0000 steel wool for the scrapes and paint removal." —Grumpy Neanderthal Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in nine wood finish colors; also available in larger sizes). Many reviewers follow up with the same brand's wood polish and conditioner (they're meant to be used together!), which you can get for $9.98 from Amazon. Covogoods is a Utah-based, woman-founded small business that specializes in storage solutions crafted from up-cycled books. Promising review: "We absolutely love our CovoBox. It fits perfectly into our cabinet, and the cable modem/router, AppleTV, and external hard drive, and their various cables are now cleverly disguised as Harry Potter books 1–7. Great customer service, quick delivery, and a fabulous product. Two thumbs way, way up!" —John Grace Get it from Covogoods on Etsy for $33+ (originally $24+; available in various customizations and sizes) OR from Amazon Handmade for $29+ (you'll choose customizations before adding to your cart). Promising reviews: "We retired to the Southwest US, which is just a huge dust bowl. I didn’t want to be breathing in the dust, and I absolutely hate dusting furniture. So I researched air purifiers and chose this model. In order to filter dust, it seems I needed a HEPA filter, which this purifier uses. While not washable, they can be vacuumed, which I do about once a week, so they last longer. Overall, the price for the purifier and the filters was less for this model than for others I researched. I bought the large model of this purifier for the main room of our 1,200-square-foot townhouse, and it works really well. I only have to dust every 3–4 weeks, which suits me just fine. I think the purifier is about as loud as a white noise machine, so not very loud in my opinion. My husband, who wears hearing aids, finds it noisier than I do. I bought two of the smaller versions of this same purifier for the two bedrooms. While they are just a smaller version of this machine, they don’t work nearly as well. It gets dusty in those rooms within days. I wish I had purchased the larger version for those rooms, too. I’ve had all three purifiers going 24/7 for four months now, and the filters are nowhere near the point where they need changing, again noting that I vacuum them weekly. So all in all, these purifiers have been very economical to use." —SuesZoo "I was skeptical any air purifier at this price could do much, but I tried it! I have a medium-sized music room for record collections and playing those records, etc. The room is about 18 x 18. I hate dealing with dust getting on the records and equipment. I took note of some dark items with dust on them first. Then, I cleaned those items to see if they would stay clean because it usually takes a few days to be covered again. I ran the Levoit at medium speed for two weeks solid, and those surfaces look just as clean as when I cleaned them. Does it work? Yes, it does! The lowest setting is pretty quiet, but the medium and high can be fairly loud. I turn it off during listening times." —Charles Tweedy Get a purifier that can cover up to 1,073-square-foot spaces from Amazon for $84.94+ (available in black and white, plus a pet version). You can also get a mini size for up to 240 square feet for $39.97. Promising review: "This was a perfect way for us to camouflage our electrical panel while still allowing easy access, it's so cute and really well made and exactly as described." —Janet Planet You should only need to use this once a year but may require more uses depending on your environment. More humidity = more mildew. It also contains bleach so it's recommended to do a patch test to ensure color safety. Promising reviews: "I’ve tried everything on my water slide; this was the only thing that worked on the mildew!" —Jade "I was given an outdoor patio set, but the beige cushions had black spots of mold on them. I tried washing them and then tried vinegar, but the spots remained. I looked on Amazon for a product that would remove mold or mildew spots and came across Star Brite Mold and Mildew remover. My primary concern was obviously removing the spots, but would it change the fabric color, too? To my amazement, Star Brite removed 99% of the mold and mildew spots and did nothing to the fabric color. This product really works." —EWG Get it from Amazon for $10.48+ (available in three sizes). Promising review: "No more messy closet or lost sheets and pillowcases! This was a great option for us. We have a king bed with split sheets. This keeps the sets organized and allows us to store our large sets of linen easily. The entire closet is organized now! Sturdy for what it is. Should last a long time." —Tera Get a six-pack from Amazon for $29.98+ (available in eight colors and also in a nine-pack). Promising review: "This is a wonderful product. I have an older dog who can't always wait until I get home from work, so accidents occasionally happen. I have a Hoover Rug Scrubber, and this product is very easy to use with my machine. Carpet Miracle works amazingly well on stains and odors, even those that have been set for a while. I did the carpet in the 'room of shame' twice just to be sure, although for normal soil and odors, once should be more than enough. It leaves behind a wonderful, clean, fresh scent, and the carpet feels and looks wonderful. I plan on continuing to use this product to keep my carpets clean and my home smelling fresh." —Vicky Faurot Promising review: "This is a great product. [It] serves the purpose of covering ugly cords and looks beautiful. Also easy to install. Got lucky and the color I chose from the chart offered matched exactly to our wall color!" —Deborah Smith Get it from Amazon for $29.43+ (available in 22 colors and in multipacks). You may still need to clean your screens every once in a while, but now you'll have the tool to get it done year after year. Promising review: "This thing is the greatest invention since sliced bread! It actually works! And it works great at cleaning all my screens, from the small motorhome screens to our large patio screen. We live in southern Utah, where the red dirt/dust is everywhere, and this simple tool takes the work out of cleaning screens. My secret to using this tool is to have a bucket of sudsy water to dip the head into occasionally as you run it up and down and side by side. No streaks, no dirt, no fuss; plus it's gentle on the screen." —KarenLynn The set comes with a two-inch flat brush, a four-inch flat brush, and a round brush. The drill isn't included, but you can grab a highly rated Black + Decker one ($54.99 on Amazon) that'll do the trick. Note: Each color of the Drill Brush attachment corresponds to the type of bristles they have, and each one is best suited for a specific type of cleaning job (for example, the yellow brush has medium bristles, best used for bathroom cleaning — bathtubs, showers, tile, and porcelain). Be sure to check the listing for which color is best for your intended purpose before buying! Drill Brush is a small business that was founded by Anthony LaPolla, a former electrician with carpal tunnel who developed this tool as a way to clean while avoiding painful scrubbing. Promising review: "I thought my hard water stains would never come off my shower doors, but I bought this awesome brush set, and it's amazing! I’ve tried all the hacks — dryer sheets, clean erasers, lemon, vinegar — nothing works like this brush! I used Zep shower cleaner with it! In the picture, the side on the right is the part of the door I cleaned, and I still have to clean the left side." —Traci D. Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in six colors and stiffness levels). Just peel off the backing and adhere the strip to a dry surface! Promising reviews: "Boy does this tape pretty up an otherwise and boring toilet. Way better than a bead of caulk. Clean....clean...clean before installation. Also helps to warm the product. Can be stretched during installation to better fit around tight bends. Been in place for a few weeks; still holding fine." —Selaretus "Went on easily around the toilet, [it] looks so much better. Covered discoloration around the base, highly recommend." —Jerry Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in five sizes/styles). Natalie Brown, a BuzzFeed Shopping editor, owns this and loves it: "I bought this initially to go behind my bar cart, and it made such a huge difference! It disguised all the cords that were under the cart, I could plug more in, and the cart could sit close to the wall without bending the cords unnaturally. Now that I have a baby (and no bar cart), it allows the diaper-changing table to sit flush with the wall while still giving me a spot to plug in the sound machine/nightlight. It's literally as simple as it looks: you plug it in, use the included cord organizers to make that look nice and neat, then plug in your electronics. And it only takes an instant!" Promising review: "This was very easy to install to hide all the messy wires. This is life changing to create a nice, sleek space." —Martha Ashley Get it from Amazon for $23.95+ (available in two style and four sizes). MioEco is a small business that provides practical and stylish products made of sustainably produced organic materials for a lower environmental impact. Promising reviews: "I bought these to replace paper towels, and I don't regret it. These are great for use in the kitchen. I will purchase more." —Shannon I "Wish I'd known about these sooner! I tried a few others, none better than a washcloth, which is obviously subpar for cleaning kitchen counters, etc. Then I saw rave reviews for this waffled item. They’re great; fully absorbent, rinse well quickly, and hold up to a number of washings and no shrinkage. I’ve only had them less than a month but am a full convert. We haven’t used a paper towel since." —Californiamom Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $22.99+ (also available in packs of 20 or 24). Promising review: "This is the definition of 'product you didn't know you needed because you didn't know it existed.' I was FOREVER pulling the wrong chain on our bedroom ceiling fan. (Want the light off? Oh no...now the fan's on high. Need to change the fan speed? Eek...now you're in the dark.) They're a much better quality than I expected. They're actually quite heavy-duty pull chains, and they add a bit of fun to the decor." —LHD Get them from Amazon for $5.88+ (available in three colors and two lengths). This roll of self-adhesive trim measures 4 inches by 20 feet. Cut it to the desired length, then peel off the adhesive backing and stick to a smooth surface! Promising review: "This was very easy to apply and make sure you have it where you want it before sticking because it REALLY sticks to the wall. I laid out the roll and let it relax for a day before cutting and applying. Love the easy-to-clean material. Made trimming out my bathroom/ laundry room quick and easy." —Cassie Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in nine sizes and three colors). Promising review: "These are the best drawer organizers I have ever seen! I truly love them! I can always find what I need in my junk drawers, now. I made a lot of different-sized little bins to hold all the little things you don't really have a place for, plus a few extra empty ones, too. You cut the dividers to the size you need, so they always fit. No wasted space. You can organize anything that fits in a drawer, make bins for each pair of socks, make bins for different colors of accessories that go together, and keep your kitchen neat, too. You can do a lot with forty pieces. You will be amazed. Not only will you love them, but so will your kids or grandkids. They are fun to play with. You can build buildings of any style or whatever a child's imagination can come up with. For more than one level, you can use cardboard or anything flat like that to use as another floor to build on. These are a great item at a great price!" —Norma Jeanne Get an 8 pack from Amazon for $7.64+ (available in five colors and packs of 18 and 40). Promising review: "These have been such a huge space saver in our game closet. We put our games in these and got rid of the tattered and broken cardboard boxes. They close tight so when we grab a game everything doesn’t fall out. Our kids can quickly see the pieces and read the label to grab a game to play out of the closet. We love these!" —Tawny Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in two pack sizes). This is safe to use on glass, plastic, carpets, fabrics, and hard surfaces. BuzzFeed Shopping contributor Yi Yang has this to say: "Goo Gone is one of those things that I somehow had never heard of until this year (though others have apparently had it in their households for years). When I saw it in this BuzzFeed post, my life was changed forever. I couldn’t believe I had lived for so many years without this stuff. So many presents were ruined by price stickers that wouldn’t peel off properly and so many reusable glass containers thrown away/recycled because I couldn’t get the sticky label off of them. When I got my hands on a bottle, I immediately put it to test. A couple of days ago, I bought a really cool glass milk saucer from the MoMA store, but the product label left an ugly and sticky residue on it (why do shops allow stickers like this?!). I applied the Goo Gone, washed with soap and water, and voilà — the adhesive came right off, leaving my saucer crystal clear. Then, I cleaned off an old soy sauce container and turned it into a flower vase. And it can do so much more than just removing price stickers; the product description says it’ll work on candle wax, permanent marker, crayon, glue, gum, tape residue, adhesive, paint, tree sap, tar, etc. It’s also surface-safe and can be used on carpet and upholstery, clothing, and any hard surfaces — including glass, laminate, metal, wood, plastic, vinyl, windows, ceramic, granite, flooring, countertops, tile, and wood. And bonus: It smells nice and citrusy! Since purchasing Goo Gone, I’ve cleaned off several candle tins, a Trader Joe's growler, and a kimchi jar previously marred by sticky labels — they can now be reused as pen holders and food containers! In fact, now I'm constantly looking around my apartment to see what I can Goo Gone (yes, I'm using it as a verb) and reuse. Definitely one of my best household purchases EVER." Promising review: "We use these under our sink in the bathroom because we don't have much storage. In a two-pack, we have space for everything we need! It fits three rolls of TP on one shelf, or six if stacked. It's pretty sturdy and great quality for the price!! The bottom shelf slides out pretty well, not perfect but definitely well enough". —Cami Get a two-pack from Amazon for $19.99 (available in five colors and two sizes). * If You’re Deeply Serious About Deep Cleaning, You’ll Want These 44 Products * “Saved My Life”: 30 Cleaning Products That Really And Truly Dealt With The Mess * Cleaning Products With Such Satisfying Results, They’ll Make You Say “Oooh, I *Need* This” * Calling All My Fellow Lazy People: These 26 Cleaning Products Were Definitely Made With Us In Mind * If Your Roommates, AKA Your Pets, Are Creating A Mess In The House, Here Are 27 Things To Help Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity. BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way.